Tag: 3BL

by Mary Beth Gallagher, the Director of Engagement, Domini Impact Investments

The challenge is feeding 8.1 billion people within Earth’s planetary boundaries. Industrial agriculture practices emphasize maximizing yield and include carbon intensive processes and chemical fertilizers. These approaches, efficient though they may be, deplete the soil health and reduce biodiversity. The industry is also exploitative to workers and farmers, failing to provide economic sustainability and well-being. The food and agriculture industry contributes one third of global greenhouse gas emissions, and the agricultural supply chain has become increasingly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, including changing patterns of drought, precipitation, and extreme heat. A new approach to food production and agriculture is needed. 

As investors, we have leverage points that we can influence to encourage the move away from the extractive and exploitative status quo, which has significant negative externalities, and transition to a more resilient system that can thrive over the long term. In 2018, we began a journey at Domini in adopting a system-level approach to our investments. First was looking at Forests and now Agriculture.

Regenerative agriculture is a holistic approach designed for farmers to work in harmony with nature, while simultaneously maintaining and improving livelihoods. Regenerative agriculture practices, like using cover crops, diverse crop plantings and rotation, no-till farming, reducing pesticide use in favor of integrated pest management, and conserving water, are ways to help regenerate and repair the soil and ecosystems. These practices have the potential to deliver different types of benefits–for improved climate mitigation, increased resilience of crops to water stress or long-term productivity and soil health, and lower input costs or improved yields for farmers. This more holistic approach to agriculture is garnering a lot of enthusiasm and has been the focus of a growing number of corporate commitments. Currently 15 percent of global farmland is estimated to be cultivated using regenerative practices, so a lot more uptake is needed.

Read Mary Beth’s engaging article here – https://greenmoney.com/investing-in-value-creation-through-regenerative-agriculture

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by Mary Beth Gallagher, the Director of Engagement, Domini Impact Investments

The challenge is feeding 8.1 billion people within Earth’s planetary boundaries. Industrial agriculture practices emphasize maximizing yield and include carbon intensive processes and chemical fertilizers. These approaches, efficient though they may be, deplete the soil health and reduce biodiversity. The industry is also exploitative to workers and farmers, failing to provide economic sustainability and well-being. The food and agriculture industry contributes one third of global greenhouse gas emissions, and the agricultural supply chain has become increasingly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, including changing patterns of drought, precipitation, and extreme heat. A new approach to food production and agriculture is needed. 

As investors, we have leverage points that we can influence to encourage the move away from the extractive and exploitative status quo, which has significant negative externalities, and transition to a more resilient system that can thrive over the long term. In 2018, we began a journey at Domini in adopting a system-level approach to our investments. First was looking at Forests and now Agriculture.

Regenerative agriculture is a holistic approach designed for farmers to work in harmony with nature, while simultaneously maintaining and improving livelihoods. Regenerative agriculture practices, like using cover crops, diverse crop plantings and rotation, no-till farming, reducing pesticide use in favor of integrated pest management, and conserving water, are ways to help regenerate and repair the soil and ecosystems. These practices have the potential to deliver different types of benefits–for improved climate mitigation, increased resilience of crops to water stress or long-term productivity and soil health, and lower input costs or improved yields for farmers. This more holistic approach to agriculture is garnering a lot of enthusiasm and has been the focus of a growing number of corporate commitments. Currently 15 percent of global farmland is estimated to be cultivated using regenerative practices, so a lot more uptake is needed.

Read Mary Beth’s engaging article here – https://greenmoney.com/investing-in-value-creation-through-regenerative-agriculture

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Trane Technologies is accelerating growth and delivering continued, industry-leading financial performance while advancing the company’s bold 2030 Sustainability Commitments.

Trane Technologies’ latest Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report, Accelerating Action for Impact, highlights the company’s relentless investment in sustainable innovation, its uplifting, engaging culture and substantial progress toward its externally validated 2030 Sustainability Commitments and 2050 net-zero goals.

“We continue to innovate, and grow, to address climate change at scale,” said Dave Regnery, chair and CEO of Trane Technologies. “As we deliver on our leading, transformative climate goals, we are driving innovation and return on investment for our customers, uplifting our communities and positively shaping our industry.”

