Tag: 3BL

Aligned organizations Cascale and Worldly held a first-ever joint event during New York Climate Week. Cascale (formerly the Sustainable Apparel Coalition) is the global nonprofit alliance for the consumer goods industry; Worldly is the exclusive platform for Cascale’s Higg Index and the most comprehensive sustainability data and insights platform.

At the co-hosted “Chatting Climate & Consumer Goods” event held in New York City’s Garment District, speakers and attendees delivered deep supply chain decarbonization insights, building on presentations at the Cascale Annual Meeting and Worldly Customer Forum in Munich earlier this month. Attendees included Cascale members PVH, Patagonia, Lululemon, The Children’s Place, as well as guests including LVMH, among others. Hosts and speakers offered expertise on decarbonization, identifying improvements in supplier engagement, and setting science-based targets.

Colin Browne, CEO, Cascale; Scott Raskin, CEO, Worldly; and Tamar Hoek, Cascale Board Chair and senior policy director sustainable fashion, Solidaridad began the event with a call to action. “You only get so far with voluntary actions,” Browne said, outlining how sustainability regulation will change our workforce and become an imperative, while Raskin invited the audience to challenge the discussions adding, “Let’s not have the same conversations.” “If we really want to have a good future for future generations, then we have to save planet earth,” Hoek said, conveying hope but acknowledging the “long road ahead.”

In the first session, Lewis Perkins, president and CEO, Apparel Impact Institute, joined the stage alongside Browne for a conversation on “Scaling Decarbonization.” The executives discussed the collaborative work between Aii and Cascale and how the organizations are aligning on critical solutions and financing strategies. “Going forward, carbon is going to be an important metric.” Browne said of optimized sourcing strategies. “We need to do less to do more.”

Perkins outlined four components of the “Industry Decarbonization Roadmap,” or IDR, as well as Aii’s $250 million-dollar Fashion Climate Fund and interlinked Climate Solutions Portfolio. IDR is a roadmap for companies operating in regions where greenhouse gas emissions are highest to map, identify, and act. He then shared four key components to the IDR, which include a standardized technical methodology, development of a facility carbon benchmark, funding and financing, and engagement and commitment. “I’m not here to push debt on any suppliers,” he said, stressing that the “holy grail” for brands and retailers should be long-term partnership agreements. Perkins mentioned The Future Supplier Initiative, which aims to reduce the financial burden for suppliers by working in unity with fashion brands to lower costs.

Next, in a special pre-recorded session, “Manufacturer Message: Live from Jakarta,” Sunil Shewakramani, CEO Busana Apparel Group, and Andrew Martin, executive vice president of Cascale, discussed the synergy between brands and suppliers and the moral imperative to do right by people and planet. Shewakramani said doing good is a “competitive advantage” in terms of how the 49-year-old business looks at green investments. Busana Apparel Group ranks among the largest garment manufacturers and exporters globally, with 24 global facilities and a number of Leed Certifications from the Green Building Council. Martin emphasized Cascale’s intent to elevate manufacturers’ voices, to which Shewakramani added: “The whole thing needs to change from ‘I’ to ‘we.’”

After a networking break, Cascale’s director of Higg Transparency, Chris Marshall, joined the stage to moderate the panel “Climate Engagement and Action in Tier 2.” Speakers included Jimmy Summers, vice president – EHS/sustainability at Elevate Textiles, Inc.; Xiaofei Li, senior manager, material sustainability and transparency at Eileen Fisher; and Stefanie Kato, Worldly associate director of accounts.

“The thing that does motivate us is business — across the board,” said Summers. “One of the promises was that [the Higg Index] would reduce the number of audits — and promise delivered. We went from 12 audits at a facility to maybe three.” Kato spoke of the ways Worldly is match-making brands with suppliers in the same network, so data points are aligned, and. stressed the need for quicker frequency in data. Finally, Li shared how Eileen Fisher is approaching the Tier 2 decarbonization journey. “We worked very hard to have our suppliers adopt Higg FEM. To incentivize that we incorporated Higg FEM in our Tier 1 scorecard and Tier 2 mill scorecard,” she said, confirming the importance of supporting suppliers with expertise and financing.

In a final session, “Transparency In Action,” Worldly’s Scott Raskin and Natalie Grillon, CEO of Open Supply Hub, explored the potential for data harmonization in facilities. The organizations are in close collaboration offering an API integration for the data.

