Month: May 2025

For more than a decade, Rick Mendoza had been fully enjoying his kidney transplant. From hikes to mowing the lawn to attending his daughter’s school and sporting events, his transplant let him experience all of the simple pleasures in life. That was until his kidneys started to fail again in 2022.

“I thought to myself, ‘This cannot be happening. Not again. Not already,’” said Rick.

The Gift of Life: Kidney Donation

Back in 2010, Rick’s kidneys started to fail for the first time, sending him into a state of depression and confusion. Thankfully, he didn’t let it keep him down for long. Rick knew if he wanted to get better, he would need to search for a new kidney. His search didn’t take him very far, leading him to his sister-in-law, Sharla Mendoza.

Despite her fear of needles and other health anxieties, Sharla decided that she needed to help her brother-in-law. In 2011, she donated her kidney to Rick, bringing the family even closer together.

“Don’t burn the bridges with your in-laws because you never know,” Rick joked. “My sister’s gift allowed me to [experience] those 12 years fully alive.”

With over a decade of life lived with his new kidney, Rick didn’t expect to slow down at any point — let alone in his 50s.

Unfortunately, Rick’s started to fail once again in the summer of 2022.

The Impact of Kidney Failure

More than 23%¹ of kidney transplant recipients experience graft failure by the five-year mark, and that number rises to about 35%² by 10 years.

“We had just finished a family vacation and there were some signs. Lack of energy, weakness, headaches. I knew something was wrong,” said Rick.

Individuals on the waitlist are more susceptible to mental health conditions like anxiety, depression, and substance use disorders ³. Living with a chronic illness like chronic kidney disease can also lead to self-isolation, worsening the symptoms of mental health conditions.

“Rick is so outgoing. He’s such a people person. He always wants to be doing something outdoors or with others,” said Michelle Mendoza, Rick’s wife of over 30 years. “It was hard to see him lose some of that light when his kidneys started to fail again.”

Despite his uphill battle, Rick has no intention of giving up on finding a new kidney or giving his connection to his vast community.

“Rick is motivated to try again. Some people aren’t as motivated to start looking for a second transplant, but he is,” said Tamara Polk, a registered nurse at DaVita Littleton. “I’m so happy he’s pushing forward. Even if it’s hard.”

Despite being back on dialysis appointments several times a week, Rick takes full advantage of his treatment time, connecting with patients and care team members to pass the time and stay social.

“I like to stay engaged! It makes those four hours go by faster,” said Rick. “Chatting with people helps me feel human.”

He does more than just engage with his fellow patients during treatment, too. From volunteering with the National Kidney Foundation to creating his own transplant search website, Rick is staying active in the chronic kidney disease (CKD) community.

“[Working with NKF] has fully improved his mood. It’s brought life back into him,” said Haley Mendoza, Rick’s daughter and NKF Kidney Walk fundraiser. “Finding passion through something he’s been struggling with. Finding and helping people who are struggling has really helped him.”

Not Ready to Give Up

Today, Rick spends his time looking toward the future while cherishing his connections in the present. While he’s planning out his future of travel and outdoor activities with his family, he remains focused on his mission of finding a new kidney and encouraging others in his situation to do the same.

“It’s one day at a time. We do what we can, and we stay positive and connected with one another. We are looking toward the future,” said Michelle.

With the support of his loved ones and care team, Rick remains hopeful about his chances of finding a second kidney.

“It is possible to find a second transplant,” said Tamara. “Other people have found success. Just keep working towards it. Keep doing everything you’re supposed to keep doing. You never know when you will get the call for a new kidney.”

¹ Long-term kidney transplant graft survival—Making progress when most needed Poggio, Emilio D. et al. American Journal of Transplantation, Volume 21, Issue 8, 2824 – 2832 https://www.amjtransplant.org/article/S1600-6135(22)08680-4/fulltext

² Health Resources and Services Administration (2018, January 1). OPTN/SRTR 2017 Annual Data Report: Kidney. The Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR). https://srtr.transplant.hrsa.gov/annual_reports/2017/Kidney.aspx#KI_76_tx_adult_GF_DD_5yr_diag_1_b64

³ Grzyb, C., Du, D., Mahesh, B., & Nair, N. (2024). Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders in Transplant Waitlist, VAD, and Heart Transplant Patients: A TriNetX Database Analysis. Journal of clinical medicine, 13(11), 3151. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm13113151

Albertsons Companies, in collaboration with Albertsons Companies Foundation, has received a 2025 Gold Halo Award, presented by Engage for Good, for its collaboration on SummerEBT.org. This initiative connects families to new summer grocery benefits, ensuring no child goes hungry when school is out. Albertsons Cos. is incredibly proud to be recognized alongside other purpose-driven campaigns.

