Tag: 3BL

WALTHAM, Mass. /3BL/ – National Grid is pleased to announce that Alisha Collins has joined the company as its first Director of Community Impact & Engagement in New England. Collins will lead and expand National Grid’s newly relaunched ‘Grid for Good’ program, a companywide corporate responsibility and social impact initiative supporting communities throughout Massachusetts.

“Alisha Collins has a demonstrated track record of creating meaningful and impactful corporate initiatives that promote positive change in the community,” said Melissa Lavinson, Head of Corporate Affairs for National Grid New England. “We are excited to welcome Alisha to National Grid and look forward to growing the Grid for Good program under her leadership.”

Through Grid for Good, Collins will manage strategy and execution of charitable giving and volunteerism efforts across departments that align with three responsibility and impact pillars — (1) workforce development and STEM education, (2) economic opportunity and social justice, and (3) environmental stewardship and sustainability — and have a focus on historically underrepresented and overburdened communities.

Collins brings with her extensive experience in corporate giving and development, having previously served as Vice President, Corporate Giving & Development at The Possible Zone. In this role, she successfully launched a corporate giving strategy, implemented a capital campaign, and collaborated with partners to secure funding for the program.

Before her time at The Possible Zone, Collins held the position of Director, Corporate & Community Engagement at The Greater Boston Food Bank. There, she demonstrated her leadership by building and leading a team responsible for corporate outreach, events, and community engagement. She also excelled in securing multi-year large donor investments, maximizing the organization’s resources. Collins has a strong background in community relations, having served as Manager, Community Relations at both Reebok International and Blue Cross Blue Shield of MA. Her expertise in engaging with various stakeholders has been instrumental in driving successful community-focused initiatives.

Collins holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from Stonehill College and a master’s of science in marketing from Lasell University. She is actively involved in various advisory boards and committees, including the Women’s Network Advisory Board at the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, the President’s Advisory Council at Stonehill College, and the Board of Advisors with the West End House Boys & Girls Club. These positions reflect her commitment to making a positive impact in the community and supporting organizations that align with her values.

About National Grid

National Grid (NYSE: NGG) is an electricity, natural gas, and clean energy delivery company serving more than 20 million people through our networks in New York and Massachusetts. National Grid is focused on building a smarter, stronger, cleaner energy future — transforming our networks with more reliable and resilient energy solutions to meet state climate goals and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

For more information, please visit our website, follow us on X (formerly Twitter), watch us on YouTube, like us on Facebook and find us on Instagram.

Media Contacts

Michael Dalo

Massachusetts

(781) 907-3980

Email

The SAC has redesigned its website to significantly enhance the user experience of visitors, better reflect the revised strategic plan, and amplify member success stories. Through a series of user-testing sessions, the organization sourced input from a diverse array of SAC members, including manufacturers, brands and retailers, service providers, and key affiliates. The collected feedback was carefully processed and incorporated into the designs, creating a modern and user-friendly experience while enhancing ease of information access.

The SAC also considered other important factors within the design, such as:

Carbon-efficiencySearch engine optimizationAccessibility standardsAI integrations for improved user experience

From a user experience standpoint, events, trainings, webinars, and educational resources are made even more accessible so users can feel confident in having everything they need —all in one place — for executing their sustainability strategies. Key user enhancements also include simplified site navigation menus, enhanced imagery, resourceful backlinks, and more.

At a broader view, the website’s redesign reflects the SAC’s continued ambitions to evolve, as designated in its “Evolution for Impact” revised strategy. This guiding strategy includes three pillars: combat climate change, promote decent work for all, and work towards a nature-positive future.

For more information regarding the updates, please contact the SAC.

International Olympic Committee news

The IOC Refugee Olympic Team will be hosted in the historic town of Bayeux in Normandy, France, for its pre-Games Training Camp ahead of the Olympic Games Paris 2024. The training camp will take place from 15 to 18 July before the team heads to the Olympic Village to compete at the Olympic Games Paris 2024.

For the IOC Refugee Olympic Team, which consists of athletes living and training across the world, the camp will act as a team-building opportunity and help establish a sense of unity amongst team-mates.

