Tag: 3BL

Electronics are essential to daily life, making mobile device connectivity, air travel, automotive safety, and much more possible. The materials that enable the form and function of many electronic systems are manufactured at Henkel’s Rancho Dominguez facility, which has produced adhesive pastes and films for over 30 years. The team has mastered the production of more than 700 formulations and 5,000 unique products. Learn more in this segment of #AViewFrom: Rancho Dominguez, California.

Located just south of Los Angeles, CA, Henkel’s five-acre, 75,000 sq. ft. Rancho Dominguez site manufactures conductive and non-conductive specialty adhesives, pastes, and films to connect and protect semiconductor packages, optoelectronics, LEDs, electronic components, and printed circuit boards (PCBs). About 130 employees across various production, quality, logistics, engineering, customer service, and management functions produce thousands of unique materials that enable high-performance electronic and industrial products within numerous markets, including telecommunications, aerospace, automotive, and consumer electronics, to name a few.

Henkel’s team at the Rancho Dominguez, California facility manufactures a variety of conductive and non-conductive specialty adhesives, pastes, and films under the LOCTITE® brand. These products enable high-performance electronic and industrial products within numerous markets including telecommunications, automotive, LED Lighting, and consumer electronics, among others.

The complexity of the product portfolio made here, along with our innovative film manufacturing capability, make this site unique among Henkel manufacturing facilities. Conductive Die-Attach Film, which Henkel pioneered and scaled at this facility, is a successful material for semiconductor packaging applications, and Assembly Films frequently used within aerospace systems are equally impactful. Both are produced here. Our team has tremendous know-how, focus, and commitment because they appreciate the magnitude of their work; these materials are often in mission-critical end products, and quality must be exceptional.

Peter Saxton, Operations Director, Rancho Dominguez Plant

Established in 1961, the business now operated at the Rancho Dominguez site came into the Henkel fold when the company acquired the adhesives and electronic materials businesses of National Starch in 2008. Proudly diverse with employees of many different cultures, ethnicities, genders, and tenures, the team here describes themselves as family. Production Manager Curtis Ushijima, who oversees film manufacture, has worked here for 20 years and has held numerous roles with increasing responsibility. “We support each other to get the job done, no matter what that takes,” he says. “There is a shared desire to succeed as a team, and we do that day in and day out.”

Metals Production Manager Randy Clyde concurs, adding, “Henkel is a large global company, but Rancho Dominguez feels like a small, family-run business where everyone has your back. We all take our work very seriously and push each other to be our best. The enriching environment and camaraderie have kept me coming to work at Henkel every day for nearly 40 years.”

A CULTURE OF GENEROSITY:

Inside and outside of the facility, Rancho Dominguez staff extends kindness and gratitude. “We want our team to know how much they are valued,” explains HR Business Partner, Jessica Little. “From birthday celebrations to peer-to-peer recognition for lending a hand or solving a problem, showing appreciation is part of our culture.” Engaging with the needs of its community, the generous team at Rancho Dominguez also consistently participates in local food bank initiatives, toy drives for underprivileged children, and support for local shelters.

DID YOU KNOW:

“People often think of adhesives as just glue,” says Ruth Villareal, Americas Product Manager, Electronics. “While they do stick, adhesives are far more than glue! Medical devices like pacemakers, critical communication satellites, computers, data centers, self-driving cars…none of those things would function properly without our materials, and that’s pretty incredible.”

Originally published on GoDaddy Life

Tell us a little bit about yourself and what led you to a career at GoDaddy?

I started at GoDaddy back in 2016. At that time, I was already a very independent individual and spent my free time motorcycle riding and two-step swing dancing. I knew that I wanted a career in technology but just wasn’t sure where to start. I went to multiple colleges and took many courses regarding Design, Development, and Project Management. Nothing seemed to challenge me until I came to GoDaddy. I started here in Inbound Support because I wanted to become an expert in knowing all about our products and I always loved helping customers. Since joining on at GoDaddy, I have worked in multiple departments and shifts from Chat, SMS, Reseller, Learning Department, and PACT/HVC. Now, I am a Technical Account Manager II under SkyVerge. I truly feel that GoDaddy provides a space where I am challenged, giving me the opportunity to learn, grow, and make an impact every single day.

How long did you serve in the military and what was your experience there?

