Rebuild Homes and Lives with CES Cares

When Hurricane Florence hit in September 2018, more than a million homes were destroyed, and many more lives were uprooted in the aftermath. City Electric Supply employee Scott Biggs and his family lost everything, but thankfully, Biggs could rely on the CES Disaster Relief Fund during the hard time.

City Electric Supply created the Disaster Relief Fund to help employees who are facing financial hardship immediately after a natural disaster or unforeseen personal hardship. Once the hurricane hit in September 2018, Biggs reached out for help.

“I knew that CES Cares created the disaster relief fund to help employees in circumstances like this, and we needed all the help we could get to land back on our feet,” Biggs said.

When the hurricane made landfall on September 14, 2018, Biggs and his family were inside their home as it began filling with water. The first floor slowly filled with 18 inches of water, and rain seeped in through the roof, making Biggs and his family evacuate their home quickly.

With the road damage and flooding, they were forced to stay out of town for nearly two weeks. When they could finally return, a large group of friends and charity groups helped tear down and gut the entire house to prepare for a rebuild.

“My Branch Manager David Futch was very flexible and understanding,” Biggs said. “Over the last 11 months, I was often late and had to leave early to meet people who were working on the house. I truly appreciate him more than he knows. I don’t know what I would have done otherwise.”

During the 11 months of rebuilding the house, Biggs spent most evenings and any free time he had working on the house. However, Biggs did joke that he and his wife have wanted to renovate their house since they bought it nine years ago.

“We tried to look at it on the bright side to keep us going,” he said. “Now, we were able to finally have the house of our dreams!”

Although it was hard for Biggs, his three kids took it the hardest.

“They were late to school almost every day, and they lost just about every toy, game, sentimental item, and everything in between. They loved playing the piano, and a month before the hurricane, we had purchased them a newer and nicer piano, but they lost it quickly,” Biggs said. “Since then, we still haven’t been able to replace it, but they’re staying strong. I’m really proud of how they’ve handled everything these past 11 months.”

Through the last year and many tough times, Biggs and his family cannot stop thanking City Electric Supply for their support and flexibility.

“Without CES Cares, I’m not sure where we would be right now. They truly helped us rebuild our lives.”

Biggs and his family would also like to thank the multiple charity groups who supported them and helped them out, especially during Christmas. With so much support from their community, the family had everything they needed for a happy holiday season, so they donated the majority of the toys and items to other children who lost their homes to the hurricane.

“I just want to say that CES truly does care about its employees,” Biggs said. “The Disaster Relief Fund got us back on our feet. I would strongly recommend donating to the fund to help others like me. You never know what may happen in the future, and your donation may rebuild someone else’s life.”

If you are affected by a natural disaster, unforeseen personal hardship, or would like to donate, visit https://benefits.cityelectricsupply.com/disaster/.