Tag: 3BL

Originally published by GoDaddy

TEMPE, Ariz., October 22, 2025 /3BL/ — Media veterans and authors Laura Brown and Kristina O’Neill know what it’s like to turn a career setback into a launchpad. Now, as they hit the road to promote their new book, All The Cool Girls Get Fired, they are teaming up with GoDaddy (NYSE: GDDY) to provide others with the advice, inspiration and tools to navigate their own daunting career transitions.

Drawing from decades of experience in high-stakes leadership at the helm of InStyle and WSJ Magazine, respectively, Brown and O’Neill know the challenges — and opportunities — that come with losing a job. Through deeply personal anecdotes and a wealth of actionable advice, the book guides readers to pivot with pride and purpose.

With chapters featuring women like Oprah Winfrey, Katie Couric and Jamie Lee Curtis, All the Cool Girls Get Fired celebrates how unexpected turns can lead somewhere extraordinary. GoDaddy Airo turns that inspiration into action, offering AI-powered tools to establish a domain, design a website and branding, support online marketing and more in a matter of minutes.

“When Laura was setting up LB Media, and again, when we dreamt up All the Cool Girls Get Fired, we set up our emails on GoDaddy,” say Brown and O’Neill. “For a nascent business, it was invaluable insurance. And now, we’ve been able to build out our website and digital presence with the brand’s AI technology, GoDaddy Airo. It has allowed women from all around the world to get in touch with us, forming the community that is the spine of the book.”

“At GoDaddy, we believe in turning challenge into opportunity — a philosophy we share with Laura and Kristina and the many powerful voices who offer their own stories in All The Cool Girls Get Fired,” says Amy Jennette, GoDaddy Small Business Trends Expert. “With GoDaddy Airo’s easy-to-use tools for establishing a digital presence, you can look like you know what you’re doing even when you don’t.”

As part of the partnership, GoDaddy is offering new U.S. customers a domain for just $4.99 to get started. Visit allthecoolgirls.godaddy to learn more, and find real-time updates from the book tour on Instagram at @allthecoolgirlsgetfired.

All The Cool Girls Get Fired is available for purchase everywhere books are sold. 

About GoDaddy

GoDaddy helps millions of entrepreneurs globally start, grow, and scale their businesses. People come to GoDaddy to name their idea, build a website and logo, sell their products and services and accept payments. GoDaddy Airo^®, the company’s AI-powered experience, makes growing a small business faster and easier by helping them to get their idea online in minutes, drive traffic and boost sales. GoDaddy’s expert guides are available 24/7 to provide assistance. To learn more about the company, visit www.GoDaddy.com.

About Laura Brown

Laura Brown is the founder of LB Media, and the chair of (RED)’s Creative Council. Previously, she was editor-in-chief of InStyle, executive editor of Harper’s Bazaar, and senior editor at W.

About Kristina O’Neill

Kristina O’Neill is head of Sotheby’s Media and editor in chief of Sotheby’s Magazine. Previously, she served as editor in chief of WSJ. Magazine, executive editor at Harper’s Bazaar, and worked at New York magazine and Time Out New York.

Source: GoDaddy Inc.

NORTHAMPTON, Mass., Oct 22, 2025 /3BL/ – Over the past year, 3BL, the leading platform for sustainability and impact communications, has rolled out a series of powerful product upgrades and architectural advancements designed to transform how organizations share, measure, and optimize their ESG and impact stories.

From deep audience insights to AI visibility tracking, these updates reflect 3BL’s continued commitment to innovation, ensuring brands have the tools and data needed for their communications.

Transformative New Capabilities for Communicators 

• Disclosure Score: Aggregates data from major ESG ratings agencies to provide a snapshot of how your company is perceived, helping benchmark performance and guide strategy.
   
• Custom Distribution: Enables precise control over how and where content is shared, optimizing reach and engagement across targeted audiences.
   
• Content Mailer: Automatically alerts your distribution lists when new content goes live, keeping key audiences informed and engaged.
   
• LLM Interactions: Tracks how often your content appears in large language model (LLM) experiences, offering future-ready insights for AI Optimization (AIO).
   
• AVE/Yield Metrics: Quantifies ROI by translating content performance into measurable media value across 3BL’s premium network.
   
• Enriched Audience Demographics: Provides in-depth engagement data by industry, role, department, and geography to strengthen content strategy.

Platform and Architecture Upgrades

• Analytics Platform Re-launch: Upgraded with faster load times, improved visualizations, and flexible export options (PNG, PDF, CSV).
   
• Modernized Data Architecture: Migrated to a unified data warehouse for stronger governance and security.
   
• Proactive Data Quality: Automated testing now detects data anomalies in near real-time, ensuring accuracy and reliability.

Empowering the Next Era of Sustainability Storytelling

“Our investment in evolving 3BL’s products and services reflects our mission to help organizations amplify the voices driving impact, inspire meaningful action, and build trust with their stakeholders through purpose-driven storytelling,” notes Brittany Partridge, Senior Product Manager at 3BL.