Trane Technologies’ 2023 ESG Report is a comprehensive, framework-aligned set of data that provides transparency and accountability. Notable advancements made in 2023 toward Trane Technologies’ 2030 Sustainability Commitments and other areas include (compared to 2019 baseline unless otherwise noted):

Gigaton Challenge: Reduced 157 million metric tons of carbon – equivalent to the emissions generated from nearly 18 billion gallons of gasoline – from customers’ emissions toward the Gigaton Challenge, a pledge to reduce one billion metric tons of carbon from emissions by 2030.Carbon Neutrality: Reduced operational (Scope 1 and 2) emissions by 44%, ahead of schedule toward reaching science-based target of 50% reduction and carbon neutral operations across the company’s footprint by 2030.Absolute Energy: Reduced absolute energy use by 4% toward 10% goal, even as demand and production increased.Renewable Energy1: Met 68% of global electricity demand through renewable energy sources.Water and Waste: Reduced water usage by 26% at facilities in water-stressed regions for a 33% decrease in total water use and achieved zero waste to landfill at 85% of global manufacturing sites.Gender Parity: Increased women in management roles to 25.2% and achieved gender parity on Board of Directors, with women occupying six out of 12 seats.Volunteerism: Completed 92,517 employee volunteer hours in 2023, reaching 47% of our 2030 goal.Workforce Innovation2: Repositioned policy of tuition reimbursement to tuition advancement to further enable opportunities for learning by reducing the upfront financial burden – increasing program participation by 39% compared to prior year. Launched pioneering, skills-based Trane® Technician Apprenticeship Program, nationally registered through the U.S. Department of Labor, welcoming more than 80 apprentices from 26 states.

1Calendar year 2023 metric
2Calendar year 2023 metric

Media Contact:
Travis Bullard
919-802-2593

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CARE’s newest corporate partner, ServiceNow, is driven by their purpose to make the world work better for everyone. To that end, one of their top priorities is helping the global nonprofit sector digitally transform its operations.

That’s why they launched the ServiceNow.org Partnership for Good Grant: to provide nonprofits with technology that will allow them to do better business and more good.

In 2024, they committed to award four grants—up to $2 million in total value—to individual nonprofits that use technology in impactful ways to enable greater efficiencies and better serve their communities.

CARE has been selected as one of the four inaugural recipients of this grant and will be developing an AI-enabled education program tracking tool.

Read the full article on ServiceNow’s website.

Company continues to supply high-quality medicines to approximately 1 billion patients annually

Report chronicles Viatris’ commitment to providing access to healthcare and building healthier communities

Impactful story highlights include “Empathy in Africa: Bridging the Healthcare Divide” – a powerful new documentary short that showcases Viatris’ impact

PITTSBURGH, May 21, 2024 /3BL/ – Viatris Inc. (NASDAQ: VTRS), a global healthcare company, today published its 2023 Sustainability Report: Building Sustainable Access at Scale. The report highlights its actions and initiatives across multiple areas of focus in support of the Company’s efforts to continue to be a model for sustainable access to medicine and to make a difference in the communities it serves.

“This year’s report delivers many examples of the important efforts occurring across Viatris and the collaboration required to supply high-quality medicines to approximately 1 billion patients annually,” said Lara Ramsburg, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Viatris. “Everyone at Viatris plays a part in building sustainable access to medicine, supporting healthcare systems and helping to advance our overall sustainability performance. Every day, no matter their roles or responsibilities, each team member performs essential work across multiple functions and geographies that collectively supports our progress. The knowledge that needs are great, and that our actions matter, is a powerful motivation.”

In 2023, Viatris colleagues remained committed to building sustainable access at scale. The Report presents work, stories and progress supporting four main areas: Access and Global Health; Our People; Environment; and Community. Highlights include:

Access and Global Health: Investing in facilities around the world, including in low- and lower-middle-income countries (LMICs), to bolster Viatris’ global supply chain network and uphold a reliable supply of medicines across the world. Doing so, the Company sold more than 80 billion doses of medicine across more than 165 countries and territories and reached more than 90% of LMICs with its medicines.Our People: Launched Elevate, its new wellbeing program for all colleagues. Elevate helps define the Company’s holistic approach to wellbeing, centered around three principles: Health, Purpose and Growth.Environment: Working to ensure stable access to high-quality medicines while minimizing the Company’s environmental impact, including the areas of greenhouse gas emission (GHG) reductions, energy use, water withdrawal and air emissions. Since 2020, Viatris accomplished a 3.7% reduction of its scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions compared to baseline.1Community: Building healthier communities by supporting local efforts to strengthen healthcare, education and communities. In 2023, Viatris donated to multiple global humanitarian relief partners via corporate philanthropy donations and donated more than 300 million doses of its medicines for humanitarian needs through corporate partners globally.

