FORT VALLEY, Ga. — The Blue Bird Corporation is one of Peach County's major employers and an economic driver.
After an unexpected layoff put more than 100 people out of work, some are asking what happens now.
One of them is Devin Griffin. In a Facebook post, he shared his disappointment in being laid off in less than 90 days. That post caught the attention of Perry Pastor Justin Gaston.
"He’s trying to provide for his family and his kids, and so you see a guy like that, young guy that’s trying to do the right things, I feel like I had a soft spot in my heart for that," Gaston explained.
In a statement from Blue Bird, the company says they let go 115 people from their Fort Valley factory.
The company blamed supply chain disruptions caused by Russia's war in Ukraine and the pandemic.
Gaston says seeing the post and the devastation the layoff caused prompted him to do something.
“I put it out there saying, 'Hey, I want to help one person, and when I did that, I had a donor that inboxed me and said, 'I'll match that what you’re giving,' so we ended up blessing two families,” the pastor said.
Devin Griffin was one of the two workers who received $300 from presence church and the donor.
"As a church, we want people to see the love of God and not just hear that God loves them. We're not a very big church, but I just felt like, 'Man, we can do something,'" he said.
Blue Bird says they do not expect any more layoffs and the people who are out of work could be eligible for rehire once the economic conditions improve.
Peach County Development says the plant has 2,400 employees, nearly four times as many as Fort Valley State University.
Blue Bird this week also said they're raising all bus prices by 10% due to their own rising costs.