Month: May 2024

May 7, 2024 /3BL/ – Bath & Body Works recently recognized several outstanding associates for their dedication to creating, promoting, and nurturing inclusion in the workplace. Inclusion Excellence Awards were presented at the company’s inaugural Inclusion Jamboree event at Bath & Body Works’ headquarters in Columbus, Ohio. This special event celebrated diverse backgrounds, perspectives and values and brought associates together with engaging workshops, activities, recognition, music and food.

“We believe a culture where everyone feels a sense of belonging, has a chance to be heard and is valued and treated with respect makes us a smarter, stronger brand,” says Kelie Charles, Chief Diversity Officer for Bath & Body Works. “This culture of belonging starts with our own associates and it’s important to recognize the outstanding work which supports and advances those efforts.”

Bath & Body Works’ Inclusion Excellence Awards were presented in four categories:

LEADER: Presented to an outstanding people leader who has demonstrated excellence in inclusion.

COMMUNITY: Presented to an associate who has demonstrated inclusion excellence in the communities where our associates and customers live and work.

GROUP: Presented to a group of associates who have demonstrated inclusion excellence.

LIVING OUR VALUES: Presented to an associate who embodies our company value ‘Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Make Us Stronger’ through their actions and words; promoting a company culture where everyone belongs.

Inclusion Leader Award Winner

Michiyo Nelson, Director of Design

Michiyo Nelson led the direction and guided teams behind many of Bath & Body Works’ Perfumer Series collections which included Black History Month, Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and Hispanic Heritage Month. These special product capsules spotlight professionals from historically underrepresented groups in fragrance to raise awareness of their important contributions and stories and inspire the next generation.

“The success of the perfumer series would not have existed without Michiyo’s valuable knowledge and leadership,” says Charles. “She works with design associates and external perfumers from different teams and cultural backgrounds to foster a truly collaborative experience that exemplifies our commitment to diversity and inclusion.”

Community Inclusion Award Winners

Tierra Hayes, Gretchen Denk, Courtney Goodburn, Kristen Eaton, Grant Conkel, Cyle Goldrick, Mickey Huether, Bath & Body Works Logistics Team

This group meets monthly to plan volunteer events and facilitate programs which support non-profit organizations in the central Ohio community.

The Mid-Ohio Food Collective, Kitchen of Life, Community Development for all People, Lifetown and Keep Columbus Beautiful were all directly impacted by this team’s commitment to service.

“We’re proud of this group for their continued commitment and dedication to improving and supporting the community many of our associates and customers call home,” says Charles.

Group Inclusion Award Winners

Brian Burnett, Sarah Disselkamp, Lee McConkey, Fidel Gutierrez, Annie Mackowick, Lauren Weber, Donnie Guanciale, Gabby Guanciale, Jason Lyons, Bath & Body Works Merchandise, Planning and Allocation Team

This group developed a quarterly newsletter which educates and informs their large team of over 100 associates about important Inclusion Resource Group (IRG) events, community volunteer opportunities and cultural celebrations. By amplifying the work of their colleagues on the DEI and IRG teams, they’ve encouraged engagement and participation amongst their team and set the stage for continued growth and learning.

“This team does an incredible job of keeping a function of 100+ associates engaged in activities that support our culture of inclusivity,” says Charles. “Through their communication efforts they build excitement for events and activities and encourage their colleagues in their learning and development as professionals.”

Living Our Values Inclusion Award Winners

Selma Eltayeb, Learning and Development Manager

For decades, Bath & Body Works has hired associates in their distribution center space who are English Language Learners (ELL). Selma Eltayeb took action by serving as the project lead in the development and launch of ELL classes for those associates.

“Selma is the embodiment of turning words into actions,” says Charles. “She knows firsthand the challenges of navigating a world where you are learning the language of everyone else, and she openly shares her experiences and supports others.”

Elena Scarf, Distribution Center Group Lead

Elena Scarf has made it her goal to recognize and celebrate the many diverse cultures of her department.

For example, she planned a year-end department meeting with a special potluck so associates could bring their favorite dishes to share. She incorporated music and dancing into her team’s stretching sessions before their shifts, and she decorates the Distribution Center bulletin board to celebrate holidays and other important commemorations important to her team.

“Elena is the definition of inclusion excellence,” says Charles. “She values her fellow associates’ diverse background and has created a strong, cohesive and collaborative department with her efforts.”

Bath & Body Works is proud of all the associates recognized with Inclusion Excellence Awards. Learn more about the company’s commitment to culture and inclusion at bbwinc.com.

