Month: September 2023

Part of the DNA of the WELL Summit is bringing our community closer, and one way to do that is getting to know more about our speakers–and staff–and what personally drives their commitment to the movement. In putting people first, we want to highlight their perspectives on place and space, as well as the role of well-being in their everyday life.

The wounds of history can be healed if we apply social innovation, resilience and strong community connection. Hear from women leaders who have used these tools and more to help bring Canada’s truth and reconciliation efforts to fruition and help celebrate their progress, during Lessons from Canada’s Truth & Reconciliation Process: Centering and Celebrating Indigenous Wisdom.

Meet Victoria Grant, Chair, Counseling Foundation of Canada

What is the one thing you do every day that helps protect your health and well-being?
I begin each day with a good breakfast and take my time to review what is on my schedule. I like to get up early so I am not rushed.

What’s your favorite place—to work, relax, stay or be—and why?
By the water, in among the trees but my favourite place in the world is Island 762 on Lake Temagami. It is home, it is where I feel whole. This particular place is part of my family’s ancestral family territory.

What is the most pressing issue regarding your session?
The most pressing issue surrounding the topic of my talk today is the 94 Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Meet Diane Roussin, Project Director, The Winnipeg Boldness Project

What is the one thing you do every day that helps protect your health and well-being?
My children are my biggest accomplishment in my life, and I appreciate my time with them, my family, and my friends. In addition to spending time with my loved ones, I also rely on Indigenous teachings around gratitude and engaging in ceremony to protect my health and well-being.

What’s your favorite place—to work, relax, stay or be—and why?
In Anishinaabe culture, Nibi is important. Nibi is water and water is life. Women are responsible and accountable to the water-I appreciate this and try to honour it, and try to ground myself near the water. I find this to be my favourite space.

What is the most pressing issue regarding your session?
In Canada, some of the solutions used for social problems are the same ones that can cause the issues. We need to use community voices to support people in the development and delivery of new ideas and solutions to social problems. It is important to discuss how to center systems, experiences, values, and perspectives around Indigenous knowledge systems, especially with a growing Indigenous population in Canada. In order for solution finding to occur within systems changes, systems, experiences, values and perspectives need to be looked at through an Indigenous innovation lens.

This session will be moderated by Davina Rooney, CEO, Green Building Council of Australia, and IWBI Governance Council Member.

Learn more and register for the WELL Summit today.

View original content here.

Originally published on Rayonier.com

RAYONIER’S CARBON FOOTPRINT

Rayonier grows and manages an abundant renewable resource that provides many benefits to society, including carbon sequestration. 

In order to quantify the impacts that our global operations have on the environment, we conduct an annual analysis of the carbon sequestration and emissions across our forestry operations and corporate activities. We calculate the carbon sequestered by our forests, the emissions associated with our operations, and the carbon removed/transferred from our forests through harvest activity. We developed this analysis based on methodologies published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries. When estimating the carbon stored in our forests, we include overstory trees, understory vegetation, coarse woody debris, forest floor, and soil.

This analysis demonstrates that our working forests provide a natural climate change solution, in that we sequester substantially more carbon than we emit every year. In 2022, Rayonier’s forests sequestered over 14.6 million MtCO2-e4 versus corporate emissions of roughly 290,000 MtCO2-e5. Moreover, a significant portion of the carbon contained in the logs we sell to our customers each year remains stored for many decades through their conversion to a multitude of wood products.

FOR A COMPLETE ANALYSIS OF OUR CARBON FOOTPRINT IN THE U.S. AND NEW ZEALAND, SEE OUR CARBON REPORT.

To learn more, view the full Rayonier 2022 Sustainability Report.

NORWALK, Conn., September 13, 2023 /3BL/ – According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, more than 46 million Americans have substance use disorders, costing employers more than $80 billion annually. Shatterproof, a leading national nonprofit focused on reversing the course of addiction, is proud to be the presenting partner of the ‘Recovery-Ready Workplaces’ virtual event taking place this Thursday, September 14 at 2 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. Hosted by the Health Action Alliance (HAA) to commemorate National Recovery Month, this national briefing will provide valuable insights, strategies and resources for employers who want to create supportive work environments that empower workers in their journeys to addiction recovery.