To mark the announcement, the town of Bayeux hosted a ceremony in the presence of Masomah Ali Zada, member of the Refugee Olympic Team Tokyo 2020 and member of the IOC Athletes’ Commission, as well as representatives from the Olympic Refuge Foundation. Participants were also invited to a screening of the documentary We Dare to Dream, which is directed by Oscar-nominated, refugee filmmaker Waad al-Kateab. We Dare to Dream follows the journey of five refugee athletes as they prepare for and compete in Tokyo 2020.

The event was hosted in the context of the Prix Bayeux, a renowned international award ceremony that recognises the courage and dedication of war correspondents. Due to the history of Normandy and as represented by events such as the Bayeux Calvados-Normandy War Correspondents Prize, the region is deeply attuned to the plight of refugees worldwide.

To date, 63 Refugee Athletes Scholarship-holders are being supported and training hard to be selected for the Olympic Games in Paris. Together, they represent 13 sports, 12 nations and live in 23 host countries.

Christy Duncan Anderson, Executive Director and President, Albertsons Companies Foundation, recently spoke with Catchafire about how we’re building powerful partnerships to eliminate hunger through our #NourishingNeighbors program.

Watch the full interview here. 

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

CINCINNATI, November 22, 2023 /3BL/ – The Cincinnati Bengals and Fifth Third Bank teamed up with Freestore Foodbank to hold a drive-through Holiday Meal Distribution on Tuesday, Nov. 21 at the Fifth Third Bank Madisonville Operational Center. During the 3-hour event, 2,000 holiday meal boxes were distributed, feeding as many as 8,000 people in the community.

The holiday boxes included chicken/turkey, canned vegetables, macaroni and cheese, gravy, stuffing, potatoes, fresh produce and other holiday fixings. Families felt the love as Bengals players placed the meal boxes in vehicles throughout the distribution.

“The rising cost of food continues to impact families across the tristate. This drive-through distribution in partnership with the Cincinnati Bengals and Fifth Third Bank is a way to make sure families can put food on the table during the holiday season,” said Trisha Rayner, Chief Development Officer & VP of External Affairs.

“We are grateful during this Thanksgiving season that we have opportunity once again to help feed our communities,” said Fifth Third Executive Vice President Kala Gibson, chief corporate responsibility officer. “Our employees never hesitate to volunteer to fight food insecurity—having provided over 11 million meals throughout our footprint already this year. We appreciate the partnership with the Bengals and Freestore Foodbank to support local families by providing them a nutritious and delicious holiday meal.”

“Giving back to the community that gives us so much support is a priority for the Cincinnati Bengals,” said Kristen Hawkins, Bengals Director of Community Engagement. “We are grateful to have a great community partner in Freestore Foodbank and support from Fifth Third Bank to ensure we can make a difference for so many families this year.”

Also, throughout the entire month of December, the Freestore Foodbank Liberty Street Market (Customer Connection Center 112 E. Liberty Street) and a new location, the Bea Taylor Market at 3401 Rosenthal Way, will be distributing holiday meal favorites. Each family can shop for items at the market once during the month. Below is a link for additional food distribution events.

https://freestorefoodbank.org/upcoming-food-distributions/ 
 

About Freestore Foodbank

Freestore Foodbank is one of the 200 food bank members of Feeding America, the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization. Freestore Foodbank’s mission is to improve lives by eliminating hunger in partnership with our community, and our vision is to create a hunger-free, healthy, and thriving community. Donate online at www.freestorefoodbank.org, by calling 513-482-FOOD (3663), or organizing a Virtual Food Drive with your company, family or friends. https://freestorefoodbank.org/host-a-virtual-food-drive

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.

Media Contacts: 
Freestore Foodbank: 
Nicki Roe 
nroe@freestorefoodbank.org 
859.468.6439

Cincinnati Bengals: 
Emily Parker 
emily.parker@bengals.nfl.net 
513.455.8989

Fifth Third Bank: 
Julianne Bell 
julianne.bell@53.com 
513.675.5979

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COMMUNITY AFFAIRS AT RAYONIER 

Rayonier’s success as an organization is inextricably linked to the health and well-being of our communities, which are home to our forestlands, the employees who are entrusted with their care, and our contractor workforce. Rayonier employees support our communities in a variety of ways. Collectively, they donate thousands of man-hours of service to non-profit organizations, including serving on boards and committees to provide thought leadership where it is needed most to strengthen the rural communities in which we operate. In addition, employee teams come together to participate in community service projects that address pressing needs, which are also supported financially through the Rayonier Community Fund, the company’s philanthropic arm. Our Vice President of Public Affairs & Communications provides leadership over our community relations activities.