Interested in learning more about 3BL’s capabilities? Visit here. 

About 3BL 
3BL is the leading sustainability and social impact communications partner, connecting organizations’ stories of purpose and progress with the audiences who matter most.

3BL partners with over 1,500 companies – from global corporations and mid-sized enterprises to NGOs and nonprofits – to elevate their reputations as players in the world of responsible business. We do this through unrivaled news and content distribution, bespoke storytelling support, and our digital media division, TriplePundit.

Concerned Citizens of Cook County (4C) and Georgia Interfaith Power & Light (GIPL) received a two-year Drawdown Georgia Climate Solutions & Equity Grant in 2025-26 to provide education about the energy landscape in South Georgia, to implement clean energy and energy-efficient alternatives, and to provide resources and technical assistance to individuals and local congregations to help reduce energy burdens.

Members of a Georgia-focued funding collaborative visited with them in late September to see the grant in action at three local congregations, central to the target communities: St. James AME Church, Bethel Baptist Church and Piney Grove Missionary Baptist Church.

Persistent Inequities Prevail in Adel, Georgia

“Money doesn’t flow south of Macon,” was a quote often heard by the funders during their visit to Adel. South Georgia communities are really suffering. FEMA funds have still not reached many who were impacted by Hurricane Helene a year ago, and Adel, in particular, seems to have been left behind. “After Hurricane Helene, people started realizing and verbalizing ‘nobody’s coming.'” said Dr. Treva Gear, founder of 4C. “The Drawdown Georgia grant we received was almost too good to be true.”

Polluting industries – including aluminum anodizing, propane tank refurbishing, bitcoin mining, and biomass pellet processing – have operated or continue to operate within steps of homes and churches in Adel’s disinvested neighborhoods. It’s a modern day “tale of two cities.” One side of Adel suffers from extreme environmental injustices and public health effects, while the rest of the city’s population seems unaware. The potential for growth and jobs have long incentivized more dirty industries for economic gains, so long as the undesirable effects are only felt on the “other side of the railroad tracks.”

Eight months of power bill records were recently “lost” when a cryptocurrency company fled town with over a million dollars in debt. When the City of Adel’s power bills were finally distributed, rates were inconsistent and the brunt of big industry’s energy impact was factored more heavily into the bills of the town’s most poverty-stricken residents. 

4C and GIPL were originally awarded their grant to work through the faith community in disinvested parts of Adel and Cook County to use funds secured from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), to ground their work in three churches that were identified as trusted community based partners. All three churches have the ability to function as community centers for education now, and have potential to become resilience centers in the future.

Planning a Brighter Future Together

The GIPL team worked with leaders in three historically marginalized congregations in energy-burdened communities. Congregation leaders met with the GIPL team multiple times to establish trust and to fully understand the options and benefits. They really had to be convinced that there wasn’t a “catch.” They agreed to free energy audits, and they carefully studied the results with GIPL and their local contractors, identifying the upgrades that would deliver the most energy savings and thermal comfort for each congregation’s unique needs.

Because of GIPL’s existing programs and partnerships, there was no charge to the congregations for their energy audits and scheduled upgrades. GIPL was able to leverage other grants to complement the Drawdown Georgia grant. Based on data in the U.S. Department of Energy’s LEAD Tool, the energy burden (average percentage of income residents spend on energy costs) in the targeted communities of Adel exceeds 18%. GIPL has been able to leverage funding, discounts and rebates to allow them to create work plans that will allow each congregation to complete 70% of the recommended upgrades identified in their energy audits, and the congregations can expect to see automatic savings within 1-2 months of project completion.

Each church is “saving” a minimum investment of $10,000 that they couldn’t have afforded for their energy efficiency projects, since GIPL has managed to cover the costs. Otherwise, their only option would have been diverting money from crucial local missions if they had tried to make upgrades themselves.

Now, with no monetary investment, they are expected to see savings of 10-15% on energy bills once the repairs are complete. For the congregations, that translates directly into local missions; more food they can serve to the hungry, more money they can put into youth programs, and more help they can provide to neighbors who live in the communities surrounding them.

For the pastors and deacons, these upgrades will provide a welcome relief on Sunday mornings and prior to other times of worship and fellowship. Currently, someone has to go to each church at least two hours in advance to turn on the tired and inefficient window air conditioning units in the cooling season or electric space heaters in the heating season; usually just enough to make the sanctuaries and fellowship halls “relatively comfortable and bearable.”

Repairing The Way to a Brighter Future

St. James AME Church, where the funders’ tour started, will receive new thermostats, blown in insulation in the roof cavity and surrounding other main areas for worship and gathering, and electrical wiring upgrades, energy efficient lighting, HVAC mini splits, and occupancy sensors for restrooms. That particular church is 139 years old.