In 2012, I started my military service in Indiana and served in the Army for eight years as a (91B) Diesel Mechanic. My experience was a love-hate relationship but still one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life. I chose the 91B Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) because I wanted to choose a trade that I wanted to learn more about. Although I was a 91B, my MOS didn’t make my military experience. The media makes military experiences seem violent and traumatic, but that’s only a certain side of it. There is usually a silver lining to every scenario. Yes, there are freezing early mornings but those turn into seeing beautiful sunrises. The horrible food turns into soldiers trading Meal, Ready-To-Eat (MRE) packets like kindergartners. Late-night Fireguard duties turn into heart-to-heart conversations. However, I believe I speak for all soldiers when I say that we hate being in the unknown all day every day. My military experience truly shaped me into the person I am today.

How did your military service shape you into the person you are today?

My family wasn’t supportive of me going to college, and since I was out of state (from Michigan), the military seemed like the only logical solution to “make it” on my own. It gave me the family I needed for support, the security I needed with benefits and a college education, and it challenged me every day mentally and physically to become a better person. I deployed to Kuwait in 2013 and was blessed to not be in the violence like most soldiers who deploy. During that time, I grew as a person and learned about myself more during that time than what felt like my whole childhood. I left for my deployment feeling scared and unsure of what my future held. I came home feeling confident and powerful, knowing what I wanted, moving forward.

What are some things that help you feel included at GoDaddy, as a Veteran?

There are so many military Veterans within GoDaddy. Although I didn’t serve with them, there is a natural bond formed immediately when I meet them. Our Employee Resource Group, GDVETS is a great program at GoDaddy. Their mission is to help celebrate, learn about, and uplift employees who have served their country. A few years back, they held a ruck march, which is a long walk where you carry weight and is a test to mental and physical strength. Unknowingly, this ruck march happened to be run by my Motor pool Sergeant, in honor of one of our employee’s brother who passed in the line of duty. It was such a good feeling seeing everyone’s friends and family from my Military unit and GoDaddy show up together to honor this soldier. It was a great experience that I’ll never forget!

GoDaddy employees who are Veterans or are spouses of Veterans receive Veterans Day off. Do you have any special plans for the day?

I plan on spending time with my family! I met my husband at GoDaddy and he is also a Veteran. We know that many soldiers must miss time with their families, which makes us want to cherish every moment we can with ours. Usually, this includes smoking amazing food in the backyard while our daughter plays with bubbles giggling up a storm and we wouldn’t have it any other way!

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

I love going to Las Vegas with my husband and the Glamis Sand Dunes with my family. When we go to Las Vegas, we always plan for a fancy dinner somewhere new. We enjoy bonding over how great or horrible the food and experience is. Every year, we plan a reunion with friends from all over the United States to go to Glamis for New Year’s. This is something we look forward to every year. We save up all year long to make upgrades to our CanAm. Other than enjoying great company, the best parts are riding all day and night, seeing the scared faces when we almost don’t make it, having great food, and ending the night with s’mores and toddler giggles!

Are you enjoying this series and want to know more about life at GoDaddy? Check out our GoDaddy Life social pages! Follow us to meet our team, learn more about our culture (Teams, ERGs, Locations), careers, and so much more. You’re more than just your day job, so come propel your career with us.

Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/GoDaddyLifeInstagram — https://www.instagram.com/godaddylife/LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/godaddylifeTwitter — https://twitter.com/GoDaddyLifeTikTok — https://www.tiktok.com/@godaddylife?Career Page — https://careers.godaddy.com

Originally published on GoDaddy Life

Tell us a little bit about yourself and what led you to a career at GoDaddy?

I started at GoDaddy back in 2016. At that time, I was already a very independent individual and spent my free time motorcycle riding and two-step swing dancing. I knew that I wanted a career in technology but just wasn’t sure where to start. I went to multiple colleges and took many courses regarding Design, Development, and Project Management. Nothing seemed to challenge me until I came to GoDaddy. I started here in Inbound Support because I wanted to become an expert in knowing all about our products and I always loved helping customers. Since joining on at GoDaddy, I have worked in multiple departments and shifts from Chat, SMS, Reseller, Learning Department, and PACT/HVC. Now, I am a Technical Account Manager II under SkyVerge. I truly feel that GoDaddy provides a space where I am challenged, giving me the opportunity to learn, grow, and make an impact every single day.

How long did you serve in the military and what was your experience there?

