Tag: 3BL

Originally published on NRG Energy Insights

By NRG Editorial Voices

The path toward a brighter, more sustainable future is paved with efforts to make a positive impact and the winners of our NRG Impact Awards are no strangers to walking it. These awards recognize our exceptional colleagues who dedicate their time and passion to making a difference in the places where they live and work. They exemplify our belief that every action, no matter how small, can contribute to a larger, positive change.

At NRG, our responsibility extends beyond the office. We’re committed to having a positive impact on people, communities, and the environment. There are three categories of ways we recognize this impact — Volunteer of the Year, Community Champion, and Purpose on Point — showcasing the people putting our new purpose into action and inspiring others to get involved.

This installment of our Impact Awards series shines a spotlight on the winners in the Volunteer of the Year and Community Champion categories, two awards focused on exceptional volunteerism. Check out our video to get to know these incredible individuals.

Volunteer of the Year

Winners in this category are our most dedicated volunteers. These volunteers logged an exceptional number of volunteer hours, a testament to the time and hard work they’ve dedicated to causes near and dear to them.

For 2023, the recipients of Volunteer of the Year are:

John Mehling – Senior Manager, Regional OperationsJoseph Gibbons – Manager, Summer SalesKonrad Chen – Senior Manager, Product TestingMelissa Forde – Continuous Improvement AnalystNola Williams – Staff Accountant L

Community Champion

Winners in this category embody NRG’s values in the community, uplifting our nonprofit partners and motivating their teammates to follow suit. They’re cultivating a culture of understanding, respect, and teamwork inside and outside our organization.

For 2023, the recipients of Community Champion are:

Cecil Cofie – Engineer, Cedar Bayou Energy StationMilly Astwood – Project Manager, Cyber SecurityNikki Marbley – Senior Quality AnalystPatricia Hartley – Customer Service RepresentativePenny Barlow – Business Analyst II

Be on the lookout for the next blog in our series highlighting the Purpose on Point winners.

Originally published on Essity Newsroom

Hygiene and health company Essity is investing in a new global center for research and development, in Alsace, France, dedicated to tissue hygiene products. The state-of-the-art facility will focus on tissue to meet the evolving demands of branded tissue in both Consumer and Professional Hygiene markets. 

Essity is continuously developing new methods to provide the market with sustainable and user-friendly products. The company’s current R&D center in Kunheim, France, has filed 25 patents in recent years for ground-breaking innovations such as Lotus Aqua Tube (flushable toilet roll core), Lotus and Okay Sans Tube (coreless toilet paper), Tork SmartOne (dispenses one sheet at a time) and paper hygiene products based on alternative fibers.

“Essity’s research and development is re-shaping paper making to contribute to a more sustainable and circular society, while improving people’s hygiene and health. The new global R&D center in France, will enable us to continue to develop innovative new paper hygiene products and solutions that meet the needs and high expectations of customers and consumers,” says Magnus Groth, President and CEO of Essity.

The new R&D center, strategically located near the current facility, ensures the retention of Essity’s more than 80 experts and engineers working there today. Essity aims to create a larger, more efficient center equipped to address future challenges.

In addition to France, Essity has R&D centers in Mexico, Sweden, Germany and in the USA, led by the company’s global unit focusing on brands, innovation and sustainability. In 2023, Essity invested SEK 1.7bn (approximately 1.2% of net sales) in research and development.

Essity is the world’s largest supplier of hygiene solutions in Professional Hygiene with the globally leading Tork brand. Essity is also the world’s third largest supplier of consumer tissue, with a presence primarily in Europe and Latin America. Essity’s brands such as Lotus, Tempo, Zewa, Cushelle, Plenty and retailer brands lead the European market, while Regio and Familia are key players in Latin America.

For additional information please contact:

Karl Stoltz, Media Relations Director, +46 709 426 338, karl.stoltz@essity.com

About Essity 

Essity is a global, leading hygiene and health company. Every day, our products, solutions and services are used by a billion people around the world. Our purpose is to break barriers to well-being for the benefit of consumers, patients, caregivers, customers and society. Sales are conducted in approximately 150 countries under the leading global brands TENA and Tork, and other strong brands such as Actimove, Cutimed, JOBST, Knix, Leukoplast, Libero, Libresse, Lotus, Modibodi, Nosotras, Saba, Tempo, TOM Organic and Zewa. In 2023, Essity had net sales of approximately SEK 147bn (EUR 13bn) and employed 36,000 people. The company’s headquarters is located in Stockholm, Sweden and Essity is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm. More information at essity.com.