“At Viatris, we take pride in our work to advance more sustainable operations and responsible practices in delivering high-quality medicines and health solutions to people globally,” said Lina Andersson, Head of Global Sustainability, Viatris. “We have worked diligently and will continue to do so, to be considered a trusted partner as we support progress in closing gaps to equal access to care, build more resilient healthcare systems and uphold a reliable global supply of medicines.”

The recently launched documentary short, “Empathy in Africa: Bridging the Healthcare Divide,” highlights the important work Viatris is supporting to build access to healthcare in South Africa. The film chronicles the development of The Rhiza Babuyile Clinic, a critical health clinic in the Diepsloot Township of Johannesburg, South Africa, that is known for its challenging infrastructure, overcrowding and limited access to basic resources. Co-funded by Viatris, the clinic is Diepsloot’s first private brick and mortar healthcare facility, offering basic care and pediatrics and reducing healthcare inequities for the people of the township. The film is available to be streamed on the WaterBear Network now and on Apple TV on May 23.

Viatris is dedicated to transparent annual reporting on environmental, social and governance matters, continuously working to further enhance its disclosures through its 2023 Sustainability Report. Click here to find further information and additional examples of the important work occurring across the Company.

Forward-Looking Statements 
This press release includes statements that constitute “forward-looking statements.” These statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements may include, without limitation, statements about our sustainability goals, initiatives and investments, including with respect to access and global health, our people, environment and community. Forward-looking statements may often be identified by the use of words such as “will,” “may,” “could,” “should,” “would,” “project,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “expect,” “plan,” “estimate,” “forecast,” “potential,” “pipeline,” “intend,” “continue,” “target,” “seek” and variations of these words or comparable words. Because forward-looking statements inherently involve risks and uncertainties, actual future results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward- looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to: our ability to impact and effectively execute on our key sustainability areas encompassing access and global health including reliable supply and high-quality medicine; our people; environmental impact; and governance and ethical practices; sustainability-related disclosure frameworks and reporting standards which may change from time to time, including our ability to collect, measure, quantify, and report on our sustainability-related information, which may be subject to various global reporting standards; the possibility that the Company may not realize the intended benefits of, or achieve the intended goals or outlooks with respect to, its strategic initiatives (including divestitures, acquisitions, or other potential transactions) or move up the value chain by focusing on more complex and innovative products to build a more durable higher margin portfolio; the possibility that the Company may be unable to achieve intended or expected benefits, goals, outlooks, synergies, growth opportunities and operating efficiencies in connection with divestitures, acquisitions, other transactions, or restructuring programs, within the expected timeframes or at all; the Company’s failure to achieve expected or targeted future financial and operating performance and results; the potential impact of public health outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics; actions and decisions of healthcare and pharmaceutical regulators; changes in relevant laws and regulations and policies and/or the application or implementation thereof, including but not limited to tax, healthcare, applicable environmental laws, and pharmaceutical laws, regulations and policies globally (including the impact of recent and potential tax reform in the U.S. and pharmaceutical product pricing policies in China); any regulatory, legal or other impediments to the Company’s ability to bring new products to market, including but not limited to “at-risk launches;” success of clinical trials and the Company’s or its partners’ ability to execute on new product opportunities and develop, manufacture and commercialize products; any changes in or difficulties with the Company’s manufacturing facilities, including with respect to inspections, remediation and restructuring activities, supply chain or inventory or the ability to meet anticipated demand; the scope, timing and outcome of any ongoing legal proceedings, including government inquiries or investigations, and the impact of any such proceedings on the Company; risks associated with having significant operations globally; the ability to protect intellectual property and preserve intellectual property rights; changes in third-party relationships; the effect of any changes in the Company’s or its partners’ customer and supplier relationships and customer purchasing patterns, including customer loss and business disruption being greater than expected following an acquisition or divestiture; the impacts of competition, including decreases in sales or revenues as a result of the loss of market exclusivity for certain products; changes in the economic and financial conditions of the Company or its partners; uncertainties regarding future demand, pricing and reimbursement for the Company’s products; uncertainties and matters beyond the control of management, including but not limited to general political and economic conditions, inflation rates and global exchange rates; and the other risks described in Viatris’ filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Viatris routinely uses its website as a means of disclosing material information to the public in a broad, non-exclusionary manner for purposes of the SEC’s Regulation Fair Disclosure (Reg FD). Viatris undertakes no obligation to update these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this release other than as required by law.