In 2012, I started my military service in Indiana and served in the Army for eight years as a (91B) Diesel Mechanic. My experience was a love-hate relationship but still one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life. I chose the 91B Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) because I wanted to choose a trade that I wanted to learn more about. Although I was a 91B, my MOS didn’t make my military experience. The media makes military experiences seem violent and traumatic, but that’s only a certain side of it. There is usually a silver lining to every scenario. Yes, there are freezing early mornings but those turn into seeing beautiful sunrises. The horrible food turns into soldiers trading Meal, Ready-To-Eat (MRE) packets like kindergartners. Late-night Fireguard duties turn into heart-to-heart conversations. However, I believe I speak for all soldiers when I say that we hate being in the unknown all day every day. My military experience truly shaped me into the person I am today.

How did your military service shape you into the person you are today?

My family wasn’t supportive of me going to college, and since I was out of state (from Michigan), the military seemed like the only logical solution to “make it” on my own. It gave me the family I needed for support, the security I needed with benefits and a college education, and it challenged me every day mentally and physically to become a better person. I deployed to Kuwait in 2013 and was blessed to not be in the violence like most soldiers who deploy. During that time, I grew as a person and learned about myself more during that time than what felt like my whole childhood. I left for my deployment feeling scared and unsure of what my future held. I came home feeling confident and powerful, knowing what I wanted, moving forward.

What are some things that help you feel included at GoDaddy, as a Veteran?

There are so many military Veterans within GoDaddy. Although I didn’t serve with them, there is a natural bond formed immediately when I meet them. Our Employee Resource Group, GDVETS is a great program at GoDaddy. Their mission is to help celebrate, learn about, and uplift employees who have served their country. A few years back, they held a ruck march, which is a long walk where you carry weight and is a test to mental and physical strength. Unknowingly, this ruck march happened to be run by my Motor pool Sergeant, in honor of one of our employee’s brother who passed in the line of duty. It was such a good feeling seeing everyone’s friends and family from my Military unit and GoDaddy show up together to honor this soldier. It was a great experience that I’ll never forget!

GoDaddy employees who are Veterans or are spouses of Veterans receive Veterans Day off. Do you have any special plans for the day?

I plan on spending time with my family! I met my husband at GoDaddy and he is also a Veteran. We know that many soldiers must miss time with their families, which makes us want to cherish every moment we can with ours. Usually, this includes smoking amazing food in the backyard while our daughter plays with bubbles giggling up a storm and we wouldn’t have it any other way!

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

I love going to Las Vegas with my husband and the Glamis Sand Dunes with my family. When we go to Las Vegas, we always plan for a fancy dinner somewhere new. We enjoy bonding over how great or horrible the food and experience is. Every year, we plan a reunion with friends from all over the United States to go to Glamis for New Year’s. This is something we look forward to every year. We save up all year long to make upgrades to our CanAm. Other than enjoying great company, the best parts are riding all day and night, seeing the scared faces when we almost don’t make it, having great food, and ending the night with s’mores and toddler giggles!

Are you enjoying this series and want to know more about life at GoDaddy? Check out our GoDaddy Life social pages! Follow us to meet our team, learn more about our culture (Teams, ERGs, Locations), careers, and so much more. You’re more than just your day job, so come propel your career with us.

Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/GoDaddyLifeInstagram — https://www.instagram.com/godaddylife/LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/godaddylifeTwitter — https://twitter.com/GoDaddyLifeTikTok — https://www.tiktok.com/@godaddylife?Career Page — https://careers.godaddy.com

by Beau Engman of PACE Equity and Lucas Pappas of Calvert Impact

You might be surprised to learn that the buildings where we live, work, and play are some of the biggest sources of carbon emissions. Worldwide, the built environment generates roughly 42 percent of annual C02 emissions, with building operations accounting for 27 percent of the total and embodied carbon from four main building materials – cement, iron, steel and aluminum – accounting for the other 15 percent.

Rapid growth in the building sector is expected to continue. The technology to create greener buildings doesn’t need to be invented; lower-carbon solutions for buildings already exist. Now, we just need to put them to work, and quickly. By greening buildings now, we could drastically cut the cost of transitioning to a clean energy future and make it happen much faster. A recent report shows that increasing building efficiency could reduce the total cost of decarbonizing the country’s power supply as much as $107 billion per year, or one-third of the total energy transition cost. Building decarbonization is needed for carbon reduction today, for the grid to be able to handle the increase in renewable electrification of tomorrow, and to bring a clean energy future years earlier.

It is clear that addressing our climate challenge will require the real estate sector to be significantly engaged, an imperative recognized by lawmakers in more than 30 U.S. states that have implemented commercial property assessed clean energy (C-PACE) programs. C-PACE programs provide incentivized financing for green upgrades to existing buildings and new construction that meet environmental standards.