Taco Bell blog

IRVINE, Calif., May 15, 2024 /3BL/ – The Taco Bell Foundation announced it is awarding $10 million in Live Más Scholarships, providing over 1,000 passion-driven students with resources to fuel their educational dreams. Of the $10 million, $7 million will go to Taco Bell fans nationwide and $3 million will go to Taco Bell restaurant team members. Scholarship award amounts range from $5,000 to $25,000 per recipient.

For the first time in the scholarship’s history, Taco Bell will be celebrating this year’s new $25,000 winners by providing a Taco Bell gift card to fuel up on tacos during the upcoming school year. And that’s not the only thing unique about this scholarship. Forgoing grades, essays, and test scores, this one-of-a-kind passion-based scholarship allows students aged 16-26 to highlight their passion and educational aspirations through a two-minute video. This year’s class is comprised of students with a wide variety of passions and nontraditional paths, with numerous scholars attending community college, vocational or trade schools.

“The Live Más Scholarship cultivates a passionate community of diverse individuals united by their shared commitment to breaking down barriers for the causes they believe in,” said Jennifer Bradbury, Executive Director of the Taco Bell Foundation. “The unwavering passion exhibited by these students never ceases to amaze us. We provide them with pathways to access new opportunities and resources, empowering them to create the change they envision.”

This program shows that a little kindness goes a long way. Scholarships awarded to fans are funded 100% by customers through the Taco Bell Foundation’s Round Up fundraiser, in which the average donation is 44 cents. Team member scholarships are funded by donations from Taco Bell Corp. and Taco Bell Franchisees.

Gracie S.: Inspired by athletics since a young age, Gracie quickly grew tired of hearing “you’re just a girl,” in response to her big ambitions in the sports world. She developed a nonprofit organization called “Girls on the Mound” designed to aid young women through the male-dominated sports business industry. Gracie is a Taco Bell team member and received a once in a lifetime surprise from her sports idol Davante Adams when the wide receiver surprised her with the scholarship at his Las Vegas football camp in April. Gracie aspires to further her education in business management and marketing, while also breaking barriers for women passionate about sports.Ethan C.: Ethan is a passionate storyteller who is currently studying Film Production at Chapman University. Growing up in a multicultural household, he developed a keen eye for untold stories in everyday life. From personal family documentaries to a film shedding light on racial injustice, his broad scope of work aims to share narratives other than just his own. He hopes his continued education in filmmaking will allow him to communicate authentic messaging and share transformative stories to bring hope to and unite people.

This year also marks the launch of the Live Más Scholarship Alumni Leadership Council, a group of twelve alumni leaders who will undertake a year-long commitment to drive engagement, amplify stories, elevate narratives and foster relationships throughout the Taco Bell Foundation board. Scholars will also have the opportunity to travel to San Diego to attend the Live Más Scholarship Summer of Connection this July, a one-of-a-kind conference designed to cultivate career skills and connections.

About Taco Bell Foundation
Taco Bell Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity that helps break down barriers to educate and inspire the next generation of America’s young leaders. Since 1992, the Taco Bell Foundation has reached more than 5 million young people across the country and has awarded more than $155 million in grants and scholarships, focused on education and career readiness. For more information about the Taco Bell Foundation, visit www.tacobellfoundation.org.

Originally published on U.S. Bank company blog

With more than 25 years of financial industry experience and acumen Delphine Pruitt knows, and is known by, just about everyone serving Black-owned businesses in Southern California. But, more importantly, she is trusted and respected by them too.

With a generous heart for helping others and an easy-going grace that helps her to move from community events to corporate boardroom without missing a beat, her efforts have garnered prominent recognition, including the recent honor of a Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award from the Biden administration. The recognition is bestowed upon individuals who exemplify unwavering integrity, outstanding accomplishments, and exceptional contributions to serving the public good. She also received an honorary doctorate degree from Leaders Esteem Christian Bible University for her outstanding commitment to humanitarian causes throughout her career.

“The Lifetime Presidential Achievement Award is an incredible honor,” said Pruitt. “But what I know for sure is that being able to help small business owners achieve their dreams is the gift of a lifetime.”