About Viatris 
Viatris Inc. (NASDAQ: VTRS) is a global healthcare company uniquely positioned to bridge the traditional divide between generics and brands, combining the best of both to more holistically address healthcare needs globally. With a mission to empower people worldwide to live healthier at every stage of life, we provide access at scale, currently supplying high-quality medicines to approximately 1 billion patients around the world annually and touching all of life’s moments, from birth to the end of life, acute conditions to chronic diseases. With our exceptionally extensive and diverse portfolio of medicines, a one-of-a-kind global supply chain designed to reach more people when and where they need them, and the scientific expertise to address some of the world’s most enduring health challenges, access takes on deep meaning at Viatris. We are headquartered in the U.S., with global centers in Pittsburgh, Shanghai and Hyderabad, India. Learn more at viatris.com and investor.viatris.com, and connect with us on LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube and X (formerly Twitter).

1 Per Dec. 31, 2023, and not taking into account divestitures.

SOURCE Viatris Inc.

For further information: Contacts: MEDIA, +1.724.514.1968, Communications@viatris.com; Jennifer Mauer, Jennifer.mauer@viatris.com; Matt Klein, Matthew.Klein@viatris.com; INVESTORS: Bill Szablewski, +1.412.707.2866, InvestorRelations@viatris.com, William.Szablewski@viatris.com

Albertsons Companies’ Portland Division team had an amazing time volunteering at the Sleep in Heavenly Peace community event in Bend, OR! We helped make beds for children in need and even made 65 foot-long sandwiches to feed over 100 volunteers for lunch. It was a great day of giving back to our community!

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

STEYR, a brand of CNH, has scooped a top design award for its STEYR Plus, the newest tractor range in the brand’s line-up.

It won a second major prize for its styling, a globally-respected Red Dot Design Award.

A new 80-117hp range which made its debut at Agritechnica 2023 and introduced a completely new style to the STEYR tractor line, the STEYR Plus is a winner in the Red Dot Product Design category. Against submissions from companies and design studios across the world, the STEYR Plus was selected as a category winner for its innovative design by an international jury of design industry experts.

The Red Dot Winner Label is to be presented to the STEYR design team at the Red Dot Award Ceremony on 24 June, at the Red Dot Museum in Essen, Germany. The award also includes an exclusive presentation on the Red Dot website www.red-dot.org and in the Red Dot Design Yearbook, a four-volume publication providing a full overview of trends in the design industry. The Plus tractor design will also be showcased at forthcoming Red Dot Design exhibitions at Essen and elsewhere.

With five new four-cylinder tractors, STEYR Plus combines innovative styling and technology with a long-respected name recognised by STEYR enthusiasts everywhere. The 80-120hp category is the largest sales sector in Europe, and the Plus series has been styled to ensure it stands out in a crowded market. The styling is also designed to underpin the product quality customers expect of STEYR and brings practical benefits – integrated road/work lights reduce operator fatigue and help work more safely. Styling of the Plus also matches the technology within the tractors, bringing to this power level a full array of precision farming technology including S-Guide steering automation and S-Fleet telematics, easing customer workloads via automation.

“It’s really pleasing to see the importance of tractor design recognised in this way,” says David Wilkie, CNH Industrial chief designer.

“STEYR is synonymous with high-quality, high-technology tractors, and this award acknowledges the importance of styling to complement those attributes.”