Kirsten Suto Seckler, chief marketing and communications officer for Shatterproof, will be a featured speaker, along with:

Paul Bryant, Director of Addiction Medicine Department, Kaiser PermanenteJeff Levin-Scherz, Population Health Leader, Willis Towers Watson (WTW)Cheryl Brown Merriwether, Vice President and Executive Director, ICARE International Center for Addiction and Recovery EducationAmanta Mazumdar, Vice President of Americas Total Rewards, HiltonBob Poznanovich, Chief Business Growth Officer, Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation

The event will consist of two informative and interactive panels focused on the impact of substance use on company workplace and culture and a conversation centered around HR initiatives and what support looks like for both those in recovery and their colleagues. This includes:

Panel 1: Focused on workplace culture, addressing addiction stigma, and providing sober-friendly activities to champion inclusive socializing within an organization.Panel 2: Focused on actions companies can take from an HR and/or policy lens to ensure that employees in recovery are supported, plus actionable steps to better communicate around this topic and create safer work environments.

Attendees will gain insights from experts in the field of addiction recovery who will share their knowledge and diverse lived experiences. Speakers will offer practical strategies and successful case studies for supporting employees in recovery, highlighting the positive impact these strategies can have on the workforce and organizational cultures. Free tools and resources that help support employers as they address substance use disorder and recovery will also be available.

This event is sponsored by Shatterproof and Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, and hosted by HAA in collaboration with Ad Council, Huntsman Mental Health Institute, and the National Safety Council.

To learn more and register for free, visit: 
https://hlthact.org/RecoveryReady2023l

ABOUT SHATTERPROOF

Shatterproof is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to reversing the addiction crisis in the U.S. Shatterproof is focused on guiding communities, removing systemic barriers to recovery, mobilizing the country to advocate for change and ending addiction stigma in the U.S. Find Shatterproof on Facebook, X and YouTube @ShatterproofHQ, or follow us on Instagram at @weareshatterproof. To learn more, visit www.Shatterproof.org. If you are experiencing anxiety, depression or a substance use disorder, text SHATTERPROOF to 741741 for help.

ABOUT HEALTH ACTION ALLIANCE (HAA)

Health Action Alliance (HAA) is the country’s largest private sector network operating at the intersection of business and public health – dedicated to supporting business leaders as they invest in healthier businesses and stronger communities. HAA offers free tools, training and events to more than 6,000 employers who collectively employ more than 32 million workers. We help employers navigate emerging health crises, improve health equity and make informed decisions to strengthen the health of their workforce and the communities where they operate. Created in 2021, HAA is a joint initiative of the Ad Council, the CDC Foundation and the de Beaumont Foundation – in partnership with Meteorite. To join the network and access our free resources and events, visit healthaction.org.

CONTACT: 
Lauren Lawson-Zilai 
Shatterproof 
press@shatterproof.org

Jenna Finer 
Health Action Alliance 
jenna@healthaction.org

As originally published by GoDaddy’s Venture Forward research initiative

A Note From GoDaddy CEO Aman Bhutani

Entrepreneurs are important. They innovate. They create solutions to unaddressed challenges and opportunities. But how do we measure the impact they make on their local economy and community? What insights are most useful to better serve them and help those who advocate for them? These are the questions we wanted to answer five years ago when we launched GoDaddy’s Venture Forward research initiative. Our aim was to expose what these entrepreneurs needed for success given they are often too small to be measured by traditional reports and government statistics and therefore not broadly understood.

Over the last five years, we studied entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship through Venture Forward. Throughout that time, we surveyed more than 30,000 small business owners about their needs, concerns and dreams. We regularly scrutinize data from more than 21 million ventures.

Through the research, we discovered these businesses provide an outsized impact to local and broader economies. For example, one in three U.S. microbusinesses contribute 51% or more to household income; and approximately seven additional jobs are created at the county level for every one online microbusiness entrepreneur. Microbusiness equals major impact.

I invite you to delve into the insights in this report and share them with those in a position to advocate for entrepreneurs. At GoDaddy, we believe by learning more about entrepreneurs, we can further empower them to grow and thrive, making opportunity more inclusive for all.

GoDaddy Venture Forward Report | Summer 2023 | U.S. Edition

This report is powered by the latest data from Venture Forward, a GoDaddy research initiative to quantify the presence and impact of over 21 million online microbusinesses on their local economies, while shining a light on the entrepreneurs behind them. Our goal is to empower anyone who advocates for entrepreneurs with robust data and insights that can’t be found elsewhere.

STAMFORD, Conn., September 13, 2023 /3BL/ – Americares and Quest Diagnostics, with the Quest Diagnostics Foundation, are teaming up to provide no-cost diagnostic services and expanded telehealth services to free and charitable clinics across the United States to reduce health disparities in underserved communities.

Americares, the health-focused relief and development organization, and Quest Diagnostics, the world’s leading provider of diagnostic information services, will provide 10 clinics with no-cost diagnostic services for one year to help patients manage chronic disease.