In 2023, Pruitt joined U.S. Bank Chief Diversity Officer Greg Cummingham to accept a recognition from the Greater Los Angeles African American Chambers of Commerce, which honored U.S. Bank as the Banking and Financial Corporation of the Year, a relationship that Pruitt helped to nurture and strengthen.

“Delphine is helping people to pursue their dreams. She’s opened doors for U.S. Bank to provide support in our communities of color and has transformed the lives of countless individuals while propelling economic growth and amplifying voices in marginalized communities across the country,” said Cesar Hernandez, Business Access Advisor Leader in California, Arizona, Nevada, and Washington.

This small business month, U.S. Bank is celebrating the entrepreneurs who power small businesses across the country, and Pruitt and her peers the Business Access Advisors serve as important ambassadors of U.S. Bank Access Commitment®, the bank’s long-term approach to help close the wealth gap for underserved communities, including communities of color, which launched in 2021, and expanded to include bilingual Business Access Advisors in 2024.

A typical week in the life of Pruitt provides a glimpse of the depth of her connections with clients across the community. First, she headed to downtown Los Angeles to visit U.S. Bank client O2EPCM, Inc. dba O2 Engineering, Projects & Construction Management, an award-winning company founded in 2016 by Omoné O. Livingston. While already a U.S. Bank client, Livingston didn’t actually meet Pruitt until years later at a community event and they immediately hit it off.

“I met Delphine at a networking tea, and realized we have a lot in common. We both have a strong spiritual faith and prioritize giving back to the community,” said Livingston, who participates as a volunteer in many philanthropic initiatives, most notably acting as a mentor in several scholarship and internship programs benefiting women in STEM and youth from underserved communities. “The O2 in our business name are my initials, double ‘O,’ and O2 also represents Oxygen, a breath of fresh air our team brings to projects we are involved in, and Delphine does that too!”

Later, Pruitt heads to Leimert Park for a visit with longtime U.S. Bank client Anthony “Tony” Jolly, owner of several businesses with a vision for fostering and elevating the community in the Crenshaw District of Los Angeles.

Pruitt recalls, “I met Tony at an event where he was speaking. Folks around town had told me all about the work he was doing to support the community, so I introduced myself and let him know I had been looking for him and that I was here to help him.”

Jolly reflects on that meeting and their subsequent working relationship by saying, “It was nice to be looked for, especially by a talented banker and ally like Delphine. She always answers my phone calls – on the first ring – I don’t know how she does that.”

Jolly is an active member of the nonprofit Black Owned and Operated Community Land Trust, which is working to welcome new jobs, economic opportunities, healthy foods, entertainment, creativity, and culture into the Crenshaw District of Los Angeles, known as Black LA, a moniker showcasing the neighborhood’s nearly 80% Black population.

Jolly’s many businesses include the plant-based eatery ORA, which he created to provide healthy options and a community-driven cafe culture. Jolly is also creating new jobs through a workforce development program established by his coffee brand Crenshaw Coffee Co. His company’s coffee is sold online, at ORA, and at events through the Crenshaw Coffee Co. cart, which was recently a star contributor to the U.S. Bank Slauson and Crenshaw Branch block party celebrating the bank’s first Black Heritage Community Branch.

“I’m also helping to plan the upcoming Leimert Park Juneteenth celebration which will feature the best coffee, creativity, and culture that the Crenshaw District has to offer,” says Jolly. “Delphine plans on attending, and I will have a cup of decaf ready for her.”

We put off routine screenings and sometimes even avoid them. But you never know when one might save your life.

That was the experience of Natalie Hovany, our vice president of HR business partnership, who went in for her regular mammogram despite having no symptoms, only to have the test uncover triple-negative breast cancer. Despite the difficult diagnosis, it allowed her doctors to treat the cancer at an early stage, increasing the likelihood of success.

As part of our ongoing commitment to our teammates’ health and well-being, we put in place an educational campaign to increase use of preventive care screenings and track our progress against that goal. Over the last year, we’ve seen a significant increase in the number of teammates and their family members prioritizing preventive care by getting annual well visits, building a relationship with their primary care physician and scheduling routine screenings — all of which we expect to contribute to improved health outcomes.

Looking for inspiration to make an appointment today? Natalie is sharing her story in hopes that it can encourage others to prioritize preventive screenings.

The Clorox Company is dedicated to creating a culture that values and prioritizes the health and well-being of our teammates. Our benefits, programs, and resources are designed to support physical, mental and financial well-being. Learn more about life at Clorox here.