Piney Grove Missionary Baptist Church has completed their projects since the funders visited. They retrofitted the lighting in their sanctuary, and they received blown in insulation in the roof above the sanctuary and other key areas. They also installed modern thermostats.

Bethel Baptist Church will receive modern thermostats, a new electrical panel and updated wiring, occupancy sensors for lights, lighting upgrades and blown in insulation.

GIPL hopes to have all of the upgrades completed by the end of the year, and the congregations are hopeful that they will be able to have their traditional community Thanksgiving and Christmas meals in comfort.

Acheiving Resilience

Looking to the future, GIPL says they consider these to be long-term partnerships and pilots for scaling similar projects in other parts of South Georgia. They are already engaging each congregation in talks to discuss what it would take to make each church a resiliency center, with clean, off-grid power options like solar and battery storage. They seek to provide places where neighbors can go when they experience extreme weather events and power outages like Hurricane Helene dealt to the area just over a year ago.

Until then, Dr. Gear and the members of 4C plan to make plenty more “good trouble” and advocate for their friends and neighbors.

This grant was funded by a cohort of funders that included the Atticus Fund, Ghanta Family Foundation, The Ray C. Anderson Foundation, Reilly Family Fund, Tull Charitable Foundation, and The Wilbur & Hilda Glenn Family Foundation.

Click here to watch “Abandoned: Greed, Neglect and Environmental Injustice in Adel” a documentary created by Georgia Conservation Voters Education Fund.

About Concerned Citizens of Cook County

Concerned Citizens of Cook County (4C) is a non-profit organization that seeks to be a positive force for change in Cook County by promoting equity and advocating for social and environmental justice. In fulfilling this purpose, they provide support and information designed to lift people up and give access to people who feel excluded from their communities. 4C is particularly concerned about the negative health and environmental impacts of an array of industrial facilities in communities of color and poverty in Adel, GA and Cecil, GA.

Originally published on DICK’S Sporting Goods Newsroom

PITTSBURGH, October 22, 2025 /3BL/ — DICK’S Sporting Goods (NYSE: DKS) announced recently that it expects to hire approximately 14,000 seasonal teammates for the upcoming 2025 holiday season. The company’s eighth-annual “National Signing Day” will take place on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, marking the official start of this year’s recruiting push for seasonal positions. Over 9,100 teammates will be hired to support DICK’S Sporting Goods, DICK’S House of Sport, and Public Lands locations, while over 500 additional teammates will be hired for Going, Going, Gone! locations nationwide.

Outside of the National Signing Day efforts, Foot Locker, now a DICK’S Sporting Goods company, will add approximately 4,750 team members across Foot Locker, Kids Foot Locker, WSS and Champs store locations in North America this holiday season. In addition to seasonal hiring, DICK’S has continued expanding its House of Sport footprint, with plans to open 13 House of Sport stores before the holidays.

“The holidays are one of the most exciting times for our stores, and our seasonal teammates bring incredible energy to serving our athletes and customers,” said Julie Lodge-Jarrett, EVP, Chief People, Purpose and Transformation Officer at DICK’S Sporting Goods. “Their passion and enthusiasm make all the difference during the busiest shopping days of the year, and we’re thrilled to welcome thousands of new teammates to help athletes find the perfect gifts this season.”

Seasonal teammates joining DICK’S this holiday season will be part of a company consistently recognized for its workplace culture, including being named on the Fortune Best Workplaces in Retail List and receiving a Great Place to Work certification for five years in a row.

As in previous years, all DICK’S and US Foot Locker stores and distribution centers will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, November 27, 2025, to allow teammates to spend the holiday with loved ones. Athletes will be able to shop online throughout Thanksgiving Day, with stores reopening on Black Friday.

The company is seeking applicants who are passionate about sports and customer service, eager to inspire and support athletes and customers, and enthusiastic about connecting them with the best sports apparel, footwear and equipment. Seasonal teammates receive competitive pay and teammate discounts.

For DICK’S seasonal hiring, interested candidates can apply now by visiting dicks.com/jobs and searching for their nearest location to complete a seasonal job application, then visit their local DICK’S location on National Signing Day, Wednesday, October 22, 2025 to interview and meet the team. Hiring will continue beyond that date until all seasonal positions are filled.

For Foot Locker seasonal hiring, interested candidates can apply online at careers.footlocker.com.

About DICK’S Sporting Goods  

DICK’S Sporting Goods creates confidence and excitement by inspiring, supporting and personally equipping all athletes to achieve their dreams.

Founded in 1948 and headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, DICK’S is a leading omni-channel retailer and an iconic brand in sport and culture. Its banners include DICK’S Sporting Goods, Golf Galaxy, Public Lands and Going Going Gone! in addition to the experiential retail concepts DICK’S House of Sport and Golf Galaxy Performance Center. As owner and operator of Foot Locker, including Foot Locker, Kids Foot Locker, Champs Sports, WSS, and atmos, DICK’S serves the global sneaker community across 20 countries in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia, plus a licensed store presence in Europe, the Middle East and Asia. DICK’S also owns and operates GameChanger, a youth sports mobile platform for live streaming, scheduling, communications and scorekeeping.