Read the full article here – https://greenmoney.com/the-key-to-a-net-zero-future-is-lower-carbon-buildings-today

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by Beau Engman of PACE Equity and Lucas Pappas of Calvert Impact

You might be surprised to learn that the buildings where we live, work, and play are some of the biggest sources of carbon emissions. Worldwide, the built environment generates roughly 42 percent of annual C02 emissions, with building operations accounting for 27 percent of the total and embodied carbon from four main building materials – cement, iron, steel and aluminum – accounting for the other 15 percent.

Rapid growth in the building sector is expected to continue. The technology to create greener buildings doesn’t need to be invented; lower-carbon solutions for buildings already exist. Now, we just need to put them to work, and quickly. By greening buildings now, we could drastically cut the cost of transitioning to a clean energy future and make it happen much faster. A recent report shows that increasing building efficiency could reduce the total cost of decarbonizing the country’s power supply as much as $107 billion per year, or one-third of the total energy transition cost. Building decarbonization is needed for carbon reduction today, for the grid to be able to handle the increase in renewable electrification of tomorrow, and to bring a clean energy future years earlier.

It is clear that addressing our climate challenge will require the real estate sector to be significantly engaged, an imperative recognized by lawmakers in more than 30 U.S. states that have implemented commercial property assessed clean energy (C-PACE) programs. C-PACE programs provide incentivized financing for green upgrades to existing buildings and new construction that meet environmental standards.

Read the full article here – https://greenmoney.com/the-key-to-a-net-zero-future-is-lower-carbon-buildings-today

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Originally published on NRG Energy Insights

By NRG Editorial Voices

“The organizations planning ahead will be best situated for the highest-value opportunities once the impacts of IRA ripple through the industry, as there are new, high-value opportunities for corporations,” says Kevin Arritt, our Director of Renewable Advisory.

The renewable energy policy landscape is rapidly evolving due in part to the urgent need to address climate change. These policy changes present challenges and solutions for businesses operating in the energy sector.

Understanding and adapting to policy changes is important for companies aiming to remain competitive. Now more than ever, businesses are looking to tap into the renewable energy market to meet sustainability goals and keep up with the renewable energy industry.

With the help of an expert, we’ll unpack the most burning question—How can you adapt your energy strategy amid ongoing policy changes to ensure that your business continues to thrive?

But first, meet Kevin

Kevin Arritt has been in the renewable energy industry for 10 years. In that time, he consulted for energy companies and worked at a major utility. Now, he’s at NRG leading renewable advisory engagements for large corporations. Throughout his career in the industry, Arritt has focused on renewable energy strategy and policy.

Arritt is passionate about renewables because it’s an industry where he can be proud of the work he does. He tailors strategies to reflect individual risk profiles, ensuring the unique aspects of each customer are considered. For him, it’s exciting to work in a fast-paced environment that’s constantly evolving and helping customers meet their sustainability and financial goals.  

“It’s thrilling to be a part of the transition as we move to a low-carbon economy,” says Arritt. “I like that I have an opportunity to be within a space where we’re moving in that direction responsibly and effectively. We’re constantly innovating and finding new ways to bring renewable energy to customers.”

Get familiar with the policy landscape and future opportunities

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is a big deal for the renewable energy market. Notably, it extends and expands several tax credits and opens up new opportunities for corporations to benefit from these tax credits.

“Broadly, the act is improving the energy landscape by supporting the economics of various energy forms and decarbonization technologies including wind and solar,” says Arritt.

The landmark law helps to address some of the uncertainty related to renewable energy incentives and rising project costs that businesses faced previously. As a result, many in the industry are optimistic for the future as projects can benefit from additional incentives.

“What it comes down to is that the IRA provided the renewable energy industry a big tailwind after a few volatile years,” Arritt adds. “Folks looking to participate in renewable energy opportunities are going to be inherently benefiting from the extra strength added to the market.”

One aspect of the legislation that Arritt is looking forward to for our customers is tax credit transferability.

“With the IRA, there are new opportunities for energy users to monetize renewable energy tax credits. This could save them millions of dollars a year while supporting the development of new renewable assets. Customers can achieve sustainability goals by purchasing these tax credits through highly structured transactions. We have been a market leader in this space – developing innovative structures to reduce risk while maximizing both financial and sustainability value.”

Arritt explains that it takes organizations time to learn about the new opportunities, but overall, it’s a big win for customers.

“We invest a lot of time in helping our customers align stakeholders. Once everybody is engaged, they see that this is a clear win-win—saving money and achieving sustainability goals at the same time.”

