Month: March 2023

MIDLAND, Texas and ODESSA, Texas, March 29, 2023 /3BL Media/ – United Supermarkets donated 1,000 pairs of socks to the Salvation Army of Midland and the Salvation Army of Odessa, 500 pairs each, following its ‘Pears for Pairs’ initiative. This is the fourth year The United Family has helped make this donation in the Permian Basin. 

The donation stems from a program called “Pears for Pairs.” Over the course of the fall months of 2022, a portion of the proceeds from the purchase of Rainier Fruit pears and apples went to purchasing brand-new socks to donate to organizations that support the homeless community.

“For some, a new pair of socks can make a world of difference,” said Joseph Bunting, produce business director for The United Family. “That’s why we are so grateful to once again partner with Rainer Fruits to do this program. We are also thankful to our guests for participating and helping us raise the funds for the socks.” 

Thanks to guests of The United Family and Rainier Fruit, a total of 5,000 pairs of socks will be donated to charitable organizations across the state of Texas. Throughout the four years of this program, United has donated more than 20,000 pairs of socks across Texas.

The following organizations will receive socks: 

Salvation Army of Amarillo

Salvation Army of Midland/Salvation Army of Odessa

Salvation Army of Lubbock

Salvation Army of Abilene 

Faith Mission of Wichita Falls.

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About The United Family®

In its 107th year of operation, United Supermarkets, LLC – d.b.a. The United Family® – is a Texas-based grocery chain with stores in 54 communities in Texas and New Mexico. A self-distributing company with headquarters and distribution centers in Lubbock, The United Family currently operates 96 stores under five unique banners: United Supermarkets, Market Street, Amigos, Albertsons Market and United Express, along with ancillary operations R.C. Taylor Distributing, Praters, United Food and Beverage Services and Llano Logistics. The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Albertsons Companies Inc. For more information, please visit www.theunitedfamily.com.

About Albertsons Companies

Albertsons Companies is a leading food and drug retailer in the United States. As of December 3, 2022, the Company operated 2,270 retail food and drug stores with 1,720 pharmacies, 402 associated fuel centers, 22 dedicated distribution centers and 19 manufacturing facilities. The Company operates stores across 34 states and the District of Columbia with 24 banners including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw’s, Acme, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Star Market, Haggen, Carrs, Kings Food Markets and Balducci’s Food Lovers Market. The Company is committed to helping people across the country live better lives by making a meaningful difference, neighborhood by neighborhood. In 2021, along with the Albertsons Companies Foundation, the Company contributed nearly $200 million in food and financial support, including approximately $40 million through our Nourishing Neighbors Program to ensure those living in our communities have enough to eat.

Learn more about our Recipe for Change on our website.

Suppliers of Whole Foods Market are empowering microentrepreneurs, primarily women, with economic opportunity. These generous brands fund microloans for entrepreneurs living in poverty so they can start or expand a small business, often home-based. With a small loan of around $200, an entrepreneur can purchase essential needs for their small enterprises, such as products for a food stand, equipment for a sewing business, or tools for a small-scale farm.  Profits from their microbusinesses provide these entrepreneurs the opportunity to lift themselves and their families out of poverty, one loan at a time.

Celebrating the economic achievements of women in March

Every year, we celebrate the economic achievements of women microcredit clients in March during Women’s History Month. Supporting brands are invited to help further our mission by funding additional microloans. Brands that donate $25,000 in March to fund microcredit are recognized as members of Whole Planet Foundation’s Poverty Is Unnecessary Fund. This month’s generous donors include MaryRuth’s, Lundberg Family Farms, Schmidt’s, SheaMoisture and So Delicious.

MaryRuth’s Organics

Woman-founded MaryRuth’s Organics renews their support of Whole Planet Foundation with an additional contribution of $25,000 in March. Their deep mission to make supplements accessible to all falls right in line with Whole Planet Foundation’s mission to provide microentrepreneurs with access to microcredit. To date, MaryRuth’s has helped create more than 1,280 opportunities for microentrepreneur families around the globe to lift themselves out of poverty.

“MaryRuth Ghiyam founded MaryRuth’s Organics in 2014 with her mother, Colleen. And while the company is still fairly new, it has a bigger purpose. MaryRuth’s was created to help others reach their goals and achieve their dreams by being empowered to take their health and wellness into their own hands”, writes the MaryRuth’s Team.