Orange County Rescue Mission’s Double R Ranch in San Diego needed a little bit of rescuing itself… enter the Beast Mode Team!

The 142-acre property is a working horse ranch that provides a safe place for people to heal, learn and start a new life, through equestrian therapy, allowing them to experience the healing effects of hard work in the outdoors with animals. It welcomes men, women and children, focusing on veterans and their families.

During the spring, some 35 members of our Beasts, hungry to do some good, descended on the ranch for four straight hours of hard cleaning, painting, renovating, demolishing and rebuilding!

And the result? In the words of OCRM’s Michaela Dolium in her thank you note:

“I just have to share how incredible it has been to work Eddie Vargas, his Taskforce team, and the entire Beast Mode team. They put in WORK at our Double R Ranch property volunteering yesterday. I cannot express how much of a joy it has been to work with them. The work they did demoing and cleaning our future Men’s, Women’s, and Children’s buildings will be a part of countless stories of hope and restoration for those experiencing homelessness in our community. Thank you to everyone at Monster Energy Cares!”

Visit Orange County Rescue Mission’s Double R Ranch site to learn more

Baker Tilly’s podcast series specifically for professionals in the multifamily housing industry.

For this episode of BuzzHouse, hosts Don Bernards and Garrick Gibson fly solo to provide some timely news updates about what’s going on around the multifamily housing industry. Together, they cover current issues including an update on historics, the NLIHC’s “The Gap” report, the retirement of HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge, a public housing update and more! Press play and discover this informative and enlightening episode!

Multifamily housing resources

For articles, webinars and additional resources for developers, housing authorities, property managers, state housing credit agencies and lenders, visit Baker Tilly’s multifamily housing page.

For more information on this topic, or to learn how Baker Tilly specialists can help, contact our team.

When called upon to take action in support of our planet this Earth Day, AMDers across the world rose to the occasion. Led by AMD Community Affairs Volunteer Liaisons and Go Green Employee Resource Groups (ERG), AMD teams across 27 global sites planned events throughout April and May to conserve the environment and spread awareness on issues impacting environmental sustainability.

While events will continue throughout the end of the month, so far more than 1,450 AMDers have volunteered their time through company-sponsored activities.

In North America, AMDers signed up to receive a plant or tree sapling from nonprofit partner Neighborhood Forest. As a result, AMD donated an additional 1,250 plants and tree saplings to give to children free of charge through Neighborhood Forest’s annual Earth Day educational programming. In India, our Bangalore and Hyderabad sites collected used items for MI Secunderabad, an NGO that runs a recycling unit and employs women from urban slums. Staff donated over 1,700 lbs. of clothes, books, and toys.

Throughout Europe, teams in Cambridge, Dublin, Edinburgh, and Iasi, hosted volunteer days to care for community spaces by removing invasive species, weeding, improving trails and paths, and planting trees.

The Penang team aims to reduce the use of single plastics by hosting an educational event later this month and will distribute and decorate reusable tote bags.

In Hong Kong, Shenzhen, and Singapore, sites offered events that turned dead lightbulbs into moss plants, created miniature fern landscapes while learning about issues affecting tropical rainforests, and offered a tour of the Waste to Energy Incineration plant to learn how to reduce solid waste.

“Earth Day isn’t just a day; it’s a commitment to our planet’s future,” said Alexandra Bertaccini, AMD Go Green ERG Chair. “We come together as a force for environmental stewardship, embodying our belief that every action, no matter how small, contributes to a greener, brighter tomorrow.”

With more than 35 Earth Day activities held globally, there are too many to list, but the impact has been tremendous and the enthusiasm to care for our planet continues.

For more information on community involvement at AMD, please visit: https://www.amd.com/en/corporate/corporate-responsibility/community.html

A $1 million investment by the KeyBank Foundation will help Say Yes Cleveland further its mission of providing tuition scholarships to all eligible students for the next quarter-century. This grant is part of KeyBank’s commitment to invest $40 billion in the communities it serves and also part of Key’s $11 million aggregate commitment to support Say Yes.

Say Yes Cleveland launched in January 2019. Its mission is to partner with the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) to improve Cleveland’s economy, neighborhoods, and workforce over the coming generations by addressing postsecondary affordability. Say Yes Cleveland makes a tuition scholarship available to every eligible CMSD or partnering charter high school graduate to attend a public four-year or two-year institution or accredited training program.

