Author: sHq_LoGiNz

Across Western North Carolina, Cisco Crisis Response and 40 Communities are supporting a coalition of partners and community leaders who have come together to repair and rebuild homes in the wake of Hurricane Helene.

In late September 2024, Hurricane Helene swept through Western North Carolina, leaving behind a trail of catastrophic damage. Floodwaters swallowed roads, bridges crumbled, and families were cut off from power, cell service, and vital resources.

Across the state, over 73,000 homes were damaged or destroyed.

Immediately after the storm, Cisco Crisis Response (CCR) mobilized a team of staff and volunteers to provide secure, critical connectivity to frontline responders including state emergency management teams, hospitals, police, and fire departments.

Now — nearly a year after the storm — we’re still here, working with local leaders and nonprofit partners to forge new alliances and a long-term commitment to the community.

Priority one: repairing and rebuilding homes for low-income homeowners

Throughout this mountainous region known for its natural beauty, the devastation caused by water and wind is still visible.

Without significant assistance, low-income homeowners will be hard pressed to repair their damage – much less rebuild. Less than 1 percent of households in the path of the storm in Western North Carolina (WNC) had flood insurance.

Organizations acting alone cannot fill the overwhelming need for support. That’s why Cisco is investing in a new coalition of forward-thinking nonprofits that have come together to centralize and streamline home repair for uninsured or under-insured, low-income households whose homes were damaged but not destroyed by the storm.

The Asheville Regional Coalition for Home Repair (ARCHR) has emerged as an innovative, collaborative response to the needs of this tight-knit community.

ARCHR – transforming the model for home repair

ARCHR is powered by a partnership of four leading local nonprofits, Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity, Community Action Opportunities, PODER Emma, and Mountain Housing Opportunities. Each partner brings complementary strengths including administrative and financial expertise, site assessment and HVAC specializations, mobile home and language skills, as well as tenured and experienced delivery repair services. Home repairs address critical needs: roof and porch repairs, mold removal, plumbing, accessibility improvements, and more. Costs range from $7,000 to $25,000 per household.

Cisco has invested $1,000,000 to support this initiative, which is enabled by digital tools that centralize intake, assessment, and prioritization — improving speed, coordination, and equity in disaster response.

By leveraging these digital tools to streamline assessments and prioritize repairs by severity and health impact, ARCHR has not only surpassed its original repair goals for 2025 but has also set a new standard for disaster recovery coalitions.

The coalition is on track to support 130 home repairs in 2025 — 20 above the initial target. As of early July, ARCHR has completed repairs for 73 homes and 65 were in progress.

Restoring homes – and hope

Over the past year, CCR has been laying the groundwork for ongoing opportunities for Cisconians to contribute their time, talent, and expertise to the community.

In early August 2025, a team of 22 CCR team members, volunteers, and Cisco leaders gathered in WNC to connect with this extraordinary coalition, better understand the challenges and possibilities ahead, and to lend a hand.

Over 4 days, the team swung hammers on an Asheville Habitat for Humanity build and met with homeowners who have experienced the life changing impact of home repairs through ARCHR.

Teresa’s story illustrates the deep, personal impact of ARCHR’s work and underscores the coalition’s continued commitment to building resilience and hope in Western North Carolina.

Hurricane Helene left Teresa, a former nurse of 30 years, living without power and water after the storm uplifted her septic tank and destroyed her plumbing. Thanks to ARCHR’s coordinated efforts, Teresa regained safe and accessible living conditions.

With Cisco’s support, ARCHR is focusing on more homeowners like her. To date, more than 600 applications have been submitted and more than 80% are at or below 50% of the area’s median income and qualify as eligible for assistance.

Despite surpassing goals, demand far outpaces current resources. There is a projected need for an additional $8 million over the next 3-4 years.

Moving forward – 40 Communities and the road to resilience

In December 2024, Cisco selected WNC as the first of 40 Communities – our bold new initiative to bring the full force of our capabilities, technology, and people to engage, support, and invest in 40 communities worldwide. As an initial investment, we awarded ARCHR a $1M grant to support home repairs for 110 low-income residents in Buncombe and Madison Counties.

Through 40 Communities, we’ll expand on CCR’s progress and commitment to housing in WNC and use ARCHR’s collaborative approach and use of technology as a model for disaster recovery and housing resilience.

We’ll also build essential infrastructure and cybersecurity, develop digital skills for a future-ready work force, and co-create innovative solutions for what matters most to WNC -building a connected, resilient community that thrives.

If you’d like to join us in supporting Western North Carolina, please consider making a donation or sign up to volunteer to support home building and repair through Asheville Habitat for Humanity.

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At Griffith Foods, we believe in nourishing the world – and that starts in our own communities.