Throughout our organization—in the United States and New Zealand—our volunteer efforts and philanthropic investments support initiatives across these common areas:

Conservation/Environment: Our employees participate in efforts to help preserve and protect the environment, including river and roadside clean-up projects. 

Education: We strive to support local education initiatives, as well as educate young people about the benefits associated with sustainable forestry. These efforts help future generations understand why trees are important to people and the planet while they also gain knowledge about forestry career paths.

Community/Civic Support: We believe that communities become stronger when residents and businesses come together to contribute their time and energy to support those in need. Our employees participate in programs that help address food insecurity, literacy, school supply needs, and other worthy causes that improve the lives of those in our communities.

Health/Hospitals: Rayonier and our employees contribute to various organizations that help promote wellness as well as those suffering from medical setbacks within our communities.

Rayonier Community Fund

Every year, our Community Affairs Manager works with local management teams in each geographic area to review grant applications and help determine where we can make the greatest impact in the community. In 2022, Rayonier awarded roughly $283,000 in grants to more than 100 recipient organizations. While the majority of our community fund dollars support organizations in Nassau County, Florida, and Western Washington, where we have a concentration of forestry and real estate assets and a long history, we also provided grants in Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas, and Oregon to nonprofit organizations in communities where we have offices.

Rayonier Volunteers

Food Assistance

Rayonier employees volunteer with Barnabas Center (Nassau County, FL) and Coastal Harvest (Grays Harbor, WA). These non-profit organizations help individuals and families facing hunger or food insecurity in their communities. Our volunteers sort and package food items to be distributed to over 175 families a month.

Angel Tree/Holiday Gifts to Underserved

In 2022, Rayonier employees provided gifts to over 200 children who reside in foster care and domestic shelters. Our largest contributions were working with Family Support Services of North Florida, Magnolia House Youth Center in Waycross, Georgia, and the Hoquiam Association for Kids in Grays Harbor, Washington.

Adopt a Highway & Keep Nassau Beautiful

Through partnerships with the Florida Department of Transportation and Keep Nassau Beautiful, our volunteers help state highways and beaches in Nassau County remain beautiful. Rayonier has adopted a two-mile stretch of US Highway 17 in Yulee, Florida, where our employees participate quarterly in litter removal along the roadway.

St. Marys River Cleanup

For decades, Rayonier has annually supported the St. Marys River Cleanup. In 2022, we had 39 volunteers participate, helping pull eight tons of trash and debris from the river and surrounding areas. The St. Marys River is 130 miles long, passing through four counties in two states where sustainable working forests are the dominant land use protecting water quality in the river. More than 60,000 residents depend on the health of the river for tourism, recreation, commercial fishing, and safe drinking water. Wildlife and plant ecosystems also rely on the continued cleanliness of the watershed.

To learn more, view the full Rayonier 2022 Sustainability Report.

Cummins

Global power technology leader Cummins Inc.’s proposal to jointly develop a methanol kit for its QSK60 engine has been selected as part of the Zero Emission Vessels and Infrastructure (ZEVI) competition funded by the U.K. government in partnership with Innovate UK.

Chosen as one of 10 top projects, the company will collaborate with a major U.K. port and its operators to develop, deploy and operate clean maritime technology solutions on the path to decarbonization and a lower overall greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint.

The £4.4M in total funding will be leveraged by Cummins and its fellow project stakeholders — Ocean Infinity, the Aberdeen Harbour Board, and Proman AG — to deploy a U.K.-designed and built methanol conversion kit for high-horsepower marine internal combustion engines, offering the U.K. an important foothold in enabling the transition to cleaner maritime fuels.

Upon completion in the second quarter of 2025, the project targets a reduction in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of 50% for offshore operations of a vessel, with oxides of nitrogen (NOx), sulfur oxide (SOx) and particulate matter (PM) at levels considerably below those emitted by conventional fuel. Furthermore, all retrofitted dual-fuel engines will achieve compliance with International Maritime Organization (IMO) Tier III emission standards.

