University Custodians Enjoy Extra Support for Maintaining Campus During Winter Storm

Texas facility maintenance staff have been working nonstop through the unusually harsh winter weather that has affected the state through power outages and frozen, ruptured pipes. At Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, campus, custodial staff have been braving the cold to help clear the snow and fix other issues caused by the severe winter weather. KAGS-TV reports that one local campus restaurant wanted to show its appreciation by feeding 50 A&M custodians.

Tanner Purdum, owner and head chef of The Wild Garlic, a pizza parlor located in College Station, told KAGS that it had been a rough week for Texas A&M’s maintenance workers and he wanted to do something for them. Purdum contacted the REACH Project, a local nonprofit which supports custodial, dining, and other staff members from A&M, for help in organizing a mobile catering event.

Justin Ellard, a maintenance supervisor for Texas A&M, told KAGS that it was wonderful to see community members like Purdum step up. “We all have value and we all play a role,” Ellard said. “It’s wonderful to see that and we’re very appreciative for that.”

The REACH program assists A&M workers all year round. It has partnered with A&M’s Fish Aides Service Committee to host a food distribution drive-thru for the campus custodial staff the week before Easter, The Eagle reports.

Max Gerall, REACH founder, said the project is working to raise about US$16,000 through a GoFundMe page to provide meal packages “that can feed five people so custodians can enjoy the food they take home with their loved ones.”

Gerall said usually this event is an annual banquet, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic it was canceled last year. This year instead of cancelling the event, REACH organizers decided to turned it into a food distribution event to keep everyone safe.

“It is a way to show appreciation for members of the A&M community who are essential, especially throughout the pandemic,” Gerall said. “These are really the unsung heroes. They’ve really helped mitigate the spread on campus, keeping students safe, keeping the community, as a whole, safe.”

For more on how Texans are coping with the critical weather concerns facing the state, tune into this Straight Talk! video. Peter Crosa, an independent insurance adjuster, offers some advice guidance for disaster restoration professionals, homeowners, and policy holders.