Tuesday, September 19th at 1:14 p.m. Mexico City, as well as other surrounding areas, were shaken by a powerful earthquake. It was the second strong earthquake in a matter of weeks, and it happened only 2 hours after most of the city had gone through a drill.
In an article following the devastating impact of Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma, we wrote that:
“No amount of textbook advice will prepare people and businesses for such life-shattering experiences. But at times like these, our industry can offer a small yet no less significant flag of hope.”
The same applies to Mexico and flexible workspace operators located there. We reached out to IZA Business Centers to learn about how they dealt with the earthquake and what the aftermath has been like.
“The entire city had completed a drill earlier that day. When the earthquake started, our immediate reaction was to get everyone out of the building as fast and as safely as possible. Luckily, the drill had left the protocol and steps to follow fresh in our minds,” says Federico Garcia, CEO of IZA.
Looking back, Federico and his team feel proud of how they handled the situation.
“Once we had everyone outside we made sure everyone from our team and each one of our members was safe and sound. Aside from a few, understandable, nervous breakdowns, we were all fine… just quite shaken.”
“Luckily, the damage to our locations was minimal. We had a few shattered windows and fallen objects, but no significant infrastructure damage.”
IZA’s situation was fortunate.
According to local media companies, at least 38 buildings were severely affected by the quake. Several buildings crumbled to the ground, while others suffered serious damage to the infrastructure, to the point where they are no longer safe and need to be demolished.
IZA has always prided itself in being a company that serves its community, which is why we decided to open our locations to anyone and everyone
This left various individuals without a home or an office.
“We are aware of how fortunate we were as a company and as individuals. A lot of people were left without light, without water, without internet, or even without a home. Some people lost it all, with no place to go to.
IZA has always prided itself in being a company that serves its community, which is why we decided to open all 31 of our locations across the country to anyone and everyone that needed to use our space as an office or as a shelter, at no cost.”
IZA has not only opened their doors for people to come and use their space, but also as a collection center where people can drop off donations and provisions.
“We’ve received donations from countless individuals, but above all, we’ve been amazed by how our members have stepped up not only to donate, but to collaborate with all of our efforts. Everything brought over has been given to the Red Cross for them to handle and deliver.”
It has been two weeks since the earthquake, and IZA continues to operate not only as a business center, but also as a shelter and collection center.
“We will continue doing this for as long as it’s necessary. We know that this is not something that will be over in a matter of weeks, and we are committed to helping now and in the long-run,” Federico added.
IZA isn’t alone. “There are a plethora of companies that are contributing to the cause. We couldn’t be prouder of being Mexican. The whole country has shown solidarity.”
It’s at times like these where workspace operators, as well as companies of all types, can show how dedicated they are to community. It’s also during times like these where collaboration and cooperation work their magic, giving hope to those during times of need.
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