“Cummins is honored to be selected by the U.K. government in support of this dual fuel project that aligns well with our bridge technologies strategy,” said Mark Bargent, Cummins’ Technology Architecture and Planning Director. “We remain committed to helping the maritime sector reach its goal of 50% reductions in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, as required by the IMO. To get there, ship builders need a roadmap for their decarbonization plans.”

“This project, with its focus on the conversion of existing engine installations, offers a seamless transition between today and the future builds of new, cleaner technology ships,” added Molly Puga, Cummins’ Executive Director – Strategy, Product Planning & Digital. “It dismisses the need for a major vessel overhaul and creates an immediate positive impact on carbon emissions reduction in all environmental and operating conditions, ultimately helping the maritime sector meet our global climate needs.”

As part of the consortium, Ocean Infinity will provide one of its Armada 78m lean-crewed hybrid offshore service vessels for Cummins to design, develop, and test the dual fuel HVO (hydrotreated vegetable oil) and methanol technology. Earlier this year, Cummins announced the approval of unblended paraffinic fuels — often referred to as renewable diesel including HVO — in all its high horsepower engines for all industrial applications.

The Port of Aberdeen — with its ambition to become Scotland’s premier net zero port — offers its world-class facilities and services for testing the vessels, while Proman AG lends its long-standing global expertise in methanol production and leading development of ultra-low carbon methanol production.

“Ocean Infinity exists to use innovative technology to transform operations at sea for the benefit of people and the planet,” said Ocean Infinity’s Chief Technology Officer Josh Broussard. “This project forms part of our wider future fuels strategy targeting a transition from traditional energy sources to low carbon alternatives to ultimately minimize the environmental impact of our ship operations.”

That’s a wrap on NGID 2023! While our day of service might be over, we are committed to operating responsibly and sustainably year-round.

NGID (Nielsen Global Impact Day) is our annual day of service, where employees step away from work and step into their local communities to volunteer and give back. Nielsen encourages all associates to participate in NGID and other volunteer events throughout the year using their 24 hours of annual volunteer time.

At Nielsen, our mission is to power a better media future for all people. That’s why we champion transparency, integrity, sustainability and equity and are committed to helping our clients and communities thrive through change.

Learn more about our progress and commitments in our latest ESG report.

Originally published in International Paper’s 2022 Sustainability Report

Community investment 
We mobilize our people, products and resources to address critical needs in the communities where our employees live and work.

Our Vision 2030 target challenges us to improve the lives of 100 million people by decade’s end through initiatives that address unmet basic needs. To deliver on that promise, we engage our employees and partners across four signature areas: education, hunger, health & wellness and disaster relief.

Through a combination of locally driven support, grant funding and national and global collaborations, we work together to address basic needs, provide access and fill gaps that enable people to build stronger, more resilient communities.

To track, measure and analyze our impact, we team with our nonprofit partners to employ standardized metrics and reporting that quantify the number of lives improved through our volunteers and contributions.

$20M 
In 2022, International Paper contributed nearly $20 million worldwide to support charitable organizations aligned with our signature causes, positively impacting more than 10 million people. 
 12,000 
In 2022, International Paper employees generously supported our communities through more than 12,000 volunteer hours across 23 U.S. states and nine countries. We’re proud of our volunteers’ contributions, including those of hourly employees.

Our signature causes: 
How we’re making a difference

Education: 
We focus on literacy from birth through third grade because reading skills form the foundation of all childhood learning. 
 Hunger: 
We partner with food banks and other agencies to address hunger and food security for children, families and seniors. 
 Health and Wellness: 
We engage our employees and work with agencies to promote healthy living habits and achieve measurable improvements in health and wellness. 
 Disaster Relief: 
We partner with agencies to help communities prepare for and recover from natural disasters, and we use our Employee Relief Fund to support our affected colleagues.

Spotlight: 
Fighting global hunger 
Through our long-standing partnership with Feeding America, in 2022 we contributed $630,000 to food banks and pantries in 200 U.S. communities. We donated 250,000 boxes to support Feeding America’s event held in conjunction with the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health. We also continued to support The Global FoodBanking Network through a 4-year, $1 million commitment that supports 175 food banks around the world.