Learn how you can help support our mission at wholeplanetfoundation.org.

Originally published on Essity.com

Our purpose 
Breaking barriers to well-being

Hygiene and health are more important than ever, and Essity’s purpose is to break barriers to well-being. Essity is to be a positive force for change and work to break and overcome barriers that stand in the way of improved well-being across the globe.

Our vision 
Dedicated to improving well-being through leading hygiene and health solutions

Essity strives to enable better hygiene and health standards at home and in public spaces through leading solutions.

Our mission 
To sustainably develop, produce, market and sell value-added products and services within hygiene and health

We develop, produce, market and sell solutions that create value and better hygiene and health experiences at home and in public spaces. Essity achieves this by supporting the efficiency of hygiene and health routines, and by pre- venting, treating and monitoring health conditions.

Business model

Resources 
Essity utilizes resources in the form of financial capital, where equity amounted to approximately SEK 77bn and net debt approximately SEK 63bn in 2022. Furthermore, human capital is used in the form of approximately 48,000 employees and their expertise and experience, as well as intellectual capital such as research and development, patents, licenses, innovation, systems and goodwill. Essity also utilizes capital in the form of raw materials, facilities and infrastructure necessary for production, and relationship capital that includes Essity’s relationship with internal and external stakeholders.

Moreover, Essity uses natural capital in its operations, such as forest, energy and water. Essity strengthens the company’s competitiveness and reduces its environmental footprint by endeavoring to increase efficiency and reduce resource use.

Customer and consumer insights 
The starting point for Essity’s operations is customer and consumer insights. Through knowledge about people’s daily needs and challenges, we create an offering that improves well-being and quality of life for people every day.

Sustainable innovations 
Continuous innovation is crucial to steadily improve people’s hygiene, health and well-being and to contribute to a sustainable and circular society. Essity has a global unit that works with brands, innovation and sustainability with the support of innovation centers in France, China, Mexico, Sweden, Germany and the USA. Research and development (R&D) costs during the year amounted to approximately SEK 1.6bn, corresponding to about 1.0% of net sales.

Responsible sourcing and sustainable manufacturing 
Essity’s main raw materials are pulp, recovered fiber and oil-based materials. The company strives to reduce the use of raw materials.

Essity has around 90 production facilities worldwide. Work to increase efficiency at the facilities is a continuous process that includes digitalization and automation, with the aim to achieve sustainable, efficient world-class production. The cost of goods sold amount- ed to approximately SEK 117bn. Of which raw materials and consumables approximately SEK 65.5bn, distribution costs approximately SEK 15.7bn and energy approximately SEK 9.6bn.

Essity subjects its suppliers to stringent demands and works throughout the supply chain to guarantee responsible sourcing.

Marketing and sales 
Essity actively strives to build awareness of the company’s brand, purpose and product brands, and pursues global and local initiatives to raise awareness and standards for hygiene and health. Essity’s marketing costs in 2022 amounted to approximately SEK 7.6bn, corresponding to 4.8% of net sales. An increasing share of marketing is conducted through digital channels.

Leading hygiene and health solutions 
Essity is the global market leader in incontinence products with the TENA brand and in professional hygiene with the Tork brand. Essity also has strong brands in other product cate- gories. Essity holds the number one or number two position in 90% of the company’s branded sales.

Value creation for our stakeholders 
Customer and consumer value is created through leading solutions that increase well-being and improve quality of life. Value is created for employees, suppliers and society through, for example, employment, remuneration, tax, increased well-being, sustainability initiatives, and community relations.

Essity generates value for shareholders through dividends and a positive share price trend. We work to maximize shareholder value while prioritizing environmental and social issues by taking financial, environmental and social parameters into consideration in our business decisions.

Our objectives:

Generate increased shareholder value through profitable growthEnable more people every day to enjoy a fuller lifeContribute to a sustainable and circular societyWinning with people and culture

Read more about Essity’s strategic priorities, earnings and leading sustainability work in the Annual and Sustainability Report 2022, which can be downloaded at www.essity.com.

To access the digital short version, please click here.

Giving a small part of your time can make a difference in someone else’s life. IBM India’s Lakshmi Dhanabalan has been doing just that, sharing her knowledge through mentorship.