See original post on LinkedIn and read more about Albertsons Companies and our Recipe for Change on our website.

On Thursday, April 24th, Paramount VetNet participated in Bring Your Kids to Work Day at the Paramount offices in Times Square. The event welcomed children to a variety of informal activities that included a movie screening, shadowing roles and community impact opportunities.

Paramount VetNet hosted a letter-writing event. This initiative was created nearly five years ago with Veterans in Media & Entertainment and several media and entertainment organizations. To date, Paramount VetNet has organized several letter-writing events where thousands of letters have been written to deployed service members.
 
Employees and their children also had the pleasure of meeting Marine Corps service members. The service members shared their experience on how much receiving letters from “home” meant to them and provided ideas to the children on what to write in their letters.

About The Paramount Veterans Network 

The Paramount Veterans Network offers Veterans, Active-Duty service members, National Guard, Reserve employees, their families and the community at large a forum for connecting, networking, and for personal and professional development. Paramount VetNet operates on the pillars of appreciation, resilience, action, and impact, demonstrating a profound commitment to honoring and supporting those who have served our country. By fostering a culture of accessibility, community, camaraderie and empowerment, Paramount continues its unwavering dedication to our nation’s veterans and their families, ensuring they continue to thrive long after they leave the service. For more information, please follow @ParamountVetNet on social platforms.

CINCINNATI, May 8, 2025 /3BL/ – Fifth Third Bank’s (NASDAQ: FITB) nearly 19,000 employees celebrated the annual “Fifth Third Day” by volunteering and donating to fight food insecurity within their local communities across the Bank’s 11-state footprint.

On May 2, celebrated as “Fifth Third Day,” employees united to pack millions of meals, collect and donate food items, and support local hunger relief organizations. Fifth Third Day kicks off a month of volunteering activities across the Bank’s 11-state footprint, with the theme of ‘Tackling Food Insecurity One Community at a Time.’

“Food security continues to be a pressing issue affecting millions of Americans, and the price of food and basic necessities continues to increase,” said Tim Spence, chairman, CEO and president of Fifth Third. “On Fifth Third Day, we have the opportunity – and the great privilege – to step up and support our communities by donating our time and money so fewer Americans go hungry.”

Since 1991, Fifth Third has celebrated its employees, customers and communities on its signature day, May 3. Because the date falls on a weekend this year, service activities began on May 2 and will continue throughout May in support of local hunger relief organizations.

“At Fifth Third, we prioritize taking care of our communities. That’s why tackling food insecurity is so important to us – by fulfilling one of the basic needs that some families may have, we can help alleviate the stress of being concerned about where the next meal is going to come from,” said Kala Gibson, chief corporate responsibility officer for Fifth Third.

Empowering local communities

Fifth Third’s Financial Empowerment Mobile, commonly known as the eBus, was reimagined and launched on Fifth Third Day in 2024, and is celebrating one year of providing increased access and impact by combining social and financial education services to community members in need.

In partnership with SpringFour, the eBus connects community members to vital human and social services organizations to address needs related to food savings, rental resources, childcare, employment services, small business support and more. Through its digital self-service financial wellness solution, SpringFour delivers access to more than 24,000 nonprofit and government agencies across the U.S. providing support in 14 categories.

In 2024, the eBus traveled 15,000 miles and made 76 stops to deliver financial access, education and social services to nearly 8,000 people across seven states – from hurricane-ravaged rural communities in the Carolinas, to community centers in Chicago and Detroit.

For 2025, the eBus has embarked upon a nine-state tour that runs through November, with stops scheduled in Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida. The Midwest leg of the tour begins on Friday, May 2, with stops scheduled across Indiana, Ohio and Michigan in the coming months.

Supporting the next generation

Additionally, Fifth Third suprised the families of babies born on Fifth Third Day in select local hospitals in Detroit and southwest Florida with a gift of $1,053 to open a 529 college savings account.

Since 2017, Fifth Third Babies has delivered nearly $650,000 in 529 plan funding to the families of 615 babies born on Fifth Third Day across 9 states, in partnership with the Gift of College.