Keep an eye out for new developments

It’s still too early to say what the long-term effects of the IRA will be, but it’s a major step forward for the industry.

“As the industry waits to see the ultimate impact in the coming years, we’re seeing many organizations going through the internal steps necessary to think about large-scale renewable procurement and how to benefit from the new opportunities arising from the IRA, such as the monetization of renewable energy tax credits. As with many opportunities in the renewables industry, early movers are often rewarded,” says Arritt.

Of course, it’s also important to keep a close eye on state policies. For example, Illinois has a very active community solar market, while New York is leading the way in energy regulations motivating end-users to reduce their emissions in a way that layers into a multi-faceted energy strategy.

“Concerning state-level opportunities, community solar programs are a great example of renewable energy policy that can have broad benefits for participants and broader communities. We have seen the Illinois market take off in the past year. There is also a sizable program in New York, and newer opportunities in Maryland and New Mexico, along with more tailored opportunities in a handful of other states such as California,” says Arritt.

Be flexible and opportunistic

Navigating the evolving policy landscape can be complicated, so being proactive and prepared is essential.

“Energy buyers need to build flexibility into their strategies and think about how the economy will be shaped in the future,” recommends Arritt. “Taking a diverse ‘all of the above’ approach will ensure flexibility to be able to jump on new opportunities.”

While there’s never going to be a perfect time with zero volatility, the renewable energy market is thriving and constantly progressing. There are many options to participate in, from large-scale procurements to cost-reducing solutions like community solar and transferable renewable energy tax credits.

“Talk to your partners and talk to your advisors. It’s our business to be forward-looking, to spot hurdles, and to make sure we can take advantage of this. Don’t hesitate to reach out,” says Arritt.

If you’re looking for expert advice on your renewable energy journey, Arritt’s team specializes in building strategies and implementing opportunities related to community solar, renewable energy tax credits, and large-scale offsite renewables. Contact them to get started.

Originally published on Essity.com

Making invisible work visible and valued

“The care economy is a huge potential employment generator. It is crucial to invest in decent jobs in the care economy, decent jobs that create value for society.”

– Chidi King, Chief of the Gender, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Branch at the ILO

A major societal challenge in the care economy is that there are areas where work often goes unnoticed and undervalued. Yet these invisible contributions are the backbone of our communities and economies.

Contributing to making invisible work visible and valued is key to accelerating equity in health and well-being, for individuals as for society. This includes driving approaches that recognize, empower, and value people providing care – both professionally and within a family, in the great variety of caregiving roles. Next to caregivers, it also includes recognizing the value of work provided by cleaning staff and facility managers and enabling access to innovative solutions that strengthen these professions. By bringing the often-hidden roles within the care economy into focus, we recognize the immense effort and skill that is required to perform them. By doing so, we can move towards a more inclusive and resilient society that honors the diverse range of work performed within the care economy and that creates value for economies and societies.

Valuing and recognizing care, expanding care infrastructure with smart and value creating solutions, as well as rebalancing care work responsibilities contributes to economic growth and therefore also to SDG 8: Decent work. A stand-out factor that is common to all types of care work is that women are overrepresented in care-giving roles.

SDG 8. Decent work and economic growth. Recognizing and valuing care as a vital sector of the economy, expanding care infrastructure, and rebalancing paid and unpaid work responsibilities can contribute to economic growth, and therefore SDG 8.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) has developed a gender-responsive and rights-based approach to public policy in the care economy, the so called 5R framework. This stands for recognize, reduce, redistribute, and reward unpaid work and guarantee care workers’ representation. The framework contains several policy measures that are designed to create “a virtuous circle mitigating care-related inequalities, addressing the barriers preventing women from entering paid work and improving the conditions of unpaid caregivers and care workers and, by extension, of those cared for.”1

The ILO estimates that more than 16 billion hours (about 1,800,000 years) are spent on unpaid care work every day across the globe, corresponding to approximately 9% of GDP globally.2 According to UN Women, this figure can be as high as 39% in certain countries. Recognizing the value of care and the needs within this sector, structural as well as individual, could help facilitate further investments, which would have long term benefits for society as a whole.

The total value of unpaid care work is estimated to be up to 39% of GDP in certain countries.3

The crucial role of family carers

Family caregivers are a vital part of the health care system. They often need to balance or choose between caregiving responsibilities and other obligations, primarily their paid jobs. While the frequency and intensity of the caregivers’ responsibilities differ, support is often limited or not available. A distinct trend of so called “refamilialization” of the care economy is taking place, where the responsibility of care required from family members increases. This is in part due to an increase in the number of comorbidities as we live longer, along with an increase in the need for home care. Re-familialization accelerated during the Covid-19 pandemic, as overloaded healthcare systems led to an increased need for informal care. There are now concerns that this increase has been normalized. Without adequate support in place for caregivers, this becomes a paramount challenge with a range of consequences for caregivers, care receivers, and for society at large.