As moderator, Raskin explored several critical themes during the discussion. He began by asking Grillon to outline the latest developments at Open Supply Hub (OSH), seeking insight into its current priorities and areas of exciting progress. This set the stage for a deeper exploration of industry trends, particularly the movement toward data harmonization within the consumer goods sector, highlighting the growing importance of integrated and standardized data. He also delved into how the adoption of OSH by multi-stakeholder initiatives (MSIs) improves collaboration across supply chains, reflecting his interest in how these partnerships can strengthen supply chain relationships and shared goals. He reinforced that transparency in data is Worldly’s mission.

Grillon gave a recap of her career trajectory working in international development with farmers in countries from Uganda to Mali before founding Open Supply Hub in 2019. Since its launch, Open Supply Hub has expanded its mandate into broader consumer goods and now has nearly 500,000 users today across the value chain, with a target of five million by 2026. Through the platform, users can access information on facility names and locations, as well as organizations affiliated with a specific facility, which promotes shared solutions. “The idea behind these initiatives is shared progress,” Grillon said.

CHARLOTTE, N.C., September 30, 2024 /3BL/ – Truist Foundation today announced it will donate an additional $500,000 to support relief and recovery efforts in communities most impacted by the historic destruction from Hurricane Helene, including Western North Carolina, making its total contributions $1 million. The funds will be distributed to IT Disaster Resource Center, United Way Worldwide, the American Red Cross and Center for Disaster Philanthropy’s Atlantic Hurricane Season Recovery Fund.

“Many of the communities we serve are experiencing historic and catastrophic flooding and millions are still without power and access to everyday essentials,” said Lynette Bell, president of Truist Foundation. “Truist Foundation is supporting trusted partners who are on the ground in the hardest hit areas, tirelessly working to restore power, cell service and clear roadways. We are committed to putting our purpose into action with additional funds to help those in impacted communities get connected – digitally and physically – as soon as possible.”

In addition to technology and infrastructure support, including converting trucks and trailers into Wi-Fi hotspots and connectivity centers, the selected organizations will use their grant funds to identify and deliver the most critical immediate community needs such as access to food, shelter and medical services. A portion of the donation will be focused on medium- and long-term recovery informed by disaster experts in partnership with those in the affected communities.

Last week, Truist Foundation announced an initial $500,000 grant to help prepare, respond and recover in communities impacted by Helene as quickly as possible. These funds – along with Truist Foundation’s $1 million grant made earlier this year to the American Red Cross Annual Disaster Giving Program – helped the American Red Cross establish 10 disaster relief operations across 10 states, provide 1,400 disaster workers, support 70 shelters, and deploy 45 emergency response vehicles – with about two dozen more enroute. Funds also helped provide food, shelter, emotional support, comfort kits and other immediate relief supplies to thousands of families and individuals impacted by Helene.

About Truist Foundation 
Truist Foundation is committed to Truist Financial Corporation’s (NYSE: TFC) purpose to inspire and build better lives and communities. The foundation, an endowed private foundation established in 2020 whose operating budget is independent of Truist Financial Corporation, makes strategic investments in a wide variety of nonprofit organizations centered around two focus areas: building career pathways to economic mobility and strengthening small businesses to ensure all communities have an equal opportunity to thrive. Embodying these focus areas are the foundation’s leading initiatives — the Inspire Awards and Where It Starts. Learn more at Truist.com/Foundation.

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Media Contact: 
Kristen Fraser 
media@truist.com

Verizon

Terry Beltrán meets with Ask the Latina app user Melissa Enciso in the Mexicantown neighborhood of Detroit.

When Terry Beltrán was a student at Michigan State University, she remembers being the only Latina in her industrial engineering program. In difficult moments, she felt she could have benefited from more support. “I always look back and think, had I had a role model that looked like me, it would have made a difference,” Beltrán says.

Today, Beltrán, who lives in the greater Detroit area, is an entrepreneur with decades of success under her belt. In addition to holding marketing roles at several major Fortune 500 companies, she also launched two businesses as a solopreneur. Vista Latinos helps brands target Hispanic audiences; Beltrán Media provides marketing expertise to Hispanic-owned small businesses.

To help the next generation, Beltrán decided to create a mentorship app called Ask the Latina, which connects Latina professionals to Latina students hoping to start careers in STEM and finance. As Beltrán points out, Latinas are underrepresented in those fields. “I felt like that needed to change,” she says. And although Beltrán runs two thriving media and marketing companies, she turned to Verizon Small Business Digital Ready to gain valuable skills she needed to create the app.