Additionally, clinics in Baltimore, Chicago, Houston and Richmond, Va., will each receive a grant made possible by the Quest Diagnostics Foundation to implement or sustain telehealth services—increasing access to care for low-income, uninsured and underinsured patients. The grant is part of the Quest for Health Equity initiative, which provides resources, funding, testing services and education to address health disparities in underserved communities across the U.S. More than 11,000 patients across the four clinics are expected to benefit over the next year from the expanded collaboration.

“Free and charitable clinics, which are a critical safety net in communities all across America, often rely on donations and need support to provide patients with essential health services,” said Americares Vice President of U.S. Programs Saqi Maleque Cho. “Telehealth is especially important for free clinic patients as it allows them the flexibility to see their health care provider without leaving work and losing income.”

Americares has been advancing health equity by improving access to health for people affected by poverty or disaster since 1979. In the U.S., Americares supports a network of nearly 1,000 health centers—over 500 of which are free and charitable clinics. Americares provides partner health facilities serving low-income and uninsured patients the resources they need to provide accessible health services and support equitable health outcomes. Resources include medicine and medical supplies, education, operational support, funding, training and innovations in health care delivery.

Quest Diagnostics is a longtime supporter of Americares and has provided donated testing services to the Americares Free Clinics in Connecticut since 1994. This grant, from the Quest Diagnostics Foundation, will build on the relationship with Americares and the no-cost testing services provided by Quest Diagnostics.

“Diagnostic screening services are critical for understanding the full picture of a person’s health,” said Quest for Health Equity Senior Director and Leader Michael Floyd. “Through our work with Americares, we are able to provide more access to testing services for people who need them, which we hope will provide better health outcomes.”

The following clinics will be provided with diagnostic services for all patients at no cost for one year:

Christ Clinic – Katy, TexasCommunity Health Services of Union County – Monroe, N.C.Hope Clinic of McKinney – McKinney, TexasLake County Free Clinic – Painesville, OhioMission Lexington, Inc. dba Mission Health Lexington – Lexington, Ky.San Francisco Free Clinic – San FranciscoSan José Clinic – Houston, TexasShepherds Clinic, Inc. – Baltimore, Md.The Catholic Charities Diocese of Arlington – Mother of Mercy Free Medical Clinic – Arlington, Va.Universal Heritage Institute – Miami Gardens, Fla.

The following clinics will be provided with funding for telehealth services:

Community Health – ChicagoHealth Brigade – Richmond, Va.Shepherd’s Clinic – BaltimoreUHPhealth – Houston

The telehealth funding may be used to purchase equipment or subscriptions to telehealth platforms, as well as for technical support with implementation, policies and best practices.

“Our patients are working class individuals who fall in the health care gap meaning they do not qualify for government assistance, are not provided health care by their employer and cannot afford private health care. Without our San José Clinic, thousands of patients would have nowhere else to go,” said San José Clinic Chief Clinical Officer Dr. Adlia Ebeid. “For a physician, telling a patient we need to do a biopsy to rule out cancer is a very difficult conversation. Now imagine if the patient also had to take on the cost burden given their limited finances. Thanks to Quest and Americares, our patients won’t have to make that decision.”

Clinics that provide services to non-English speaking populations and marginalized communities were given priority.

Americares helps communities prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters; increase accessibility, availability, affordability and acceptability of medicine and medical supplies; and improve and expand health services, prevent disease and promote good health. Since it was established more than 40 years ago, Americares has provided over $22 billion in aid to 164 countries, including the United States.

About Americares: 
Americares is a health-focused relief and development organization that saves lives and improves health for people affected by poverty or disaster. Each year, Americares reaches 85 countries on average, including the United States, with life-changing health programs, medicine, medical supplies, and emergency aid. Americares is one of the world’s leading nonprofit providers of donated medicine and medical supplies. For more information, visit americares.org.

About Quest Diagnostics 
Quest Diagnostics empowers people to take action to improve health outcomes. Derived from the world’s largest database of clinical lab results, our diagnostic insights reveal new avenues to identify and treat disease, inspire healthy behaviors, and improve health care management. Quest annually serves one in three adult Americans and half the physicians and hospitals in the United States, and our nearly 50,000 employees understand that, in the right hands and with the right context, our diagnostic insights can inspire actions that transform lives. Learn more at www.QuestDiagnostics.com.

About Quest for Health Equity 
Quest for Health Equity is an initiative of Quest Diagnostics and the Quest Diagnostics Foundation focused on providing resources, funding, testing services and education to address health disparities in underserved communities across the U.S. Learn more at www.QuestForHealthEquity.com.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Jacqueline Serna, Americares: (203) 379-7966 
jserna@americares.org

Jillian Flanagan, Quest Diagnostics: (973) 520-2800 
mediacontact@QuestDiagnostics.com

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