Caring for one’s loved ones often provides joy and self-satisfaction, yet it is also well documented that a family carers’ physical and mental health is affected the responsibility of taking care of a relative.4

Working family caregivers often experience stress and guilt about having to leave their jobs even temporarily to take care of relatives. Many family caregivers take on jobs that are below their level of education or experience to work fewer or more flexible hours. Family caregivers run a bigger risk of leaving their jobs in the paid economy. Once the need for caregiving is over, it is often challenging to re-enter the labor market.27 In the paid care economy, a large portion of jobs are considered low status, with low pays and limited social protection or benefits. Often, they are also physically and/or psychologically demanding.5

Increased societal awareness of family caregiving could make it easier for caregivers to reach out for the support, education, and training available. This would in turn help family carers to find the right balance between providing care and other activities.

Download the Essity 2023-2024 Hygiene and Health Report to learn more

Learn more about Essity here

1ILO (2018) Care Work and Care Jobs: For the Future of Decent Work. https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/—dgreports/—dcom- m/—publ/documents/publication/wcms_633166.pdf

2ILO (2018) Care Work and Care Jobs: For the Future of Decent Work. https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/—dgreports/—dcom- m/—publ/documents/publication/wcms_633166.pdf

ILO (2018) Care work and care jobs for the future of decent work. https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/—dgreports/—dcomm/— publ/documents/publication/wcms_633135.pdf

UN Women (2018) Promoting women’s economic empowerment: recognizing and investing in the care economy. https://www.unwomen. org/sites/default/files/Headquarters/Attachments/Sections/Library/Publications/2018/Issue-paper-Recognizing-and-investing-in-the- care-economy-en.pdf

ILO (2018) Care work and care jobs for the future of decent work. https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/—dgreports/—dcomm/— publ/documents/publication/wcms_633135.pdf

3UN Women (n.d.) Redistribute unpaid work https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/in-focus/csw61/redistribute-unpaid-work

4Pinquart, M. & Sorensen, S. (2003). Differences between caregivers and noncaregivers in psychological health and physical health: A meta-analysis. Psychology and Aging, 18(2), 250-267.

5Spann, A., Vicente, J., Allard, C., Hawley, M., Spreeuwenberg, M., et al. (2020). Challenges of combining work and unpaid care, and solu- tions: A scoping review. Health & Social Care in the Community. 28 (3). 699-715.

Originally published on U.S. Bank company blog

Earlier this year, Milwaukee nonprofit Safe & Sound distributed fliers in the city’s Metcalfe Park neighborhood informing residents about a special program that allowed them to purchase the homes they were currently renting.

Melody Jones saw the flier when she got home from work and called the number listed. Months later, Jones became the new owner of the four-bedroom, two-bath home she has rented for 15 years and shared with her four children, now ages 14 to 27.

“I always knew I wanted to own a home,” Jones said. “When my mother got sick, it worried me that, as a renter, I could be told who could and couldn’t live in my home. I didn’t want to have to worry about that type of thing ever again.”

Her journey to homeownership began with working with local nonprofits, including Safe & Sound, the Greater Milwaukee Urban League and Acts Housing. U.S. Bank has partnered with these organizations to increase homeownership within its U.S. Bank Access Home initiative, part of U.S. Bank Access Commitment®, the bank’s long-term framework to help close the wealth gap for underserved communities.

Through U.S. Bank Access Home initiatives, Jones received financial education from Acts Housing, which provides one-on-one and online U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development-approved homebuyer and financial coaching for individuals and families to help them become ready to buy.

Jones came into the program with a great credit score, but earned less than 50% of the Area Median Income in Milwaukee, an amount that has historically locked families like hers out of homeownership because their debt-to-income ratio is too high to qualify for a traditional mortgage.

As part of her homebuyer coaching and education experience with Acts Housing, Jones reviewed her mortgage options and down payment assistance grant opportunities.

During that process, Jones learned she qualified for the U.S. Bank Access Home Loan mortgage, a special purpose credit program that offers up to $17,500 in combined down payment and lender credit assistance to eligible homebuyers. In addition, because of a unique tax credit program associated with the housing community where Jones was renting, she was able to purchase her home at a price below market value, gain instant equity and save more than $700 a month between her prior rent and new monthly mortgage.