Driven by its belief that sports have the power to change lives, DICK’S has been a longtime champion for youth sports and, together with its Foundation, has donated millions of dollars to support under-resourced teams and athletes through the Sports Matter program and other community-based initiatives. Additional information about DICK’S business, corporate giving and employment opportunities can be found on dicks.com, investors.dicks.com, sportsmatter.org, dickssportinggoods.jobs and on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and X.

Media Contacts
DICK’S Sporting Goods – press@dcsg.com
Foot Locker- mediarelations@footlocker.com

Category: Company

SOURCE DICK’S Sporting Goods, Inc.

Read the 2025 Wesco Sustainability Report here

Our Wesco Cares Philanthropic Program

Giving back to our communities is an essential part of who we are. That commitment is the inspiration behind Wesco Cares. The corporate philanthropic program allows Wesco to make a positive and lasting impact within the communities where our employees work and reside.

WESCO CARES INITIATIVES

Corporate Giving: In support of organizations whose missions address affordable housing, humanitarian aid and education with a STEM/STEAM focus.

Employee Gift Matching: Matching of donations up to $5,000 per employee per year¹.

Employee Assistance: Providing one-time grants to employees suffering catastrophic loss to help them get back on their feet.

Every year, we are humbled by our employees’ generosity. Many of our locations also support local groups and causes that matter to them. Their acts of kindness have included donating stuffed animals to pediatric hospital patients, supporting domestic violence shelters and more.

We’re grateful for the charitable work of our team members and encourage others to follow suit.

Wesco Cares Corporate Partnerships

Habitat for Humanity International

Our annual pledge to Habitat for Humanity International helps families around the globe attain affordable housing while achieving the strength, stability and self-reliance they need to build better lives for themselves.

This year, Wesco contributed approximately $300,000 to support worldwide projects including Habitat’s Home Equals five-year global advocacy campaign, as well as fund the construction of homes in Monte de Sion, Chiapas, Mexico. The homes will be built with recycled materials and include energy efficient features including a biodigester, solar heating, bathrooms with a rainwater collector and an energy-saving wood stove. Wesco contributed approximately $200,000 towards team builds in the United States and Canada and sponsorship of the 2024 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project.

Since 2022, Wesco has participated in the completion of nearly 125 home build projects with Habitat for Humanity. Wesco employees participated in projects including new home construction, home repairs and rehab projects with local affiliates within the communities where they work and reside. The company’s work alongside Habitat has ranged from a community renovations project in São Paulo, Brazil, to a roof wind mitigation project in Orlando, Florida, as well as supporting projects in England, Mexico and New Zealand and the Carter Work Project for the last two years.

Chicagoland Habitat for Humanity

Wesco became the inaugural sponsor of Chicagoland Habitat for Humanity’s Regional Repair Collaborative in 2023. This partnership is having a profound impact on homeowners in need, fostering stronger and more resilient communities across the region.

The Regional Repair Collaborative, initiated by Chicagoland Habitat, is focused on addressing critical repairs and improvements for homes in neighborhoods served by the seven Habitat affiliate locations in the six-county area.

As the inaugural sponsor, Wesco provides financial resources and
employee volunteers to enhance the reach and impact of the Repair
Collaborative. Our dedication to promoting safe and sustainable living spaces aligns perfectly with Habitat for Humanity’s vision of a world where everyone has a decent place to live. In 2024, Wesco contributed $250,000 to Chicagoland Habitat for Humanity and the Regional Repair Collaborative.

“We are proud to expand our partnership with Habitat for Humanity. Wesco’s mission is to build, connect, power and protect our world and contributing to Habitat’s worldwide projects is part of our ongoing commitment to supporting the communities where we live and work.”

John Engel, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Wesco

Wesco Cares Corporate Partnerships

American Red Cross

The American Red Cross recognized Wesco for its pledge of $500,000 to the Annual Disaster Giving Program (ADGP). By donating to Red Cross Disaster Relief, Wesco helps ensure the organization can quickly respond to disasters big and small across the U.S. and help people in need at a moment’s notice.

ADGP members, along with their employees and customers, pledge financial and in-kind donations in advance of disasters to power the Red Cross with the infrastructure, volunteers, technology and resources to provide relief in times of crisis. These donations enable the Red Cross to respond to disasters at a moment’s notice — offering a safe place to sleep, a nutritious meal, emotional support and supplies to aid in recovery — while also helping prepare people and communities for future disasters.