LAUSANNE, Switzerland, May 21, 2024 /3BL/ – Ahead of the United Nation’s International Day of Biodiversity on 22nd May, Tetra Pak has announced the launch of its ‘Approach to Nature’ – a comprehensive framework that defines the company’s contribution to halting and reversing nature loss and enhancing water security. The approach aligns with global targets, including those outlined in the Biodiversity Plan that calls for action to halt biodiversity loss and put nature on a path to recovery for the benefit of all life on earth.1

A report from the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) shows that nature is deteriorating at rates unprecedented in human history, largely due to human activity.2 Global food systems are identified as the main drivers of nature loss,3 with wide-reaching impacts that threaten global economies, livelihoods and food security.4

Recognising this complex interdependency and building on a thorough evaluation of nature-related impacts and dependencies, Tetra Pak’s ambitious new ‘Approach to Nature’ aims to manage the impacts of the company’s value chain on nature and to support the restoration of ecosystems.5 Additionally, it seeks to contribute to global water resilience by reducing negative impacts on local water resources and addressing shared water challenges in basins at risk.6 All of this across the geographies, the business, its suppliers, and its customers are operating in, building a strong foundation upon which Tetra Pak can further accelerate its actions for nature.

Amongst the 25 targets set by Tetra Pak:

By 2025, 100% of Tetra Pak’s raw materials with the most significant land footprint7 will originate from certified or controlled sources.By 2025, 100% of Tetra Pak high water-impact suppliers8 will report on water use and quality.Eradicate waste-to-landfill from Tetra Pak production sites by 2030.Achieve a 50% reduction of water use in best practice processing lines by 2030 compared to 2019.

Gilles Tisserand, Vice President Climate & Biodiversity, Tetra Pak, comments: “With over half of the world’s GDP heavily reliant on nature,9 the stakes could not be higher. Our ‘Approach to Nature’ not only reflects our commitment to environmental stewardship but also builds on our longstanding action in this domain, cemented by our inclusion in the 2023 CDP Forests A List for the eighth consecutive year and the achievement of an A- in Water Security for our first year of reporting. As other companies join us on this journey, together we can help protect and restore nature for the generations to come.”

In 2022, Tetra Pak was also a signatory of the Business for Nature coalition’s COP15 business statement, urging governments to adopt the Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework’s Target 15. Target 15 required large private companies and financial institutions to assess and disclose their risks, dependencies, and impacts on biodiversity, provide information to consumers to promote sustainable consumption and report on compliance.10

Eva Zabey, CEO, Business for Nature, comments: “Tetra Pak’s ‘Approach to Nature’ marks an important milestone, emphasising how the corporate world must step up to support the ambitious targets of the Biodiversity Plan (formerly known as the Global Biodiversity Framework). We encourage all companies to set a nature strategy – a clear plan for how they will contribute towards a nature-positive future by 2030. However, businesses can’t achieve this alone; governments must create the right incentives to speed up corporate action to address nature loss.”

Media contacts 
Lucia Freschi 
Tetra Pak 
Tel: +39 347 2632237 
Lucia.freschi@tetrapak.com

1The Biodiversity Plan, formerly known as the Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, was adopted in December 2022. It outlines global ambitions and specific actions needed to stop and reverse biodiversity loss by 2050. It includes goals such as restoring 30% of ecosystems, reducing food waste by half and investing at least $200 billion annually in strategies that benefit biodiversity. For more information: https://www.cbd.int/gbf 
2IPBES. (2019). Global Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity. p. 1109 In E. S. Brondízio, J. Settele, S. Díaz, & H. T. Ngo (Eds.), IPBES secretariat. IPBES secretariat, Bonn, Germany. Source: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3831673 
3Benton, T.G., et al. (2021). Food system impacts on biodiversity loss: Three levers for food system transformation in support of nature. Chatham House. Source: https://www.chathamhouse.org/sites/default/files/2021-02/2021-02-03-food-system-biodiversity-loss-benton-et-al_0.pdf 
4Herweijer, C., et al. “Nature risk rising: Why the crisis engulfing nature matters for business and the economy.” World Economic Forum and PwC. https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_New_Nature_ Economy_Report_2020.pdf 
5One example Is The Araucaria Conservation Programme In Brazil 
6Basins at risk are identified following the SBTN methodology, based on eight different indicators across water quantity, quality and wash. For each indicator, a score between 1 and 5 is attributed. Within these three categories, one indicator with a score of 3 or above indicates that the basin is at risk 
7Tetra Pak raw materials with most significant land-use footprint are defined as paperboard, sugarcane-based polymer and aluminium. These commodities are also included in SBTN Conversion-driving commodities list 
8High water-impact suppliers are defined as having high business relevance, water impact and exposure to water risks. 
9WEF, 2020 
10COP15: Nations Adopt Four Goals, 23 Targets for 2030 In Landmark UN Biodiversity Agreement | Convention on Biological Diversity (cbd.int)

Quest Diagnostics East Region President Ruth Clements explained how routine diagnostic testing is crucial to closing gaps in healthcare as part of health panel at the National Action Network (NAN) Convention in April.