The Bank presented the new parents with care packages that include gift cards and gifts for the baby such as a onesie, bib, blanket and book.

From May 3 through 29, the general public also has the opportunity to participate in a social media sweepstakes to win one of 53 $1,053 Gift of College cards to be redeemed through state 529 college savings plans and a Fifth Third Babies bag. Winners will be selected on 529 Day, or May 29 on the calendar. More information and full sweepstakes rules are available online at 53.com/babies.¹

For more information about how Fifth Third is helping its communities, please visit here.

¹ NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Sweepstakes open to legal residents of the U.S., excluding New York. At least 18 years old to enter. Odds of winning depend upon the number of eligible entries received. Void where prohibited. Sweepstakes begins May 3, 2025, at 12:00 AM EST and ends May 29, 2025, at 8:00 AM EST. For complete sweepstakes rules visit 53.com/babies. Sweepstakes is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with, Meta Platforms, Inc.

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About Fifth Third

Fifth Third is a bank that’s as long on innovation as it is on history. Since 1858, we’ve been helping individuals, families, businesses and communities grow through smart financial services that improve lives. Our list of firsts is extensive, and it’s one that continues to expand as we explore the intersection of tech- driven innovation, dedicated people and focused community impact. Fifth Third is one of the few U.S.-based banks to have been named among Ethisphere’s World’s Most Ethical Companies® for several years. With a commitment to taking care of our customers, employees, communities and shareholders, our goal is not only to be the nation’s highest performing regional bank, but to be the bank people most value and trust.

Fifth Third Bank, National Association is a federally chartered institution. Fifth Third Bancorp is the indirect parent company of Fifth Third Bank and its common stock is traded on the NASDAQ® Global Select Market under the symbol “FITB.” Investor information and press releases can be viewed at www.53.com. Deposit and credit products provided by Fifth Third Bank, National Association. Member FDIC.

CONTACT

Amanda Nageleisen (Media Relations)
amanda.nageleisen@53.com
Matt Curoe (Investor Relations)
matt.curoe@53.com | 513-534-2345

Yum! Brands

KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell are giving their packaging a second life in support of parent company Yum!’s commitment to making its consumer-facing packaging more reusable, recyclable or compostable. As a global restaurant business, being good stewards of the food and natural resources it uses to serve millions of customers daily is no small feat.

Learn how this is not only important to the environment, but also to Yum!’s business, in the latest episode of “Quick Bite,” the series that serves up Yum! news in a matter of minutes.

ST. PAUL, Minn., May 8, 2025 /3BL/ – Inogen Alliance Associates CDG Environmental Advisors in Costa Rica and Tonkin + Taylor in New Zealand have been shortlisted for Environment Analyst (EA) Sustainability Award Categories:

• Nature Positive Award – CDG Environmental with Zapotal Golf & Beach Club
• Transportation Project of the Year – Tonkin + Taylor with NZTA Waka Kotahi, Downer NZ, HEB Construction, Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika and Ngāti Toa Rangatira for the Te Ara Tupua Shared Cycle and Walkway project.
• Sustainability Leader of the Year (CSO or equivalent) – Dr Brett Ogilvie, Tonkin + Taylor.

Environment Analyst’s Sustainability Delivery Awards recognize ESG innovation, achievement and leadership, and celebrate those organizations from around the world who have made significant advances in progressing towards a sustainable transformation and achieving climate and net zero goals. Find the full shortlisted entries here.

In 2024, Inogen Alliance was shortlisted with HPC Germany and denxpert for the Digital Innovation Award for our ESG pre-screening tool; along with Tonkin + Taylor for Transportation Project of the Year (WIN), Creating Resilient & Sustainable Communities, and Sustainability Impact Award; and Antea Group USA for Transformative Partnership Award. Tonkin + Taylor won the Transportation Project of the Year award in 2024, check out the video featuring this project.

We look forward to the 2025 Awards Ceremony in Chicago, Illinois, 10 June, along with the Sustainability Delivery Summit.

Inogen Alliance is a global network made up of over 70 of independent local businesses and over 6,000 consultants around the world who can help make your project a success. Our Associates collaborate closely to serve multinational corporations, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations, and we share knowledge and industry experience to provide the highest quality service to our clients. If you want to learn more about how you can work with Inogen Alliance, you can explore our Associates or Contact Us. Watch for more News & Blog updates, listen to our podcast and follow us on LinkedIn.