In partnership with the American Red Cross, Wesco hosted American Red Cross First Aid Kit Builds at 10 of our sites across the country during our annual Day of Caring, providing needed supplies for the Red Cross’s shelter care. Wesco also hosted a MapSwipe event with employees globally, improving the Red Cross’s ability to respond to disasters.

“We at Wesco are honored to join other ADGP members in empowering the Red Cross to deliver its lifesaving mission.”

John Engel, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Wesco

Pittsburgh Penguins

Wesco partners with the Pittsburgh Penguins on the following STEM and STEAM initiatives:

STEAM LENDING LIBRARY

The STEAM Lending Library allows schools in 22 counties across Western Pennsylvania to provide students with access to technological education. Each participating intermediate unit will house a library of learning tools and STEAM-focused toys available to teachers.

STICKS AND STEM AND SCIENCE AT PLAY

Wesco is a participating partner for two in-arena STEM events. Science at Play is a summertime science fair that brings fans to the arena to learn from experts in STEM by participating in hands-on workshops. There is an in- season version of this event, Sticks and STEM, that has similar workshops on the concourse but is followed by a Penguins game where students can see science at play in the game of hockey.

To learn more, download the 2025 Wesco Sustainability Report here.

¹Please note, this amount has increased for 2025 to $5,000 per employee per year.

About This Report

Unless otherwise stated, this report covers activities, data and initiatives from our fiscal year 2024.

We also regularly engage with our investors, employees, customers, regulators, ratings agencies and others on ESG and business issues. Additional information about Wesco can be found in our public financial filings— including our annual report and proxy filings—as well as on the Security and Exchange Commission’s website at www.sec.gov or on the Investors page of our website at Wesco.com.

Originally published on Guiding Stars Health & Nutrition News

by Allison Stowell

Breast Cancer Awareness Month is a reminder of the impact cancer has on the diagnosed individual and their loved ones. Among the many outcomes of treatment can be physical and mental exhaustion for daily activities like cooking. Nutritious, easy-to-make meals, with just five ingredients or less, can help. This approach combines ingredients to build balanced, nourishing meals that come together with less time and effort. It also embraces affordable ingredients that are easy to store when accessing groceries is difficult.

Step #1: Protein

Begin by making versatile proteins that are easy to prepare and flexible to use in a variety of dishes. The key is to choose options that can be prepped easily and cooked in thirty minutes or less. Consider the size of cuts of chicken or meat for faster cooking (go for smaller meatballs and make meatloaf in two small loaf pans, for example). Vary the seasonings and preparation methods for even more flexibility and versatility.

Step #2: Make It Into a Meal

Next, add ingredients as puzzle pieces to bring simple meals together. This approach, rather than meal prepping, satisfies different preferences and works well with fluctuating appetites and meal timing. The goal is to have the following four options on hand to bring dishes together without a recipe in minutes:

Grains and Starches

Aim for a variety of grains and starches, including starchy vegetables. When possible, choose whole grains, which provide a variety of micronutrients, fiber, and protein. Be sure to include nutrient-rich, colorful starchy vegetables like sweet potatoes or butternut squash. And think about convenience first! Look for Guiding Stars earning frozen or shelf stable products that can be prepared quickly and with less effort. Or visit the produce section for pre-washed or diced options that save you time. Some other items to consider are microwavable grain pouches, frozen or steam-in-bag potatoes, whole grain wraps, soba noodles, and bean-based and higher-protein pasta.

Fruits and Vegetables

Colorful fruits and vegetables provide an assortment of antioxidants and essential vitamins and minerals. In the produce section, go for pre-washed greens and veggies to use in quick salads and sides. Make easy-to-work-with options like grape tomatoes, mini sweet bell peppers and cucumbers, baby carrots, clementines, and grapes regulars on the shopping list. Choose frozen options or no-salt-added canned options too, which are easy to store and convenient to prepare. And don’t forget wild blueberries, diced mango, and other frozen fruits for flavorful, nutritious smoothies or oatmeal.

Nutritious Add-Ons

Keep a variety of ingredients on hand to boost the nutrition of your dish. Choose easy “add-ons” that deliver heart-healthy fat, fiber, and other nutrients. Go for options like edamame (frozen, shelled, steam-in-bag), which adds 9 grams of protein and 8 grams of fiber in just a half cup. Or choose no-salt-added canned beans, guacamole or hummus, or nuts or seeds.

Flavor Add-Ons

Lastly, make any dish more interesting with salad dressing, salsa, pico de gallo, herb blends, spices, tzatziki, or other flavorful dips or sauces. These flavor add-ons can help you elevate a simple sandwich or recreate leftovers. They can also bring international flair to a rice bowl or simply add something extra to a traditional plate.

Looking for simple recipes that are made from five ingredients or less? Go for one of these Guiding Stars earning options:

Coconut Chili Fish Curry

Speedy Salmon

Spicy Baked Fish

About Guiding Stars

Guiding Stars is an objective, evidence-based, nutrition guidance program that evaluates foods and beverages to make nutritious choices simple. Products that meet transparent nutrition criteria earn a 1, 2, or 3 star rating for good, better, and best nutrition. Guiding Stars can be found in more than 2,000 grocery stores and through the Guiding Stars Food Finder app.