Helping the helpers 

In Indiana, employees with our Indianapolis Urban Cluster volunteered with Gleaners Food Bank to assemble and fill 600 Family Meal Boxes which is equivalent to 12,500 meals. 
 In Virginia, our Wreaths Across America mission remembers fallen U.S. veterans by providing in-kind donations of customized shipping boxes, as well as funding and transportation for more than 2 million wreaths to Arlington National Cemetery. 
 In Chile, we provided Fundación Ave Fénix, a local organization in Graneros focused on access for people with disabilities, with a sensory playground, and partner with The Global FoodBanking Network to distribute 1,500 metric tons of produce to over 1,700 community organizations serving nearly 350,000 people. 
 In Canada, our Grand Prairie, Alberta mill helped Women in Scholarship, Engineering, Science and Technology (WISEST) place 47 11th grade young women and genderdiverse individuals in Science, Engineering and Technology labs at the University of Alberta and the Northern Alberta Institute for Technology (NAIT).

$3M 
In 2022, our employee giving and company matching gift programs generated nearly $3 million to help people in need throughout our communities.

A closer look: 
The Period Poverty Program 
Lack of access to adequate menstrual health management supplies and education affects 500 million women and girls globally. Our award-winning Fighting Period Poverty in Our Communities program provides period care kits containing supplies for women and girls who have no access to these products.

In 2022, in conjunction with International Women’s Day and Menstrual Hygiene Day, we joined forces with Procter & Gamble’s Always® brand to expand awareness and impact. We hosted 45 packing events to distribute 25,000 feminine care kits internationally, resulting in more than 600,000 units of product provided to women and girls who need them most. International Paper was awarded an inaugural Diversity, Equity and Inclusion award from the American Forest and Paper Association (AF&PA) for this initiative.

About International Paper

International Paper (NYSE: IP) is a global producer of planet-friendly packaging, pulp and other fiber-based products, and one of North America’s largest recyclers. Headquartered in Memphis, Tenn., we employ approximately 39,000 colleagues globally who are committed to creating what’s next. We serve customers worldwide, with manufacturing operations in North America, Latin America, North Africa and Europe. Net sales for 2022 were $21.2 billion. Additional information can be found by visiting InternationalPaper.com.

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Originally published in Dow’s 2022 Progress Report

OUR APPROACH 

The communities where we do business are also the places our people call home. We are a stronger, more competitive company when our communities are strong and resilient. Across the globe, we are leveraging our people and partnerships to advance community-driven solutions through five strategic priority areas:

Global Citizenship Priority Areas: How We Make an Impact 

Advancing Sustainable Solutions 

Collaborating to address circularity, climate protection and resiliency

Building Inclusive Communities 

Inspiring employee resource groups (ERGs) to tackle inclusion, diversity and equity (ID&E) needs and partnering to address systemic discrimination

Developing Tomorrow’s Innovators 

Equipping a future and diverse science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) pipeline for the jobs of tomorrow

Collaborating with Communities 

Taking action to help our communities in need

Engaging Employees for Impact 

Promoting a positive employee experience and creating meaningful impact through service and volunteerism

PROGRESS TOWARD COMMUNITY GOALS 

Together, Dow and the Dow Company Foundation strive to promote positive social change and address global challenges through strategic investments aligned with our global citizenship priorities, engaging our employees for impact, and partnering with global and local community organizations.

We measure our impact through reporting done by our grantees to True Impact, Dow’s third-party vendor, which calculates project outcomes using standardized models and indicators. True Impact uses a claim calculation to determine the portion of those impacts attributed to Dow.

2022 Nonprofit Organization Outcomes

75,892 people benefited from increased access to community resources

40,722 students achieved academic success

20,917 people improved their health and well-being

136,880 people gained access to safe, affirming and inclusive environments

2016-2021 Social Impacts1

Dow supported the academic achievement of 1,219,650 students Dow’s investments created, saved or strengthened 2,253 businesses

1 Measured impacts are based on 36% of Dow’s total philanthropic investments since 2016 and include the best available data. As measurement coverage increases, accuracy and comprehensiveness will increase.

2022 Social Impact Highlights

$37.3MM Corporate + Foundation + in-kind invested

52% of Dow employees volunteered

899 grants delivered to 685 partner organizations

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