The most impactful aspect of the Verizon Small Business Digital Ready program, Beltrán says, was that it connected her to an “awesome” engineering mentor, who helped her figure out how to price the app and sort through proposals from developers. “[My] mentor was already part of building apps as an engineer—it was like a perfect match,” she explains. Beltrán was early in the app process, working on wireframes, which are like blueprints for an app. By working with her mentor, Beltrán was able to bring the app to reality—called minimal viable product in the field—and reduce the development costs by 25%, she says.

A one-on-one session with a Verizon Small Business Digital Ready finance expert also helped Beltrán realize that launching the Ask the Latina app would necessarily be different from her other ventures. Her businesses are service-oriented, and after the finance session, Beltrán realized, “This was a totally different area … I’m going in and developing a product this time, not a service.” A financial structures course helped her create a new business model for the app.

Through additional self-paced and live courses, Beltrán learned to hone her social media strategy, including using social media to target mentors and younger mentees. She says she increased followers on one social media site by 50%, hired a social media content creator, and redesigned her website to include Ask the Latina under her umbrella brand.

Indeed, Beltrán found that even with her experience and record of success, Verizon Small Business Digital Ready offered new learnings – and ones she was able to apply to all three of her current ventures. “I think that the nice thing about Verizon Small Business Digital Ready, is it’s actually great for anybody in any stage of their career, any stage of their business, whether they’re startup or further down the line,” Beltrán says, “because I find that there’s something in there for no matter what stage you’re in.”

Verizon Small Business Digital Ready is part of Verizon’s goal to support 1 million small businesses by 2030 with the resources to thrive in the digital economy. Visit CitizenVerizon.com to learn more about the company’s responsible business efforts. To sign up for Verizon Small Business Digital Ready, visit digitalready.verizonwireless.com. An individual user’s experience may vary and results are not guaranteed.

We partnered with 93.7 WSTW to support the Food Bank of Delaware’s Backpack Program, which provides healthy food packs to kids in need during weekends and school breaks. As the proud presenting sponsor of 93.7 WSTW’s Radiothon, we helped raise money for this initiative, which partners with nearly 200 organizations throughout Delaware to distribute between 4,000-6,000 bags weekly to students in need. Our 20 dedicated volunteers assembled more than 1,250 backpacks at the Food Bank in Newark!

This effort not only ensures that children have access to nutritious food but also fosters a sense of community and support. A big thank you to our team of volunteers and the Food Bank of Delaware for their unwavering commitment to providing food for kids in need. Together, we are making a tangible difference in the lives of many families.

Mastercard

Business travel is continuing to rebound faster than predicted — and with net zero deadlines looming, it’s even more important to reduce travel’s carbon footprint. The task is complicated and tricky, but data analytics supercharged by artificial intelligence can make it easier for companies to track travel-related carbon emissions and offer precise insights for more sustainable travel practices.

For example, PredictX’s artificial intelligence-powered platform gathers and crunches a company’s travel data to get a transparent accounting of carbon emissions, find cost savings and alert employees about more climate-friendly travel options, so a company can rein in CO2 emissions.

“A good analogy of how PredictX works in some ways is a wastewater treatment plant, except we’re cleaning dirty data instead of dirty water,” says PredictX CEO Keesup Choe. “If it’s not accurate and consolidated and clean, then whatever you calculate from it is going to be garbage.”

PredictX recently joined Mastercard’s extensive ecosystem of partners to support companies in better managing travel spend through policy compliance, auditing and sustainability insights. The Mastercard Newsroom recently spoke to Choe and Mastercard’s Lydie Charpin, senior vice president of corporate travel and B2B commercial card, about the challenges of tracking sustainable travel, what companies can do to lower their carbon emissions and how they can engage employees to come along for the ride.

When PredictX moved into the corporate travel space, what were your customers’ top concerns?

Choe: At the time, companies couldn’t answer the basic questions, like who spent what, with whom, let alone why they spent it. One of the reasons is that in travel, data is incredibly fragmented. There’s data from the travel management companies and then expense systems, card systems. Travelers can sometimes book directly with a hotel, airline or third-party site. So simple questions — even “How much do we spend?” — were difficult to answer. Once they started getting data, they needed the right tools to help them use it.

When did you start to see environmental and social sustainability become more of a priority for corporations in the context of business travel?