*Image by Freepik

Yum! Brands

Laura Gosselin took up writing mainly because her teachers complimented her work. “It was the only thing I was ever good at in school,” she admitted. This skill would eventually lead Gosselin to securing a Master’s in Fine Arts, landing a children’s book deal and getting hired at Habit Burger & Grill as its PR and communications lead – this was her expected path.

But a chance dinner led her to an unexpected side hustle as the cofounder of Give Back Pack. Her friend, Holly Hoffman Ratzlaff, had just come from her child law class that had covered the nuances of the foster care system, which became the topic of discussion that evening.

“I could not believe that a social worker shows up to a house with a trash bag, tells the kid to collect all their things and then takes them away,” Gosselin remembers thinking. “I know that it’s for their best interest in most cases, but at the same time, it just felt so scary.”

She went home that night, troubled, but without an immediate solution, she went on with her daily life. It wasn’t until Christmas that Ratzlaff and Gosselin took action, wanting to give to foster kids instead of buying gifts for their friends who already had all their needs met. The pair founded the Give Back Pack, and that holiday season, donated brand new backpacks, stuffed animals, blankets and pillows to Orange County Social Services, ensuring that foster kids could carry what they cherished in a backpack that they owned – not a trash bag. That was 10 years ago. Since then, the charity has grown to include brand-new backpacks filled with school supplies for back-to-school season, Halloween costumes (new and gently used), and toiletry bags with gift cards and other essentials for teens during the holidays.

Today, Gosselin still pursues her two passions, dividing her time between the Give Back Pack and writing communications campaigns for Habit Burger & Grill. Learn more about her Habit Burger & Grill role, her side hustle and how the two coexist in a symbiotic relationship.

You obviously have a heart for children. Tell us more about your children’s books.

Living in California, my husband and I had connections in the entertainment industry and were approached by an agent who had a series of illustrated books that needed an author. Our daughter had night terrors at the time, so we wrote a story about these monsters, called the Pinkaboos, who scare away the nightmares in little kids’ dreams. It was a really cool experience – we got to travel around, promoting the books at schools, libraries and bookstores. We even appeared on local newscasts.

But selling books is a hard business, and in the end, they didn’t fly off the shelves. It was probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to let go of; the harsh reality that they were never going to take off.

How do you keep your writing sharp post-Pinkaboos?

I’m lucky enough that I get to write, and I get to write in a creative way because we’re always doing these weird and wild campaigns at Habit! Our chief marketing officer, Jack Hinchliffe, is a creative visionary. So, I feel fulfilled at the end of the day; I get to flex that muscle all the time.

Leading communications for the brand that boasts the No. 1 burger in the United States is more than a full-time job. How do you also run a nonprofit?

At night, I’ll send emails, responding to groups that are generous enough to donate to us. We even got the CEO of Tilly’s to sell us high quality backpacks at a steep discount because we want these kids to have something they feel proud of.

On the weekends, it’s a family affair. Our daughters and my mom all pack backpacks and end up with backaches by the end because you’re constantly bending over. In the fall, we pack them with school supplies. In October, we provide Halloween costumes, and in December, it’s all about holiday gifts. Thank goodness, social services has a big truck that they drive to my house and pick everything up.

How are these backpacks making a difference?

We have 3,000 foster kids and only 300 available homes. Without a home, the kids are sent to institutions and sleep in a big room with bunk beds. And once they grow up, only 11% are deemed successful, and the definition of success in this case means that they hold at least a minimum wage job.

I can’t fix the system, but I can make sure that many  foster kids have a toothbrush and toothpaste, so they feel clean, that they have a stuffed animal to hold when they’re lonely, that they have a pillow of their own to sleep on and that all of this is held in a quality backpack, not a trash bag. We cover the basics, so they can focus on more important matters, like their long roads ahead.

Originally published on newsroom.marykay.com

DALLAS, October 22, 2025 /3BL/ – The Mary Kay Ash Foundation^®, an unwavering champion of supporting survivors of domestic violence and advocating for women’s safety, announced it has awarded more than $1 million in domestic violence shelter grants around the country. Since 1996, the Mary Kay Ash Foundation has given more than $58 million in support to end domestic violence and rebuild lives after abuse.

In 2025, grants were awarded to the following domestic violence shelter and support service organizations:

• Annual Domestic Violence Shelter Grants (51 Grants | $1,020,000)

  Domestic violence shelters in 51 states and U.S. territories received $20,000 grants each totaling over $1 million in unrestricted funds to support life-saving services such as legal aid, counseling, facility improvements, childcare, job readiness training, and more.

