MACON, Ga. — On Friday, hundreds of former GEICO employees are figuring out how to earn their next paycheck.
GEICO laid off 2,000 employees nationwide Thursday and here in Macon, around 400 employees lost their jobs.
The company sent an email to their employees letting them know the news. But for new mother Brianna Johns, it worked a little differently.
Johns found out as she tried clocking in for the day. She was fresh off of maternity leave and said this layoff came as a shock to her and her co-workers.
“I was like, do I still have a job?" Johns said. "Whenever I checked my email, they sent me a severance package and a separation notice."
It was a hard way to learn that Johns didn't have a job Friday morning. She had two years with the company, and she thought life so far was pretty stable for her and her 3-month-old baby.
"My whole entire life is different," Johns said. "Now, I don't even have that security anymore so I'm going to use this time to get back in school and try and better myself for her so I can seek better opportunities."
Now, Johns is having to lean on family and friends more than ever.
"I don't know what I'm going to do next, but I know it'll be okay because I have a good support system and I'm glad for that," Johns said.
Next week, Johns may pose for Lawrence Ray of Talk To Me Nice Studios in Byron.
He's doing free headshots to focus on folks who need a job and a professional portfolio.
"For me, this is just me repaying a debt I can never fully pay back," Ray said.
Ray previously worked for GEICO before getting his studio. He finds the news shocking and knew he wanted to help.
"It definitely puts you in a position where you don't really know what to do, you don't really know what your next steps are, especially if it was unexpected,” Ray said.
Ray felt the need to use his talents to help the community in a flash, frame by frame.
"It's great that we can step in and hopefully help somebody who maybe needs an updated headshot to go and get that next job," Ray said.
Johns hopes this brings awareness to all those impacted.
"Not everybody has the same support system so it's not more or less me that I'm worried about it's everybody as a whole," Johns said.
And even more people in the community are trying to help.
On Sunday, WorkSource Georgia is partnering with Bibb Mount Zion Baptist Church for a job placement session for GEICO workers. It happens at 11 a.m. after service. The church is on Avondale Mill Road in West Macon.