The Power of Giving Season for Relief Funds
October 28, 2025
Employee Relief Funds: A Critical Tool for Workforce Support in 2026
January 20, 2026December 9, 2025
The potential for severe winter weather in the US underscores the need for robust preparedness and a clear plan to support your team. Winter storms are consistently among the costliest natural hazards in the United States. In 2024, extreme winter weather resulted in approximately $4.02 billion in insured losses in the US, disrupted critical infrastructure, and left millions without power. These events highlight not only the destructive force of extreme cold, ice, and snow but also the growing financial toll on impacted communities across the nation.
Understanding the Growing Threat of Winter Storms
The financial and human toll of winter weather has grown increasingly clear. In January 2024, freezing rain and strong winds swept through the Willamette Valley and southwestern Washington, toppling trees, damaging infrastructure, and leaving hundreds of thousands without power. At the same time, a prolonged cold wave stretched from the Plains to the Deep South and up the East Coast, coating highways with ice, damaging homes and vehicles, disrupting businesses, and contributing to dozens of fatalities.
In February of 2024, another round of extreme weather struck the Mid-Atlantic and New England. Heavy, wet snow combined with strong winds knocked out power to more than 175,000 customers and caused at least one death, highlighting the vulnerability of densely populated regions to prolonged outages.
Just weeks later, a powerful late-season Nor’easter hammered Maine and New Hampshire with up to two feet of snow. The storm downed trees and transmission lines, leaving hundreds of thousands without electricity and causing millions of dollars in infrastructure repair needs. FEMA’s subsequent disaster declaration underscored the seriousness of the damage, particularly in rural communities where recovery proved slow and costly.
Together, these storms highlight the compound costs of extreme winter weather — not only immediate damage to facilities, supply chains, and local infrastructure, but also longer-term impacts on workforce productivity, employee safety, and organizational resilience.
Why Employee Relief Funds are Essential for Winter Storms
Preparation for the winter season includes both infrastructural adjustments and financial readiness. Here's where relief funds come into play:
- Rapid Response: Employee relief funds provide financial assistance to affected individuals and their families, enabling them to address urgent needs like food, shelter, and medical aid.
- Long-Term Recovery: Besides addressing immediate concerns, relief funds contribute to long-term recovery, helping those impacted rebuild.
Investing in winter storm preparedness is a proactive approach to preparing for the winter season. Moreover, the growing frequency of natural disasters underscores the need for robust relief funds to provide financial assistance for your employees and team members who may be impacted.
The winter weather forecast predicts challenging times ahead. However, with strategic preparation of relief funds, organizations can better brace themselves against the harsh realities of winter storms, ensuring a swift and effective recovery in their communities.
How Establishing a Relief Fund With EAF Can Help Your Organization Support Employees in Need
If you’re interested in making sure your team members are taken care of, but are unsure about how to launch an employee relief fund, we’re here to help!
In the aftermath of severe weather, a disaster, or personal hardship, your organization needs the ability to help impacted team members rebuild and recover from the potentially devastating impact. A relief fund can boost morale and allow your employees to donate and contribute directly to the support of fellow team members. Establishing a relief fund can alleviate the stress that disasters and hardship put on those within your organization and allow them to stay focused on recovering from the event.
If your organization is interested in launching a relief fund, consider establishing a fund with EAF today. As a financial first responder, we’re resourceful and fearless in ensuring that financial assistance reaches individuals in need, no matter the unique circumstances involved.
By establishing a fund with us today, your organization can assist members of your team affected by natural disasters and other hardships. Relief fund grants can help impacted individuals pull through difficult times and start on the path toward recovery. If you’d like to learn more about how your organization can help your team during crises, you can review additional information about how a fund works or contact us today. We look forward to helping you make a difference for those who need it most!
Author: Emergency Assistance Foundation Team