“There is a misconception that homeownership is not for certain communities, that it’s not available,” said Kelly Andrews, vice president of strategic partnerships at Acts Housing. “We are helping overcome that mindset and get more people pre-approved.”

Together, Acts Housing and U.S. Bank have been providing financial education programs to help hopeful homebuyers move closer to their goal of moving into their first home.

Earlier this year, Jones was one of about 140 potential homebuyers participating in the Acts Housing Power Pack, a cohort program focused on learning about credit, goal setting and money management. Jones became buyer-ready in three months and continues to attend financial education classes through the program.

She also became the first borrower to use the recently announced Access Home Loan mortgage. The down payment assistance program was launched in 11 pilot markets this summer, including Milwaukee, with a focus on removing barriers to homeownership in underserved communities where the minority population is more than 50%.

“Our Access Home initiative has created a strong foundation for individuals just like Melody to not only realize the opportunity of homeownership, but to get on the right track to work towards it,” said Lenny McNeill, head of Strategic Markets and Affordable Lending at U.S. Bank. “Now, with the Access Home Loan mortgage, we are making it easier for even more people to become homeowners.”

When reflecting on her journey to owning her home, Jones said knowing “that it would be mine” kept her going, as well as all the support and resources she had access to.

“People think you have to know about all of this stuff yourself, but there are a lot of people that can help you,” Jones said. “Now that I own my home, it means we don’t have to get put out of our home. My kids can always come back, they’ll have a home to come home to.”

A video highlighting Jones and her homeownership journey is above.

Step Inside EV Test Labs

Time
November 7, 2023 | 12:00 PM EST

Go behind the scenes of UL Solutions and Keysight’s electric vehicle (EV) labs to see the tech driving high-power charging, batteries, and how EVs might fuel the grid. Sign up now for your exclusive ticket to get your questions answered during a live Q&A with EV experts. Register today!

Learn about Power from the Grid to EVs and Back

EV Charging 
Dig into the protocols and specs, safety considerations, and best practices for AC and DC EV charging. Explore the AC and DC EV charging world with in-depth protocols, specifications, safety considerations, and best practices. Discover the essential knowledge you need to charge your electric vehicle safely and efficiently.

Vehicle to Grid (V2G) 
Learn about the ecosystem that will enable EVs to send power back to the grid.

EV Standards 
Step inside the EV lab at UL Solutions, where engineers develop standards and test for compliance.

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Presenters

Daniel Bogdanoff
Test Geek and Marketing Engineer

Daniel Bogdanoff is a test geek and marketing engineer at Keysight and is best known for his videos on the Keysight Labs YouTube channel. He has authored articles in numerous publications, including NASA Tech Briefs, All About Circuits, and Hackaday. He has a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from Texas A&M University. Find him on Twitter @DanielBogdanoff.

Timothy Zgonena
UL LLC, Principal Engineer

Timothy Zgonena has been the principal engineer for Distributed Energy Resources Equipment and Systems and Underwriters Laboratories (UL), Inc. since 1990. His responsibilities include developing, maintaining, and applying certification requirements and UL conformity assessment services for photovoltaic modules, utility interactive inverters, stand-alone inverters, utility interconnection systems equipment, engine generator sets, and wind turbines. He serves on several IEEE, NFPA, and IEC Working Groups related to photovoltaic (PV) and distributed general equipment.

Robert Krull
Engineering Associate

Robert Krull is an engineering associate at Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. and assists in developing the EV testing lab. He also has project management experience in EV charger compliance for UL / IEC / PSE Denan certifications. Krull also trains engineers and technicians in UL / IEC CB / PSE Denan test flows. He has an electrical engineering technology degree from Purdue University.

Eric Matzke
Engineering Manager

Eric Matzke is the engineering manager overseeing electric vehicle charging at Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. (UL). With a team of highly skilled test and compliance engineers under his guidance, Eric leads UL’s fast-paced and dynamic electric vehicle charging group in North America. He has extensive experience monitoring projects and ensuring compliance with rules and regulations from various standards organizations, including ISO, IEC, ASTM, AAMI, UL, and FDA.

James Arnold
Technical Marketing Engineer

James Arnold is a technical marketing engineer focusing on high-power test solutions as part of Keysight’s Automotive and Energy Solutions Group. He has a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. James works at Keysight’s Novi, Michigan, Automotive Customer Center.