Choe: It’s not a coincidence that many of the pledges to get to net zero were made during the pandemic, when there was virtually no corporate travel. It seemed easier to meet some of these goals when the numbers didn’t look as challenging.

What makes tracking ESG metrics like carbon emissions so challenging in this space?

Charpin: As Keesup mentioned, it’s complex because it’s fragmented, but also, and very importantly, it’s not yet standardized. However, there’s been significant progress with groups emerging to help establish sustainability standards for the travel industry. For instance, Mastercard recently joined the Travalyst Coalition, which aims to bring consistent sustainability information to the mainstream to help business and leisure travelers make more conscious travel choices. Travalyst has so far focused on scaling sustainability data for aviation and accommodation such as the Travel Impact Model, which since its launch has shown flight emissions estimates to over 65 billion travelers at the point of booking.

While significant progress has been achieved with standardizing flight emission data, the hotel industry is considerably more difficult. There’s not yet a clear consensus that this given hotel has the equivalent of this specific carbon footprint. Rather, an online travel booking platform can use one measurement and a major hotel chain can use another. The push for standardization throughout the entire travel industry is more important than ever.

What should companies prioritize in their travel programs to accelerate their sustainability goals?

Choe: Companies really need to shift from passive annual reporting to active management. There’s no way any efficiency measures can be made when you’re measuring something once on an annual basis. More instant feedback motivates people to act.

Charpin: This feedback also enables companies to evolve their T&E policies in real time to meet their sustainability goals faster. Travel decision-makers across businesses also need to assess what trade-offs are permissible so employees travel more sustainably. Maybe it’s tailoring their T&E policy to not permit connecting flights, even if they are less expensive, or buying all electric vehicles for their corporate fleet.

What role do employees play in achieving a company’s sustainable travel goals, and how can they be engaged?

Choe: Education is key. Next is influencing them in the right way. PredictX has a module that identifies behavior that could be improved and automatically sends a little nudge to employees to consider a better option next time. It has to be part of an active strategy, reminding people to choose more sustainable travel as they are making the decision. I expect most people, when they’re reminded, will take the option with a lower environmental impact.

Charpin: You also have to ensure the information is provided in a meaningful manner that employees can easily understand. For instance, saying your flight’s carbon footprint is equivalent to the emissions produced by a household for a year will carry more weight than saying your trip will produce two tons of carbon emissions per passenger. And then you have to go one step beyond that and encourage the employee to make the right decision. I’ve heard of companies, for example, that gamify choices so the “greenest” team of travelers during a given month or quarter is rewarded.

What future innovations or investment areas is PredictX exploring to further enhance ESG metrics in travel management?

Choe: PredictX finds CO2-saving strategies and then broadcasts them so travel managers can execute. PredictX has a simulation engine that can tell you in advance how much a carbon footprint is going to be for, say, a conference or product launch. It can help you decide if New York or Atlanta is the right place to hold an event. Or maybe there’s a different city that could actually be much lower in terms of CO2. Perhaps your usual venue isn’t using sustainable electricity, so why not use this other hotel that is? It allows you to make all of these choices and analyze them, well before an event, to make sure you are making the right decisions. These sorts of forecasting and predictive tools are what we’re bringing to the market.

Originally published by Mastercard

Follow along Mastercard’s journey to connect and power an inclusive, digital economy that benefits everyone, everywhere.

Originally published on 3M News Center

To help combat climate change, the world needs more people at all skill levels to join the green economy. With more than 300 million new “green jobs” possible by 2050, 3M is intensifying its commitment to climate innovation, using cutting-edge materials science to advance decarbonization, energy efficiency, sustainable infrastructure and more. The innovation required to drive the green economy will require contributions from everyone, regardless of industry, expertise or experience.

3M’s new docuseries, “Green Works,” celebrates five people working to address climate challenges and the critical need for more talent to support the green transition. With roles in renewable energy, electric vehicles, climate education, reforestation, and sustainable fashion, they demonstrate the powerful impact of green jobs on our planet and its future:

Estefanía Pihen González, formerly the Program Director for Climate Action Pathways for Schools (CAPS), has worked in sustainability education for over 15 years in the U.S. and has led teams in curricular development and professional training for teachers to support the integration of action-oriented sustainability education in classrooms. She recently joined the California Academy of Sciences as its Chief of Education and Learning.

Ka-young Hyun, Application Engineer, 3M Automotive and Aerospace Solutions Division in South Korea, tests the limits of high-temperature flames to ensure the safety and performance of EV batteries.