She began volunteering within her community in a school for learners who are hearing impaired. Lakshmi offered mentorship with reading sessions, wrote exams, and led financial support groups for students.

As part of an IBM volunteer initiative, she mentored young learners and helped them cultivate skills for their career progression and explore new topics. “Mentoring is vital for cultivating an enriching and inclusive community,” she says.

The company’s culture of giving continues to attract and inspire employees dedicated to improving the lives of others.

As IBM reinvents itself in the era of AI and cloud, we continue to broaden the ways we use technology to drive social impact. For volunteering, that means cross-enterprise coordination of campaigns, individual service, and opportunities for donating money.

Learn more about the impact of IBM volunteers here

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health), with Quest for Health Equity (Q4HE), is providing laboratory blood lead testing at no charge to residents who may have been exposed to higher levels of lead and arsenic in communities surrounding the closed Exide battery recycling facility in Vernon, California.

Interested households may call the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Hotline at 1.800.LA.4.LEAD (1.800.524.5323) to set up an appointment to get their blood tested. Families can rest assured that results are
confidential.

Residents also may qualify for Public Health’s Lead Free Homes LA program. This program provides lead-based paint hazard testing and remediation at no charge to residential housing of low-income families in Los Angeles County and those affected by Exide. The Exide area includes the communities of Bell, Maywood, Commerce, Huntington Park, parts of Boyle Heights, Vernon, and unincorporated East Los Angeles. For more information, families can visit www.leadfreehomesla.com.

“Lead poisoning is preventable, and access to blood lead testing is a critical part of our remediation program,” said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.Ed., Director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. “We are committed to helping people remove lead paint in their homes and yards, so they and their families are safe from environmental hazards that disproportionately have affected people living in under-resourced communities.”

Families can take action today by:

– Setting an appointment for a blood lead test
– Visiting the Lead Free Homes LA website for testing and remediation of lead-based paint hazards in their homes
– Signing up for soil testing and cleanup for their properties at Exide Residential Cleanup | Department of Toxic Substances Control (ca.gov).

“We are proud to offer lab testing services to support this important public health initiative in Los Angeles County,” said Michael Floyd, Senior Director, Q4HE. “The diagnostic insights these lab services provide will help residents who are impacted by lead-based paint in their homes get timely, appropriate care. We look forward to working with Public Health to help create healthier living environments for communities and residents within the program’s footprint.”

Click here to learn more about the comprehensive services Public Health offers in Los Angeles County.

Originally published by Business Chief

Digital transformation was the talk of the town in Davos, in January.

That talk was not just focused on how enterprise transformation is both real and necessary, and that organisations must move at speed and scale, but also that digital transformation must ensure everyone benefits – from people to the planet.

It’s a belief held by many, among them Angela Baker, Chief Sustainability Officer for 5G leader Qualcomm, and Petra Jenner, SVP and GM EMEA for data platform Splunk – both of whom attended last month’s forum in Davos.

For Angela – who oversees ESG at Qualcomm and is a dynamic player at the crossroads of tech, policy, and sustainability – the forum delivered not just the biggest turnout of sustainability officers to date, but critical discussions around digital transformation and sustainability, including a panel on prioritising humanity in a digital world with Axios.

Continue reading here

To support and empower women experiencing homelessness during Women’s History Month, AEG’s LA Galaxy employees and mascot Cozmo joined LA Galaxy fans at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, CA on March 24, 2023 to assemble and donate 200 snack packs and 100 toiletry kits for women in need at the Downtown Women’s Center in Los Angeles, CA. Items that were donated included shampoo, conditioner, body wash, body wipes, fresh socks, toothpaste, and toothbrushes.

“Our aim was to provide women the basic necessities they need to lead healthy lifestyles,” said Mariah Rodriguez, Community Relations Specialist at the LA Galaxy “We hope that our care packages can help these women maintain self-care in addition to help them build self-worth and value as they continue to seek personal stability.”

Founded in 1978, The Downtown Women’s Center envisions a Los Angeles with every woman housed and on a path to personal stability. Its mission is to end homelessness for women in greater Los Angeles through housing, wellness, employment, and advocacy. To donate or learn more about the Downtown Women’s Center, please click here.