Originally published by Walgreens Boots Alliance

I started my career as a pharmacist in Walgreens Centralized Services location in Orlando, Florida, in April, so I’m relatively new to the company. But I know from my short time here that there’s a longstanding mission to help people, which has significant meaning to me. I strongly believe that mission begins with pharmacists, who provide access to healthcare for many in this country. They certainly have done that for me along my health journey.

I have lived with muscular dystrophy (MD) since I was diagnosed at age 12. MD is a genetic degenerative disease that slowly weakens your muscles and can make everyday tasks difficult. When I got the diagnosis, my life changed from a boy who loved to play basketball, run and lift weights to someone who progressively lost that ability over the next few years. MD changed my life, but it didn’t ruin it.

Living with muscular dystrophy

MD is pretty rare, affecting about 250,000 people in the U.S. When I was diagnosed, I was just a kid, so I didn’t understand what I was going to go through. As time passed, I lost more and more of my ability to function. The hardest thing for me was not being able to walk anymore, so I made the decision to use a wheelchair when I was 19, and I’ve been using it ever since.

People ask me if I feel I’ve missed out on things in my life because of my disease. I tell them I don’t think it’s prevented me from doing anything I’ve wanted to do. I graduated from pharmacy school and am now a pharmacist at Walgreens, which was a major goal of mine. Sure, some things have been more difficult to accomplish, like the physical and mental demands of pharmacy school, but I’m convinced the struggles I’ve experienced in my life have made me a better person by pushing me forward and not allowing myself to give up.

I was born in Egypt and came to the U.S. with my family when I was 9. Like most immigrants, my parents were searching for a better life, and we found it when we settled in Florida. I feel very fortunate that my parents brought our family here when I was young because having MD in Egypt would be really challenging. There are not a lot of healthcare resources for people like me who have a disability and are in a wheelchair. My life’s not easy, but I feel like if I was still there, it would be much harder.

A typical day on the job

I work the 1 to 10 p.m. shift, so I have time early in the day to dedicate to the other things I enjoy. Before I go to work, I make sure to exercise for at least an hour every day, using resistance weights and a balance ball to build strength and get my heart pumping. With MD it’s important to keep up with exercise and physical therapy so I can stay functional.

I love binge-watching TV series and playing video games, and I usually make time to do that in the morning between exercising and when I leave for work. I live with my parents, and since I’m unable to drive, they’re great about taking me to and from work and wherever else I need to go. I’m able to get in and out of their car without much difficulty, so they don’t need a special wheelchair-accessible vehicle. And my mom always has dinner waiting for me when I get home.

Although I’m a pharmacist in a centralized office, I still do much of what Walgreens pharmacists do in our stores—like consulting with patients and prescribers and filling prescriptions. I connect over the phone with patients and doctors from across the country to counsel them on medications, check their medication history so there are no adverse reactions, and help them adhere to their proper regimen and dosing. The pharmacy team in Centralized Services adds another valuable layer of care for our patients and helps free up pharmacists in stores to spend more time with patients while we fill prescriptions remotely. This is especially important at this time of year when we see some of the highest rates of respiratory illnesses and seasonal vaccinations.

Finding my life’s purpose

I‘ve always been a goals-oriented person, and they’ve motivated me throughout my life and helped me get through some tough times. Pharmacy school was difficult, so it required patience and hard work to make it through, but I live by the old saying “If it was easy, everyone would be doing it.” I thrive on conquering challenges and believe there’s nothing I can’t overcome.

Becoming a pharmacist has given me the financial freedom to do more of the things I love, especially traveling. I’ve traveled throughout the U.S., but I also want to travel the world and enjoy the natural beauty of places like Italy and Switzerland, which are the destinations at the top of my bucket list. But anywhere with beaches, water and mountains makes me happy and is where I like to spend my time.

From the time I decided to enter school to become a pharmacist I knew my life’s purpose was to help people. Living with a degenerative disease like MD is hard, but it’s especially difficult when you’re diagnosed as a child and can’t possibly comprehend how it will impact the rest of your life. And like me, many MD cases are diagnosed in children, so they and their parents really need help and guidance to understand what they’re going to go through.

I’ve spent more than half my life taking medications to manage my condition, so I have a lot of empathy for patients because I know how difficult things can be if you don’t have someone advocating for you and your health. I’m motivated by the goal of not allowing a single patient to feel alone or helpless, because I’ve gone through something similar.

I’m a Walgreens pharmacist who happens to be living with MD. So, while my disease has weakened my body, it’s made me a stronger person, and, I hope, a better pharmacist who’s making a difference in people’s lives.