Hosted by Choose Healthy Life (CHL), Ruth joined “The State of Black Health: Building a New Normal,” to discuss the gap in care for the black community. The panel was moderated by Choose Healthy Life founder Debra Frazer-Howze and included NYC Commissioner of Health Dr. Ashwin Vasan, Rev. Dr. Que English, Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford (Harvard Medical School), and others.

In her previous role as Vice President/General Manager of Infectious Diseases & Immunology (IDI) at Quest, Ruth was instrumental in the COVID-19 response planning for Quest Diagnostics. She explained that the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 in black communities in 2020 finally shined a light on existing inequities in health outcomes.

“For me, being in charge of the COVID response for Quest, which was a hectic time, I could not ignore the facts,” said Ruth. “The facts that people who looked like me were dying unnecessarily because they didn’t have access to testing, they didn’t have the right information, and they didn’t have doctors that looked like them that they could trust. Misinformation in the community around COVID that killed people was just heartbreaking to me.”

Quest launched Quest for Health Equity (Q4HE) in 2020 during the heart of the pandemic response. Quest made a commitment to do its part to address the systemic inequity fueling the health equity gap and work towards meaningful progress by working with dedicated partners like Choose Healthy Life.

The Q4HE team continues to work toward removing the barriers deepening health inequities in under-resourced communities and improve equity in testing and screening, which includes Blueprint for Wellness®.

Blueprint for Wellness is Quest’s comprehensive biometric screening that measures more than 25 key indicators of health, including blood glucose, cholesterol and hemoglobin A1C.

“We are connecting people to care,” said Ruth. “For us, it is about people knowing their health risks as well as their health strengths and taking action and following that up with care.”

In 2023, Q4HE provided 6,113 no-cost Blueprint for Wellness tests in marginalized communities.

“It is a privilege as Quest to be a part of this initiative,” said Ruth. “Healthcare is a team sport— we have to do this together.”

The El Pasoans Fighting Hunger Food Bank is collaborating with Marathon Petroleum Corporation’s El Paso, Texas, refinery to meet growing demand for food assistance.Since 2021, the number of families accessing monthly food distributions at the refinery has increased eightfold.Along with continuing distribution efforts in 2024, the refinery has renewed financial support for the food bank with a $75,000 grant and will assist with its annual fundraising gala.

Gasoline and other essential energy products are routinely delivered from Marathon Petroleum Corporation’s (MPC) El Paso, Texas, refinery to meet critical needs. On the last Friday of every month, the site makes an additional crucial delivery. Employee volunteers conduct drive-through food distributions in a refinery parking lot for people in need, dispensing the food from an 18-wheeler’s refrigerated trailer.

“We are in our fourth year of monthly distributions with the El Pasoans Fighting Hunger Food Bank and the only local company that conducts distributions from our own facility,” said MPC Principal Corporate Social Responsibility & Community Relations Representative V.J. Smith.

Since these events began in 2021, demand for assistance has grown eightfold from an average of 50 families a month to roughly 400. This volume requires the food bank to rely on the 18-wheeler, which the refinery purchased for the organization a few years ago to transport food in the local area. Help from refinery employees with the monthly distributions has remained steady. About 20 employee volunteers each month unload, sort and carry food to the lines of vehicles that form.  

“Most of our workforce is from El Paso and raising families here, so they care deeply about the city,” Smith said. “Their passion drives our community investment.”

On top of continuing food distributions in 2024, the refinery is providing the food bank with a $75,000 grant, marking the sixth consecutive year it has provided direct financial support. Later this year, MPC plans to help the food bank with its annual fundraising gala after serving as the title sponsor of the 2023 Noche de Estrellas event, which raised $183,370. This event was a reverse gala, meaning community VIPs and gala sponsors worked as servers and treated food bank clients to gourmet dining.

“Marathon Petroleum Corporation has consistently demonstrated unparalleled commitment to our mission,” said El Pasoans Fighting Hunger Food Bank CEO Susan Goodell. “Their renewed support this year, both through generous grants and active participation in our gala, shows their dedication to our community. We’re immensely grateful for Marathon’s partnership, which truly makes them an amazing ally in our fight against hunger.”