Young motorcycle enthusiasts fourteen-year-old Deruk van Aswegen and his brother Ulrich, eleven, have built an impressive track record, competing in prestigious races. Last year, their passion and determination caught the eye of CASE Construction Equipment, a brand of CNH, offering them sponsorship. Following a year of remarkable achievements, the talented young athletes are back for a second exhilarating season, sponsored once again by CASE.

This year they are branching out and competing in the National Cross Country races in South Africa. “We have a lot to learn with Cross Country,” says Ulrich. “The races are two hours long, and we have to do laps for the whole duration. It is totally different from motocross, and we are still adapting.”

One of the highlights for the boys this year has been wearing the new CASE branded kit. “We helped with the design, the camo was our idea,” says Ulrich. “We are proud to represent CASE,” adds Deruk, expressing the sense of pride and ownership they feel as ambassadors for the brand.

Looking ahead, the boys remain focused on their goals and aspirations. “We both want to get podium finishes in at least one of the championships that we are competing in,” says Deruk. With their sights set on success, Deruk and Ulrich are poised to continue their journey.

Supporting Deruk and Ulrich’s journey is a demonstration of CNH’s commitment to helping young people achieve their dreams, whether that be in farming, construction, or on the bike!

May 7, 2024 /3BL/ – Families are fleeing Rafah, a city where nearly 1.5 million Palestinians have already been sheltering, to escape Israel’s military offensive. People were told to evacuate and head to Al Mawasi, a stretch of land only half a mile wide. Despite the dangers, Action Against Hunger will remain in Rafah and continue providing as much humanitarian aid as possible.

“Following the recent evacuation order, Action Against Hunger condemns a possible ground offensive in Rafah, which will result in thousands of deaths and prevent lifesaving aid from reaching the most vulnerable in Gaza,” says Natalia Anguera Ruiz, Action Against Hunger’s Head of Operations for the Middle East. “The consequences of the offensive will be catastrophic. We are barely managing to provide aid currently.”

Many people living in Rafah have fled other parts of the Gaza Strip to avoid violence and conflict. Most families are living in tents and without access to clean drinking water, sufficient food, and medicine. A ground offensive in Rafah will only lead to death, destruction, hunger, displacement, and loss in Gaza. It will prevent Action Against Hunger and other humanitarian workers from easily accessing the families who need immediate assistance, especially those already facing dangerous living conditions.

As of May 6, around 100,000 people in the eastern part of Rafah have received orders to evacuate, including several members of Action Against Hunger’s staff. Action Against Hunger staff say that they are doing everything in their power to support the team in this extremely dire situation, and have already prepared an alternative refuge for staff and their families in a safer zone. The organization says that this will allow them to continue their tireless commitment to the victims of the conflict.

One of Action Against Hunger’s emergency team members, who recently returned from Gaza, says that over a million people in Rafah have “already lost everything: their houses, their savings, everything they built in recent decades. Everything is destroyed, all the health centers, schools, and public services.”

She adds, “There are a lot of people crowded together in places where you’re not meant to live, basically on a desert, without means of subsistence, where you can’t grow crops. There’s no irrigation or safe drinking water. I think of our colleagues and other people who have already displaced multiple times to get to Rafah and will have to take their children, carry them, and walk again. There are no more safe areas to go to.”

Across Gaza, men, women, and children are on the brink of famine, facing unsanitary conditions as waste accumulates on the streets and the last of the water becomes contaminated. Healthcare is practically nonexistent.

Despite continuous global warnings from the international community about the catastrophic impact of a ground offensive in Rafah, the recent evacuation order will also greatly hinder the ability of humanitarian organizations to respond to the basic needs of the population. Action Against Hunger is calling on all actors to do everything in their power to guarantee safe and unobstructed humanitarian access. Without it, there will be catastrophic consequences not yet seen in the last seven months.

“We urgently recall the need for an immediate and permanent ceasefire; an immediate release of hostages; safe, effective, and unimpeded humanitarian access; and the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure as the only way to prevent further catastrophe.” says Ruiz. “While Action Against Hunger continues to work to provide aid to populations across the Gaza Strip as well as ensure the safety of our staff, we remind the international community that there is no safe place in Gaza.”

About Action Against Hunger’s Work in Gaza

Action Against Hunger has worked in Gaza since 2005 and the West Bank since 2002. Since October 2023, we have been delivering humanitarian assistance in Gaza that includes distributing fresh and dry food, hot meals, and hygiene kits; trucking clean water to communities; connecting people with shelters; and providing assistance with solid waste management.

Teams will maintain their presence in Rafah and continue working to provide humanitarian aid to populations across the Gaza Strip, as well as to ensure the safety of Action Against Hunger staff.