Home Share – Caring and Sharing, one Family at a Time

In the devastation of Hurricane Harvey in Texas and Hurricane Irma in Florida and the Southeast, whole communities were wiped out, families were displaced, businesses and critical infrastructure were destroyed. So much was lost; but something very important was found. 

In response to these crises, our nation found a renewed spirit of community and caring among all involved;

federal, state and local governments, military and first responders, schools, charities and places of worship, huge corporations and local small businesses, and the thousands and thousands of volunteers.  

  

When calamity strikes, our first reaction at J&J for over 130 years has been to ask, “How can we help?” This time, it was gratifying to see so many others doing the same. It was particularly inspiring and encouraging at a time when we hear most often about what divides us, not what unites us.   

One of the ideas generated within our company in this crisis deserves special note; an inventive program called J&J Home Share – Caring and sharing, one family at a time. At 10:30 a.m. on September 8th, when Irma was first making landfall in Florida, Diabetes sales representative Shelly Hilliard in Phoenix e-mailed me the following, “As final preparations are being completed for my new home, I am grateful and humbled to be blessed with this wonderful opportunity. And, at the same time, I am considering that I have a lot of extra living space. I have two guest bedrooms and baths, and I'd be willing to share my home with a displaced family.” At that moment we realized that our own associates would be happy to provide room for their colleagues. 

By 7:30 that night, a team including J&J Human Resources, Information Technology, Global Corporate Affairs and Global Services had developed the J&J Home Share program to allow our employees and retirees to obtain resources, sign up to offer their homes, or view all available homes via a mobile-friendly interactive map.

That program was launched the next day. Almost immediately, 220-plus J&J employees and retirees offered their homes, and over 450 beds were made available to those in need. 

J&J Home Share required collaboration, innovation and a great measure of simple human compassion. It came from the heart of what makes this company unique, and I’m very proud of everyone who has taken part in it. 

Peter Fasolo, Ph.D.