• Local Domestic Violence Shelter Grants (4 Grants | $100,000)

  Awarded four local domestic violence shelters across North Texas with $25,000 grants each totaling $100,000 to address specific community needs. Denton County Friends of the Family, Hope’s Door New Beginning Center, Genesis Women’s Shelter & Support, and The Family Place provide critical needs to women facing abuse.

• The National Domestic Violence Hotline ($70,000)

  Announced partnership with The National Domestic Violence Hotline (“The Hotline”) – the nation’s leading resource for survivors and those seeking to support them – to create a nationwide initiative focused on trauma-informed education, community engagement, and life-saving tools to help individuals recognize and respond to abuse. The partnership provides training webinars, downloadable resources, and a series of short videos.

• The Conference on Crimes Against Women ($75,000) 

  Supported for 19 consecutive years The Conference on Crimes Against Women (CCAW), an annual community multi-stakeholder conference in Dallas, Texas dedicated to addressing and combating all forms of crimes against women. Drawing 3,000 annually, CCAW is the only conference that addresses all crimes against women with a multidisciplinary focus that encourages a coordinated community response. The 20^th edition of the conference took place in May 2025.

  View a full list of 2025 Mary Kay Ash Foundation Domestic Violence Shelter Grant recipients.

“For nearly 30 years, the Mary Kay Ash Foundation has been guided by a simple notion: when women thrive, communities thrive,” said Michael Lunceford, President of the Mary Kay Ash Foundation Board of Directors. “From funding innovative women’s cancer research to strengthening services for survivors of domestic violence, at our core we are empowering communities, restoring hope, and giving women the chance to live longer, healthier, safer lives.”

The Mary Kay Ash Foundation has awarded more than $98 million to women’s shelters and domestic violence service providers, as well as cancer research programs and related causes throughout the U.S. For more information, visit marykayashfoundation.org 

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About Mary Kay Ash Foundation® 
Guided by Mary Kay Ash’s dream to enrich the lives of women everywhere, the Mary Kay Ash Foundation® raises and distributes funds to end domestic violence and invest in breakthrough cancer research to find cures for women-related cancers. Since 1996, the Mary Kay Ash Foundation has contributed more than $98 million to organizations aligned with its two-fold mission. In addition, the Foundation supports awareness initiatives, community outreach programs, and advocates for legislation to ensure women are healthy and safe. Together, we can make the world better for women. To learn more about how to educate, advocate, volunteer, donate, and join life-saving work to support and empower women, visit marykayashfoundation.org, or find us on Facebook and Instagram.

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Mary Kay Inc. Corporate Communications
newsroom.marykay.com

What is an EHS Audit?

An Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) audit is a structured evaluation of your organization’s operations, policies, and procedures to identify risks, ensure compliance, and uncover opportunities for improvement. Regular audits not only safeguard employees and the environment—they also build trust with investors, regulators, and the community.

The Growing Significance of EHS Management in Business

The role that Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) management plays in business has come into greater focus as governments and citizens around the world demand greater transparency and accountability from corporations. Today’s EHS professionals are tasked with a wide range of responsibilities, including regulatory compliance, training, and risk management. Their work can lead to significant cost-savings within organizations.

A proactive EHS audit helps organizations:

• Ensure regulatory compliance and avoid costly penalties
• Strengthen workplace safety culture
• Demonstrate ESG and sustainability performance
• Identify operational efficiencies and reduce costs

This article explores how EHS audits can help organizations achieve these important outcomes.

EHS Audit Program Objectives

The goal of your organization’s EHS program is typically two-fold:

1. Ensuring regulatory compliance with government and industry regulations.
2. Ensuring the safety and well-being of employees and the surrounding community.

An EHS program aims to protect employees and maintain regulatory compliance. To do this, the EHS team conducts an audit—internal or external—to assess current practices and impacts. Audit results guide compliance, highlight improvement areas, and support better processes.

8 Key Reasons to Conduct Regular EHS Audits

Proactive EHS audits of organizational behaviors and protocols should be conducted periodically to ensure ongoing compliance with regulations and industry standards. In sectors involving hazardous materials or machinery, more frequent audits may be necessary.

The following are key benefits why EHS audits are essential and beneficial for businesses:

1. Local Compliance

Compliance with local regulations is fundamental to operating a business or facility within any country.

The complexity of regulations across various jurisdictions can make it challenging for businesses with multiple facilities to keep up. Organizations must either maintain their own regulatory information or work with EHS audit service providers who manage regulatory databases.

For practical guidance, refer to the blog “How to Build an Effective EHS Audit Checklist“

Maintaining compliance through proactive EHS audits to ensure you’re in compliance with local regulations can save you from costly fines and work interruptions.

2. Certification Requirement

Certain certifications are necessary for securing operational licenses, joining industry organizations, and building investor confidence. Routine EHS audits help organizations meet regulatory requirements for certifications. For instance, companies certified or seeking certification with systems like the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) should include these checks in their annual strategy.