We were honored to support North York Harvest at their 40th Anniversary with a $50,000 donation through Griffith Cares. This gift, the largest in their history, will help expand their ability to serve over 30,000 people every month who face food insecurity. Together, we can create better together!

Learn More: https://bit.ly/4fDKNQA

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Our Sustainability Journey
At Griffith Foods, we are committed to driving positive impact through a regenerative mindset. Sustainability is connected to everything we do as a business, and by 2030, we are dedicated to significantly improving the future with a singular sustainable business strategy that we call our 2030 Aspirations. To learn more about Griffith Foods and its current sustainability efforts, visit them online and download the 2024 Sustainability Report.

About Griffith Foods
At Griffith Foods, our purpose defines who we are, what we do, and why we exist, highlighting what makes us distinct and authentic in the marketplace. We help our partners meet the evolving needs and desires of consumers in ways that respect and sustain the planet. Our care and creativity mean we’ll find the right mix of global reach and local impact to serve the earth and nourish all of us who call it home.

Panda Express takes flight: company’s first round-trip panda transport

FedEx made history with its first-ever round-trip donated flight operation for panda conservation. We transported Zoo Atlanta’s beloved pandas Lun Lun, Yang Yang, Ya Lun, and Xi Lun to China and returned with two-year-old pandas Qing Bao and Bao Li who are making a new home at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington, D.C.

The “Panda Express” Boeing 777 was equipped to ensure the comfort of the Smithsonian’s National
Zoo pandas during their journey with custom-built enclosures for the pandas, along with the presence of animal care specialists and veterinarians.

The new arrivals to the Smithsonian will serve as ambassadors for their species, raising awareness about the threats they face in the wild and the importance of protecting their habitat.

Save the Chimps art exhibition raises $45,000 for conservation

Chimps from the Save the Chimps sanctuary in Fort Pierce, Florida, created artwork that raised $45,000 at Art Expo NY. FedEx donated shipping services for 16 framed canvases as part of the annual expo, which collaborated with celebrity guests, Joaquin Phoenix and Rooney Mara, to raise awareness. Save the Chimps provides care for over 220 chimps retired from laboratories, entertainment, pet trade, and roadside zoos.

We hope these paintings will raise much-needed funds for Save the Chimps’ sanctuary and deepen people’s appreciation of these intelligent apes.

Rooney Mara and Joaquin Phoenix

FedEx delivers fossil collection for climate research

FedEx transported a valuable plant fossil collection from Yale Peabody Museum to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. Dating back 50-66 million years, these specimens document Earth’s ancient warmer climate and now enhance the world’s largest plant fossil archive. This transfer enables scientists to study historical climate patterns and ecosystem changes, providing crucial insights for addressing today’s environmental challenges.

Learn more about FedEx’s commitment to delivering for good in the 2024 FedEx Cares Report.

By Kim Borges

“The women at Justin’s Place are resilient, strong and inspiring. That’s what this mission is about – breaking the cycle.” – Abigail Henderson, Regions associate and Justin’s Place volunteer

Behind every nonprofit is a founder’s passion and the volunteers dedicated to making a difference for the people it serves. Here, we share how a mother’s love has transformed not only one life, but hundreds.

Overflowing sandwich platters, pumping music, pool parties.

High school freshman William Floyd’s house was the place to hang out between summer football two-a-days. His mom, Donna, made sure of it.

One August day in 2012, she met William’s classmate, Justin.

“I first noticed his big smile,” Floyd recalled.

As she got to know him, Floyd learned Justin faced financial challenges.

“He would always say, ‘yes’ to food and take showers before he left our house,” she said.

While driving him home from practice one night, Floyd and her husband realized Justin’s family had been evicted, their belongings on the sidewalk. It wasn’t the first time. The story was complicated, but it came down to a couple factors – a death in the family several years earlier and another family member struggling with addiction.

Floyd saw a way to help.

“We told Justin, ‘You’re ours and we’re yours if you want us,’” Floyd said of the conversation welcoming him as the fourth child in their family. “We just moved forward from there.”

For Justin, that resembled graduating from high school and heading to Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Texas, where he continued to play football and thrived academically.

About a year after Justin started college, Floyd was reading on her Fort Worth porch when she heard a voice.

“God just spoke to me,” she said. “I clearly heard Him say, ‘Go in the place he took you. Take the things you know. Build a cornerstone in my name. Make me famous there.’ That’s where Justin’s Place started.”

Floyd set out to create a community where families like Justin’s could stay together and flourish.

Her first step? Researching other nonprofits doing the same.