SAN DIEGO, May 8, 2025 /3BL/ – My Green Lab® today proudly launches the ACT Ecolabel 2.0 program, an enhanced version of the only third-party verified ecolabel for laboratory products. Designed to advance Accountability, Consistency, and Transparency for the scientific industry, ACT Ecolabel 2.0 offers product-level data to support sustainability-driven purchasing decisions. Building on years of collaboration with scientists, manufacturers, procurement professionals, and sustainability experts, ACT Ecolabel 2.0 delivers a rigorous, standardized framework for assessing and communicating the environmental impact of laboratory products.

“ACT Ecolabel 2.0 represents the collective expertise behind the program and reflects our deep commitment to advancing sustainability in science through credible, actionable data,” said James Connelly, My Green Lab’s CEO. “The enhanced program is transforming how the scientific community approaches sustainability in the lab supply chain, through embedding impact reductions into purchasing decisions, product development, and long-term corporate strategies.”

As sustainability becomes a critical priority for laboratory operations, procurement representatives, and product manufacturers, the ACT Ecolabel delivers a unified framework that supports better decision-making across the supply chain. It enables manufacturers to credibly showcase sustainability performance and empowers procurement teams to make informed, sustainability-aligned purchasing decisions with confidence.

Jennifer Valsler, Director, Sustainable Procurement, AstraZeneca, says, “The My Green Lab ACT Ecolabel 2.0 aligns with AstraZeneca’s corporate sustainability goals, while providing a consistent benchmark to evaluate products for purchasing decision making. Participation from manufacturers will strengthen their response for sustainability requests, and a consistent third-party verified industry standard will spur innovation and drive supply chain impact reductions.”

The market has responded enthusiastically: 26 leading manufacturers have already committed to ACT Ecolabel 2.0 certification of their products, joining the 46 already participating, signaling the growing importance of a trusted standard like ACT Ecolabel for environmental accountability in life sciences.

The upgraded ACT Ecolabel program introduces a range of enhancements, including:

• Impact-focused, science-based, standardized scoring: The refined 100-point weighting system places greater emphasis on the most environmentally significant attributes and ensures clear, consistent comparisons across all types of lab products.
• Clearer communication and visuals: Reimagined label improves readability and usability by communicating key sustainability attributes clearly and directly.
• Product carbon footprint reporting: ACT now includes company and product-level CO₂e data to support Scope 3 emissions tracking and sustainable procurement requirements.
• Global alignment: ACT is recommended by the U.S. EPA and aligned with global regulations on green claims, supporting international sales and procurement strategies across the globe.

The ACT Ecolabel offers meaningful benefits to both manufacturers and procurement teams to support sustainable product development and smarter purchasing decisions.

• For procurement professionals, the ACT Ecolabel streamlines decision-making by enabling direct product comparisons across suppliers while mitigating greenwashing risks.
• Manufacturers who adopt the ACT Ecolabel gain competitive advantages through RFQ eligibility, deeper engagement with sustainability-minded customers, and the ability to demonstrate measurable progress through a trusted ecolabel.

With more than 1,700 certified products from over 60 participating manufacturers in the ACT Ecolabel database, the program has become a central resource for the growing global community focused on sustainability in laboratory operations.

Explore the comprehensive certified product database and discover how the ACT Ecolabel can support and accelerate your organization’s sustainability goals.

Visit mygreenlab.education/mgl-act-ecolabel.

About My Green Lab

My Green Lab® is a nonprofit environmental organization with a mission to build a global culture of sustainability in science. The organization is the world leader in developing internationally recognized sustainability standards for laboratories and laboratory products—bringing sustainability to the community responsible for the world’s life-changing medical and technical innovations. Laboratories are some of the most resource-intensive spaces in any industry, but they don’t have to be. By introducing a new perspective and proven best practices within a carefully crafted framework, My Green Lab has inspired tens of thousands of scientists and lab professionals to make positive changes in their labs by reducing the environmental impact of their work.

My Green Lab® ACT® Ecolabel

The first ecolabel for lab equipment and supplies that provides transparent, third-party verified data to help scientists and procurement teams make sustainable choices. Sixty companies and over 1,700 products currently have an ACT Ecolabel, with third-party verification provided by Verico.

For media requests, contact Christina Creager at christina.creager@mygreenlab.org.

For more information about My Green Lab, visit mygreenlab.org.