Cobb Community Foundation (CCF) announced that its first Employee Assistance Fund has been opened. The Liberty Furniture Industries (Liberty) Employee Assistance Fund will benefit employees and recent former employees of Liberty. An Employee Assistance Fund (EAF) allows businesses, and other contributors, the opportunity to set aside tax-deductible contributions for employees experiencing significant hardship as a result of unavoidable catastrophic or extreme circumstances, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. CCF is the first community foundation in Georgia to offer EAFs.

As part of this agreement, CCF has engaged the Center for Family Resources (CFR) to confidentially accept, evaluate and process all requests for assistance from Liberty’s EAF.

“We value giving back to our community and supporting those in need. With so many of our current and former employees experiencing hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic, establishing this fund will make a significant difference,” Jason Brian, President and CEO of Liberty. “We selected the Cobb Community Foundation as our EAF partner due to their proven experience in the management of our Liberty Furniture Industries Charity Fund and the support they provide to our community.” At the end of 2018, Liberty seeded the Liberty Furniture Industries Charity Fund, managed by CCF, with $1 million to support charitable organizations and their work in local communities.

“We are honored to have been selected by Liberty to support their charitable giving goals and their desire to help those in need,” stated Barbara Garner, Donor Services Manager for CCF. “I look forward to helping Liberty assist its employees who are experiencing hardship as well as helping other businesses who are interested in supporting their employees through an EAF.”