“We are big believers in the transformative and life-changing opportunities Say Yes provides to every CMSD or partnering charter high school graduate in Cleveland,” said KeyBank Cleveland Market President Kelly Lamirand. “As Cleveland’s hometown bank, we are thrilled that this investment will empower and support students here for many, many years by eliminating the burden of paying for college or trade school tuition, helping students and families build generational wealth.”

“We’re so grateful to the KeyBank Foundation for their generous, continued support,” said Say Yes Cleveland Executive Director Diane Downing. “The KeyBank Foundation made one of the very first major donations to the Say Yes Cleveland Scholarship Fund before we launched in 2019. Their early leadership and commitment inspired other substantial contributions and helped us provide a guarantee to students and families that our scholarships will still be available many years from now.”

The Say Yes Cleveland scholarship fund is dedicated to removing financial obstacles to college education for eligible students in the CMSD and partner charter high schools residing in Cleveland and attending a CMSD or partner charter high school from 9th grade to graduation. It provides tuition scholarships, covering tuition and fees at participating colleges and universities, ensuring access for CMSD students. The program pledges to support students until at least 2044, relying on contributions from local foundations, businesses, and individuals. It addresses educational disparities, granting equal opportunities to students of all economic backgrounds, instilling hope in parents, and empowering the Cleveland community to strengthen its educational foundation.

The Say Yes Cleveland scholarship fund strategically invests in students and the community’s future. These scholarships foster equal opportunities, enabling students to excel and enrich our community.

Enhanced College Accessibility: The fund ensures that every CMSD student can afford higher education, regardless of their family’s finances.Increased College Enrollment: Significantly boosts CMSD students’ college enrollment, broadening their future prospects.Closing Socioeconomic Disparities: The fund narrows the achievement gap among students from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, fostering a fairer educational environment.Fostering a Highly Skilled Workforce: By facilitating higher education access, it contributes to a skilled and educated workforce in Cleveland, enhancing the city’s economic potential.Economic Attraction and Retention: The scholarship fund’s presence attracts and retains businesses in Cleveland, demonstrating the city’s commitment to cultivating a well-educated, skilled workforce, benefiting both students and the community.

Since 2019, more than 3,000 Cleveland Metropolitan School District graduates have enrolled in college or career training through a Say Yes Cleveland, and as of December 2023, 298 Say Yes Cleveland scholars have earned their postsecondary degree. Nearly $9 million has been paid out in tuition by the Say Yes Cleveland scholarship fund, which has raised more than $100 million for has been raised locally from the private sector for 25-years of college and career training scholarships for every eligible graduate.

Since 2017, KeyBank has followed through on community commitments totaling nearly $2 billion in Northeast Ohio supporting affordable housing and community development projects; small business and home lending to low-to-moderate income individuals and communities; and transformative philanthropy.

Recently, Entergy was the presenting sponsor for the Bayou Regional FIRST Robotics Competition held at the Pontchartrain Center in Kenner, Louisiana. This week-long event is not just a competition, it serves as an annual celebration of science, technology, engineering, and math, or STEM, that plays a crucial role in shaping the future of our youth.

The competition brought together hundreds of high school students from across the region, country and even globally. Under strict rules, limited time and resources, students were challenged to design a team “brand,” enhance their teamwork skills, and construct and program industrial-scale robots to engage in a challenging field game alongside like-minded peers. According to FIRST Robotics, “It’s as close to real-world engineering as a student can get.”

Before the competition kicked off, Cory Ramsel, Entergy’s vice president of marketing sales and customer insights, welcomed the crowd and announced a $50,000 contribution from Entergy to support the Bayou Regional’s mission of empowering students in the field of STEM.

“For well over a decade, Entergy has been a proud sponsor of the Bayou Regional FIRST Robotics Competition,” said Ramsel. “Over the years, we have contributed over $4 million towards supporting robotics and engineering programs in our operational areas. This vital funding has fueled robotics teams and competitions, nurturing innovation and excellence in our region.”

With the support of Entergy’s contributions, teams from Louisiana and Mississippi advanced to the 2024 world champion competition in Houston.

Entergy’s dedication to this competition stems from its belief in empowering and inspiring students to explore careers in STEM fields. By providing financial support and mentorship, Entergy plays a pivotal role in shaping the future workforce of IT specialists, engineers, engineering assistants and various technicians.

This commitment reflects Entergy’s ongoing mission to cultivate a talent pool that will drive innovation and success in the realm of STEM now and in the years to come, learn more here.