Pineville, W. Va. (WOAY)- A member of the Pineville community is trying to rally support for the employees of the local Save-A-Lot after workers were given less than a week’s notice before losing their jobs and the store shutting its doors.
A Pineville resident launched a fundraiser on GoFundMe to help employees who were suddenly left without work, many of whom had spent years at the store supporting their families.
Mandie Morgan Justice said the abrupt closure affected more than just individual workers.
She said, “Me and the store’s manager, Roger Altizer, discussed how difficult the situation was, especially for employees with children and families who depended on the income. When we began to think about the impact, it became clear the job losses affected entire households, not just one person.”
Justice said some workers also faced barriers when trying to access unemployment benefits, particularly because the process is largely online.
She said at least four former employees were unable to receive unemployment because they did not know how to use a computer.
Justice said, “Some workers, including older employees, were told they would need to use a laptop or visit a library to apply, something they were unfamiliar with or unable to do. Those challenges were one of the reasons I decided to start the fundraiser.”
She said the situation extended beyond unemployment or finding a new job and transportation had become another major challenge for some former employees.
She explained that several workers lived close enough to walk to the store and did not own vehicles. Without transportation, she said, finding new employment had become even more difficult.
For many employees, the sudden loss of work came with almost no warning, something she believed could have been handled differently.
She said workers were given only a few days’ notice before being told they would lose their jobs.
Despite the fundraiser still being in its early stages, she said her goal went beyond raising money.
She said she hoped the effort would provide some financial relief, but more importantly, she wanted employees to know that someone cared and that the community was thinking of them during a difficult time.
Almost $500 has been raised and she said she is hoping to collect enough for each of the 7 employees who were let go.
If you want to know more about this fundraiser or others she is in charge of you can visit this link below.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/helping-savealot-workers-after-closure?cdn-cache=0
She also said she is accepting nonperishable food items and personal hygiene products for the community cabinet. She said donations such as blankets, coats, socks, gloves, and jackets were especially needed, adding that those items could be shared directly with people in the community.
