Companies Coming Together!

My wife, Sherrie, who works at a local high school, called me earlier this month to ask me about bed bugs. A young lady who was in their special needs program was coming to school with bite marks and they even found a bug on her which I was able to verify was a bed bug. After further communications with the school, we discovered that this young lady was being raised by a single mother who was also burdened with a disability and was on a limited income. A quick phone call to the Clark Pest Control office in Rancho Cordova office resulted in Jim Phillpott, their sales manager, going out to inspect the property. What Jim came across during this inspection pulled on the strings of his heart. This mother was drowning in stress, illness, financial burden, and not least of all, a heavy infestation of bedbugs. Jim discovered that the mother was sleeping on a cot and the daughter was sleeping on a makeshift bed on the floor beside her.  

Jim went back to his office and shared the results of his inspection with Bill Fernandez, his branch manager. Between the two of them, a decision was made to provide a full heat treatment at no charge. Later we were to learn that this small family had only $29 to their name until the end of the month and was already resigned to the fact that there will be no Christmas. Here is where PCOC and the relationships we have all formed with each other comes in to play. I picked up the phone and called Jim Steed, from Neighborly Pest Management, and Vince Scoville, from The Pest Control Center, and both jumped at the opportunity to help.

Early the next day, I received an email from his administrative assistant, Joanna Hebert, with a set of questions about the family inquiring how they could provide help. I called Joanna and this amazing woman was organized and ready to make everything happen, truly an amazing spirit. Next thing I know, I am on an email group with their office staff contributing and sharing to help this family. 

One of the questions that Joanna asked that sticks in my mind was "What is on the daughter’s wish list?” The mother responded that she had no wish list because they knew they wouldn’t have the money for gifts. Thanks to Clark Pest Control (Rancho Cordova and Vacaville); The Pest Control Center; Neighborly Pest Management and GeoTech Supplies for coming together to make this holiday memorable for this small family. I don’t know exactly what the end results will be because we’re still in the process of putting it together, but I can tell you that we have new beds; gifts; groceries; clothes and Joanna tells me that if she has to, she will go and chop down a tree herself and provide decorations.  How can you top that? 

Tom Graston
PCOC's Treasurer
Branch Manager (Branch 5)
Clark Pest Control
Office: (707) 446-9748 ext. 820
tgraston@clarkpest.com