What is the Cox Employee Relief Fund? Supporting employees when they need it most

From helping employees rebuild after natural disasters to assisting those facing serious illness, injury, unemployment or the loss of a loved one, the Cox Employee Relief Fund (CERF) provides financial assistance when life takes an unexpected turn.

When unexpected hardship strikes, having a strong support system can make all the difference.

That’s the idea behind the Cox Employee Relief Fund (CERF), a nonprofit program created by employees for employees. CERF provides financial assistance to Cox employees and their families facing unexpected hardships, including natural disasters, serious illness, injury, unemployment and the loss of a loved one. 

Since its founding in 2005, the fund has distributed more than $18 million in assistance and supported more than 8,000 employees and their families.

For many recipients, that assistance arrives during some of life’s most challenging moments, helping ease financial strain so they can focus on what matters most.

“This is an excellent resource — and it reinforces the fact that we are truly here to take care of each other,” said Adrana France, who manages the fund. “Life can happen to any of us at any time, and this is here for you when you need it most — and it’s our pleasure to help you.” 

Here's a closer look at how CERF works, the difference it makes in employees’ lives and the role it plays in bringing Cox’s values to life.

Built on a sense of generosity

CERF was established in 2005 following Hurricane Katrina, when Cox employees came together to support colleagues whose lives had been devastated by the storm. What began as a disaster relief effort evolved into a long-term resource designed to help employees navigate a wide range of unexpected hardships. Today, CERF continues to serve as a safety net for employees across the company.

Over the past two decades, the fund’s reach has expanded well beyond disaster recovery. CERF now assists employees experiencing medical crises, the loss of a family member, unemployment and other financial setbacks. Since its inception, the fund has helped repair more than 1,423 homes damaged by natural disasters, supported nearly 2,000 medical-related hardships and provided food assistance to more than 5,000 families.

Caring for people 

When Adrana France joined Cox in 2014 to administer the fund, she dedicated herself to creating a process that would feel personal and compassionate to every applicant. “It was very important to me to talk to the actual employees going through it,” she said. “I wanted to establish a human touch. You’re not being treated like another number or another application.” 

Getting to know each situation allows Adrana and her team to better understand employees’ needs and determine how the fund can make the greatest impact.

“For example, I could break my leg and be out of work for three months, and you could break your leg and be out of work for three months, but it affects our households completely differently,” she said. “That’s kind of the gray area that we work in every day.”   

CERF provides financial assistance to employees facing or recovering from hardships related to:

• Illness
• Injury
• Loss of a family member
• Natural disaster
• Unemployment
• Sale or foreclosure of leased property

A program for employees, funded by employees

As an internal nonprofit, CERF relies on donations from employees to assist colleagues during difficult times. Those contributions go directly toward helping employees facing financial hardship. Both active and retired Cox employees are eligible to apply.

“This program is for us, but it’s also funded by us, so it’s a two-fold relationship,” Adrana said. 

Over the last decade, Adrana has seen firsthand the impact those donations can have.

Like the employee whose daughter was hospitalized while traveling overseas and needed help covering the cost of getting there. Or the employee who experienced a traumatic loss in her home and received assistance while finding temporary housing and preparing for a fresh start.

“In the midst of grieving and processing and trying to figure out what to do, the least we could do is help resolve the finances because then you can actually be present and focus on what you need to do for your family,” Adrana said. 

Recently, another employee reached out for help after his mother passed away and missed the deadline on paying off his property taxes while in the middle of covering funeral expenses. 

“There's no way we’re going to let an 80-year-old employee who’s been working his whole life lose his home due to something that’s less than $5,000,” she said. 

CERF is also available to part-time employees, which proved life-changing for a retiree who received approximately $12,000 in assistance after a hurricane damaged his home.

“He was overwhelmed with how much support he received because he’s a retiree who just casually got this part-time job for extra pocket money,” Adrana explained. “Now to see that this part-time job helped his family recover from this huge disaster and move forward with repairs just meant so much to him.”

Cox’s values in action 

CERF reflects Cox’s commitment to being more than a workplace. It’s a community that shows up for its people when they need it most.

As someone who makes case-by-case decisions every day, Adrana appreciates having the flexibility to find solutions that meet employees where they are.

“When you work for an organization that makes caring for one another a part of the culture, and you feel it every day, it makes you feel more secure and empowered to do the right thing,” she said. “I don't have to go through 15 people to get approvals to do the right thing.” 

When Adrana joined in 2014, the program was giving out about $400,000 a year in assistance; that amount has increased to about $1 million a year. Through continued donations, advocacy and awareness, the fund remains positioned to serve future generations of Cox employees whenever the need arises.

“It’s the best job here at Cox, and I feel like this is a part of my purpose,” she said. “It’s exceeded everything I imagined, and I still have a heart to do more. I’m just getting started.” 

Want to become part of our team? Explore jobs at Cox and sign up for our Talent Community today!