As of noon on Friday, 196 of the 446 Bama Dining employees were still unaccounted for following Wednesday’s tornado, said Pamela Jones, human resources manager with UA Dining Services.

“Right now, we’re very concerned about the safety and welfare of our employees,” Jones said. “Many of our employees reside in some of the hardest hit areas, including Rosedale, Graceland, Alberta and Crescent Ridge areas, and we’re trying to get in touch with them.”

Jones said she’s been confirming the safety of the employees since immediately after the tornado struck.

“We’re just now getting the word out that we’d like for them to contact us because we’ve had no reliable means on communication since Wednesday,” she said. “But now we’ve got information on Facebook, Twitter, a Fox scroll and WVUA.”

All Aramark and Bama Dining Employees should call 348-2382 or email [email protected] to check in as soon as possible, Jones said.

“We have power and hot food for them and their families to eat, if they need it,” she said. “If they need anything, we’re urging them to come by. Whether it be diapers, medicine, anything, we’re all here to help them.”

Jones said all of the 196 employees yet to be accounted for were hourly Bama Dining employees and that all of their managers and support staff members have been reached.

“For a lot of our employees, we’re the only family that they have,” she said. “We need them to know that we’re here waiting for them and are available to address their specific needs.”