“I found a lot of good work in Fort Worth, but no one was equipping single moms to leave government services behind,” explained Floyd. “I then looked all over the country and found an organization in Knoxville called The Restoration House. They shared everything with us. We’ve had the blessing of modeling after them.”

That model includes three pillars:

• A stable place to live
• Supporting single moms with a supportive community around them
• Helping single moms dream their dreams, set their goals and walk toward them

Justin’s Place’s began with children’s programming.

“We just jumped in with things I knew,” said Floyd. “I took camp programming from the church I was on staff at, and a bunch of volunteers came with me.”

Things soon grew from one program to two, to three, then to six, expanding to resource training, resume building and helping moms with long-term goalsetting.

New volunteers from the Junior League of Fort Worth joined to help lead monthly Moms’ Night Out events in 2023. That’s how Regions Commercial Banking relationship manager Abigail Henderson got involved.

“Our main responsibility was leading the Empower and Equip (E2) classes for single moms,” explained Henderson. “Class topics range from easy, budget-friendly meal preparation to budgeting and financial literacy.”

Henderson quickly became passionate about the mission behind Justin’s Place and the families it helps, sharing Regions’ NextStep® financial education resources with class participants and now serving on the organization’s Walk In My Shoes fundraiser committee, among others.

“Abby’s heart is so big and beats so fast for the work we do here,” said Floyd. “She’s a creative thinker and a self-starter. With Abby, it’s more than just serving in a role; she shows initiative by talking with others about Justin’s Place and thinking about the organization as a whole and how to make it better. That’s super special.”

Something special Henderson observed this past March at Justin’s Place? The ribbon cutting for The Nest, a community offering families stable housing and skilled workforce training.

“We work with each mom, allowing her to grow to be everything she’s designed to be,” said Floyd. “It’s about helping women live independently and self-sufficiently to lead her family the way every mother wants to lead their family.”

Currently housing nine families, The Nest is quickly growing.

“We’ll welcome three more families soon and we’re building 12 more units, meaning we’ll ultimately have 24 families, plus an early childhood center,” said Floyd.

“Following his college graduation, Justin moved to Denver to work for a large marketing firm. He lives near William and his older brother, James.

This past spring, Justin headed home to see The Nest’s ribbon cutting. What was his reaction?

“When he saw the property the first time, he said, ‘Oh my gosh, I can’t even believe this came out of my life,’” said Floyd. “He’s super proud of it; he knows it can and will change kids’ lives.”

The Nest’s opening has also inspired Floyd to reflect on how it all began.

“We knew during those high school years that God was doing something, and it wouldn’t just be about him; it would be something bigger,” she said. “Helping other mamas feel fulfilled is what I’m supposed to be doing. This is the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life, but it’s also such a thrill to watch the Lord just do miracle after miracle right in front of my eyes.”

It has been a pivotal year for Chemours, one marked by significant change and remarkable progress that has ushered in a fresh wave of energy and new perspectives. 

We refreshed our core values—Safety, Integrity, Partnership, Ownership, and Respect—based on feedback from thousands of Chemours employees and established a new corporate vision: to deliver trusted chemistry that improves lives and helps communities thrive. 

Our Trusted Chemistry vision is more than aspirational—it’s directional. It guides how we operate our manufacturing sites, drives our innovation, and shapes our interactions with stakeholders. It’s a promise to lead with integrity, manufacture and innovate responsibly, and use the power of our chemistry to solve some of the world’s most pressing challenges. 

To bring this vision to life, we launched our new corporate strategy, Pathway to Thrive. Built on four pillars—Operational Excellence, Enabling Growth, Portfolio Management, and Strengthening the Long Term—this strategy is designed to drive Chemours’ future success and growth while advancing our commitments to customers, communities, and the environment. Our Pathway to Thrive strategy is linked to sustainability, tying our business performance and growth to safe, efficient, and reliable operations and strategic investments in sustainable innovations that enable high-growth industries.

Grounded in our vision to deliver trusted chemistry, our commitment to drive our corporate strategy and sustainability goals forward is unwavering. Sustainability helps protect our license to operate, differentiate our portfolio, meet the needs of our customers, and build resilience for the future—and will play a central role in advancing our Pathway to Thrive strategy.

I am proud to share a few highlights of our progress from our 2024 Sustainability Report. These achievements were only made possible through the dedication and efforts of our team.

