By BOBBIE GREEN

Moapa Valley Progress

The Eureka Resort in Mesquite prides itself in being an employee-owned business. And during this time of mandatory shutdown, the company is taking care of its own.

According to Gerri Chasko, director of Eureka Community Initiative, the Eureka employees will receive full pay for three weeks, giving them time to file for unemployment.

But that is just a part of what the Eureka is doing for its employees. On Wednesday March 25 the company started a practice which is meant to take place weekly until the Eureka properties, including the Rising Star Resort, are allowed to reopen. The Eureka is hosting a weekly Family Food Pantry for all employees.

Pre-packaged food essentials like milk, bread, potatoes, pasta and more are being picked-up by employees in an orderly fashion. Pick-up times are arranged alphabetically by last name. The amount of items available to each family is determined by size of the family. And particular care is taken to allow safe distances between participants. The food distributors at each event are all volunteer employees.
Chasko said that by helping with food for their employees, the company hopes to lessen the burden of the community’s food banks.

One could not help but notice security guard Mike Giffin, who was directing traffic into the parking lot, as he was delivering smiles while dancing his directions to drivers.

Eureka’s two other non-Mesquite properties – one in New Hampshire and one in Las Vegas – are doing the same food distribution for their employees.