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Mitchell Hurst didn’t hesitate to step up after an EF3 tornado struck the St. Louis area in May.
The morning after the storm, he joined his neighbors and family in clearing debris from the streets. Days later, he was back out in the community, this time as part of the EquipmentShare disaster relief team of volunteers, helping serve 5,000 meals to those in need.
“I’ve always loved St. Louis,” Hurst said. “My mom is from here, and I’ve been coming to the city my whole life. Now it’s my home, and these are my neighbors. It was hard to hear that so many people lost their properties, possessions — their whole lives.”
The damage following the storm was unlike anything he had ever seen.
“It was just pure carnage,” Hurst said. “Every single tree in the area was down. The roofs were gone. It was one of the worst natural disasters I’ve seen in person. Even though I wasn’t directly affected, it was a bitter pill to swallow because they’re my neighbors and community.”
At EquipmentShare, Hurst designs web and user experiences, building out the main site, landing pages and other online platforms. But with previous experience in food service and a desire to help the community, he stepped away from his desk and immediately volunteered to join the company’s relief effort.
“It doesn’t surprise me he was willing to jump in and donate his time to help others,” Garrette Daugherty, Hurst’s manager, said. “He is a valuable player on the Web Experience team who shows up every day ready to take on whatever is thrown at him as a designer.”
EquipmentShare believes in improving the communities it calls home and disaster relief is part of that mission. When disaster strikes, company volunteers jump in and get involved, delivering humanitarian aid like food, water and clothing after hurricanes, tornadoes and wildfires.
“When I first arrived it was hard to fathom what people were going through and what that must feel like. I heard a lot of heartbreaking stories about how much damage they incurred to their homes and how the disaster had wreaked havoc on their life. But by the end, those heartbreaking stories weren’t what stuck with me.”
What stayed with him is something else entirely.
“At the end of the day, everyone was so grateful we were there to help,” Hurst said. “Their positive attitudes, despite what they were going through, lifted my own spirits and impacted everyone around.”
Much of that spirit came from serving meals, sharing conversations and simply “doing the right thing,” Hurst said.
“Whether their power was out and they couldn’t cook or just needed to get out of the house and have a hot meal — we were there to listen, to hear their stories and help however we could,” Hurst said. “It was a really good feeling.”
Do you show up ready to make an impact when it matters most? Check out EquipmentShare's career opportunities.