• Began refreshing our Corporate Responsibility Commitments (CRC) and introduced new overarching aspirational statements that provide us with the flexibility to add new goals and expand existing ones moving forward. Since we announced our ambitious CRC goals in 2018, there’s been significant change—and as our company and the world evolves, so too must our sustainability strategy. This refresh will better align our CRC goals with our new Pathway to Thrive strategy and Trusted Chemistry vision, as well as the evolving external landscape.
• Reached a 76% reduction in fluorinated organic chemical (FOC) process emissions globally since 2018 and remain on track to achieve a 60% reduction in our Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 2030, on a path to net-zero by 2050.
• Completed our first Double Materiality Assessment, improving our understanding of the sustainability issues most critical to our business and stakeholders. The insights are being used to inform our actions and refresh our CRC goals to ensure they are focused, impactful, aligned with our corporate strategy and the needs of our stakeholders.
• Achieved our 2030 goal for Sustainable Offerings six years ahead of schedule and launched EVOLVE 2030 Version 2.0—an enhanced portfolio sustainability assessment methodology—aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals that further embeds sustainability into our product development and decision-making processes. 

As I look at the progress we’ve made and the opportunities before us, I’m filled with pride and optimism. Together, we will deliver trusted chemistry and build a better, more sustainable future. In pursuit of delivering our vision and in alignment with our strategy, I am pleased to renew our commitment to the Ten Principles of the United Nations Global Compact.

I invite you to explore our latest Sustainability Report and see the hard work and dedication our team put on full display as we continued to deliver against our CRC commitments. 

Denise Dignam is the President and Chief Executive Office of The Chemours Company, a global chemistry company with a vision to deliver Trusted Chemistry that makes people’s lives better and helps communities thrive. Read more in Chemours’ latest Sustainability Report. 

Aurora Organic Dairy, a leading producer and processor of organic dairy products, provides an update on its sustainability progress over the last three years in its 2025 Sustainability Report.

Highlights include:

• Aurora Organic Dairy integrated the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures into its sustainability reporting.
• In 2023, the company’s farms implemented an organic feed additive to reduce enteric methane emissions from its dairy cows.¹
• Aurora Organic Dairy has completed its fourth year of regenerative land management practices at its dairy farms to increase carbon sequestration and build healthier soils.
• The company continues to prioritize employee engagement and earned Top Workplace recognition in 2022, 2023 and 2024.
• Since 2020, the company has consistently achieved its goal to offset 100% of its energy emissions² through support of carbon reduction and renewable energy projects, a claim independently verified by a third party.
• In 2024, the company installed its third solar array project at its organic dairy farm in Dublin, TX. The system is expected to generate electricity equivalent to nearly 25% of the electricity consumed at the site’s batch milking robotic parlor.

“We take a holistic, nature-based approach to agriculture. We know that milk quality is a result of many thoughtful choices­­—from organic and regenerative pasture management to organic feed, animal care and workplace safety,” said Dr. Juan Velez, Chief Agricultural Officer. “Each step reflects our commitments to our Animals, People and Planet.”

Across its operations, Aurora Organic Dairy functions as an interconnected system where each piece contributes to milk quality and works to support the health of animals, people and the planet.

“Our mission to deliver organic dairy integrity, from cow to carton, to everyone, everywhere is only possible because of the people who bring it to life each day. The employees of Aurora Organic Dairy sustain an industry-leading supply chain with admirable dedication,” said Scott McGinty, Chief Executive Officer.

Grounded in its mission and in pursuit of its vision to be the best value-added milk supplier in America, the company continues to operate with a long-term purpose—advancing sustainability and driving creativity across every aspect of its business. Guided by its values, the 2025 Sustainability Report provides a transparent update on progress toward the company’s Animals, People and Planet goals.

¹Wenner, B.A., et al. “Evaluation of methane mitigation by organic feed additives in dual-flow continuous culture.” JDS Communications, vol. 6, no. 3, May 2025, pp. 318-323, https://doi.org/10.3168/jdsc.2024-0673.

²Energy emissions offset at company-owned locations and raw milk transport to company-owned processing plants.

ABOUT AURORA ORGANIC DAIRY
Aurora Organic Dairy is a leading producer and processor of store-brand organic dairy products for U.S. retailers. Based in Boulder, Colorado, Aurora Organic Dairy’s herd grazes on more than 17,000 acres of organic pasture across its company-owned dairy farms in Colorado and Texas. It also operates organic dairy processing plants in Platteville, Colorado, and Columbia, Missouri. Through the purchase of organic feed, bedding and other commodities for its animals, the company supports an estimated 75,000 acres of organic farmland operated by approximately 75 independent farmers. Organic agriculture, animal care and environmentally conscious production are the cornerstones of Aurora Organic Dairy’s business. Each of its company-owned farms are dual-certified organic by USDA National Organic Program accredited certifiers and Animal Welfare, Worker Care and Environmental certified by Validus, a leading independent auditor. Aurora Organic Dairy oversees organic standards from cow to carton. It monitors the entire product lifecycle, to promote quality from its farms to its processing facilities. For more information, visit www.auroraorganic.com.

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