Such certifications can set a business apart when supply chain evaluations or ESG investment ratings are considered.

3. Financing Requirement

Expanding a business, especially into new markets, requires financial capital. Some banking authorities may mandate EHS compliance as part of the financing application process. For example, the World Bank Group’s International Finance Corporation (IFC) requires adherence to specific EHS guidelines to maintain good standing with their financial institutions.

4. Risk Prevention

EHS audits are crucial for identifying hazards and managing incident prevention.

By uncovering areas of concern, organizations can take proactive steps to mitigate risks before they result in serious issues. Involving different personnel in audits can provide fresh perspectives and help identify new risks.

5. Validating Risk Assessment Tools

EHS safeguards and protocols often rely on tools that need periodic validation, such as risk assessments. Audits help evaluate the effectiveness of these tools and provide opportunities to calibrate and validate them, ensuring they function as intended.

6. Improved Workforce Culture

When employees see their organization taking active measures to ensure their health and safety, productivity tends to increase. A study by KPA and EHS Today found that improving worker safety and culture were the top reasons organizations conducted EHS audits.

7. Increased Profitability

Organizations with exemplary EHS records have several financial advantages:

• Stronger Recruitment: Employees are more likely to join companies with robust safety standards and a commitment to environmental accountability.
• Fewer Assessments and Claims: Maintaining compliance and a claim-free status leads to substantial savings by avoiding costs associated with assessments and insurance claims.
• Increased Productivity: A safe and valued workforce performs better, and regular equipment assessments and maintenance promote operational efficiency and reduce breakdowns.
• More Attractive to Investors: A spotless EHS performance record enhances credibility and appeal when seeking investment.

8. Continuous Improvement

EHS audits are not just about finding faults but also about identifying opportunities for improvement. This can involve updating equipment, revising procedures, or enhancing safety measures to create a safer and more efficient workplace.

By prioritizing EHS audits, corporations demonstrate their commitment to sustainability, social responsibility, and the well-being of their workforce, ultimately leading to long-term business success and resilience.

Getting Started with EHS Audits

Whether your organization operates one facility or a global network, the best audit programs are tailored, repeatable, and data-driven. Partnering with an experienced EHS auditor ensures you meet all regulatory obligations while uncovering opportunities for improvement.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. What is included in an EHS audit?
Typical EHS audits assess regulatory compliance, permits, waste management, emissions, worker safety, training, and documentation of corrective actions.

2. How often should we perform an EHS audit?
Most organizations conduct audits annually, though high-risk industries may need quarterly or semiannual reviews. Major operational or regulatory changes should also trigger an audit.

3. Should we use internal or external auditors?
Internal teams know your operations best, but third-party auditors bring impartial insight and benchmarking against industry standards.

4. What are common EHS audit findings?
Frequent findings include missing documentation, outdated procedures, incomplete training, or weak corrective-action tracking.

5. What happens after an audit?
You’ll receive a report summarizing findings, priorities, and recommendations. The next step is implementing corrective actions and tracking progress to closure.

Learn more about our EHS audit and inspection services.

To understand how audit needs are evolving globally, especially in fast-growing regions, listen to our podcast The Rising Demand for EHS Audits in the Asia Pacific Region.

Inogen Alliance is a global network made up of dozens of independent local businesses and over 5,000 consultants around the world who can help make your project a success. Our Associates collaborate closely to serve multinational corporations, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations, and we share knowledge and industry experience to provide the highest quality service to our clients. If you want to learn more about how you can work with Inogen Alliance, you can explore our Associates or Contact Us. Watch for more News & Blog updates here and follow us on LinkedIn.

As part of its 75th anniversary in Latin America, New Holland Construction, a CNH brand, reaffirms its commitment to sustainable development in the region with the delivery of construction equipment to the municipality of Santa Cruz Island, in the Galapagos archipelago.

Among the machinery acquired by the municipality of Santa Cruz are the D180C tracked tractor, the B110C backhoe, the E215C hydraulic excavator and the L330 skid steer, manufactured in different plants in America, Europe and Asia. These stand out for the incorporation of state-of-the-art technology that allows operating with low noise level, lower fuel consumption and a significant reduction in emissions, adapting to the demanding environmental conditions of the island.

“New Holland’s presence in Galapagos symbolizes much more than a delivery of machinery: it is a concrete contribution to the responsible development of the island, accompanying its growth with solutions that respect nature and local identity,” said Rafael Ricciardi, Commercial Manager for Latin America. In addition, he added: “We are proud to be part of this new stage in Santa Cruz, promoting infrastructure and sustainable tourism.”

With a history of more than seven decades in the continent, New Holland Construction continues to offer solutions for every application and working condition, with reliable, easy-to-maintain equipment and high-performance, fuel-efficient engines. Its commitment is also reflected in the comfort and safety of the operator, fundamental pillars of its philosophy of responsible innovation.