Matthias Martensen, Co-Founder and CEO, Ostrom, is committed to driving Germany’s energy transition by making renewable energy more accessible and inclusive.

Dov Rosenmann, Head of Country, in Earthworm Foundation, Brazil, is passionate about promoting sustainable practices and enhancing organizational development.

Wang Yilei, Secretary General of China Outdoor Association, Founder, Sportsinnov.Club, has over a decade of experience in the Chinese sports industry and helps improve sustainable practices.

“Green Works” tells the human side of insights uncovered in the 3M State of Science Insights, a global original research study, that revealed 75% of people say green jobs are crucial to addressing climate change, and many expect to see growth in the green jobs market over the next five years.

Take the first step

3M is partnering with Work on Climate, a nonprofit on a mission to build the workforce needed to help solve climate change equitably and justly. Work on Climate is known for building the world’s largest online community that helps professionals find green jobs by offering resources such as mentorship programs, green job starter packs, networking opportunities, educational content and career guidance.

Also, Climate Action Pathways for Schools (CAPS), featured in Green Works, is on a mission to cultivate the next generation of climate leaders by empowering students to make a real difference in their communities. Through CAPS, students gain hands-on experience in sustainability, working on paid projects that prepare them for thriving green careers while driving immediate change. Imagine leading initiatives that help under-resourced school districts save energy, switch to renewable resources, embrace clean transportation, and cut down on waste. These projects not only build climate resilience but also enhance students’ readiness for college and the workforce.

Learn more:

Students: If you’re passionate about making a positive impact and want to develop the skills needed for rewarding green jobs, explore Kickstart Your Career in the Green Economy.

Teachers and Administrators: If you’re eager to inspire your students and advance climate education while cutting your school district’s carbon footprint and operational costs, dive into Equip Students for the Green Economy.

Everyone: Interested in the future landscape of green jobs? Discover insights on the most in-demand roles and emerging opportunities in our “Future of Work is Green” report, created in collaboration with Accenture.

Watch 3M’s new docuseries, “Green Works” here.

Product launch supports customer sustainability goals and marks a notable milestone in Dow’s commitment to advancing circularityThis additional offering in the REVOLOOP™ Recycled Plastics Resins portfolio allows customers in all regions to incorporate post-consumer recycled (PCR) content into cable jacketing without compromising high quality and performance

MIDLAND, Mich., September 30, 2024 /3BL/ – Dow (NYSE: DOW) announces the launch of a range of REVOLOOP™ Recycled Plastics Resins that incorporate post-consumer recycled (PCR) material into cable jacketing to help address customers’ varying needs and circularity goals across the globe.

This latest addition to the REVOLOOP™ Resins portfolio prioritizes similar performance as virgin plastic material for cable jackets while offering sustainability benefits, marking a milestone in Dow’s commitment to advancing circularity.

Adopting PCR into wire and cable products helps divert plastic waste from landfills and the natural environment by introducing it to the circular ecosystem, underscoring Dow’s ambition to ”Transform the Waste” by commercializing three million metric tons of circular and renewable solutions annually by 2030.

“With the launch of REVOLOOP™ Resins for the global wire and cable industry, we are expanding our sustainability portfolio while helping our power and telecommunications customers meet their own targets,” said Edit Berczi, global wire and cable marketing manager for Dow’s Packaging and Specialty Plastics business. “This offering, along with our steadfast commitment to quality and reliability and the high importance we place on safety, helps support our customers’ approach to PCR across the globe.”

By combining its vast industry knowledge, cutting-edge technology development and reliability as a trusted one-stop-shop supplier for the wire and cable industry, Dow is contributing to a transformation in the processing and application of PCR ingredients – offering customers more global options to meet their goals.

About Dow 
Dow (NYSE: DOW) is one of the world’s leading materials science companies, serving customers in high-growth markets such as packaging, infrastructure, mobility and consumer applications. Our global breadth, asset integration and scale, focused innovation, leading business positions and commitment to sustainability enable us to achieve profitable growth and help deliver a sustainable future. We operate manufacturing sites in 31 countries and employ approximately 35,900 people. Dow delivered sales of approximately $45 billion in 2023. References to Dow or the Company mean Dow Inc. and its subsidiaries. Learn more about us and our ambition to be the most innovative, customer-centric, inclusive and sustainable materials science company in the world by visiting www.dow.com.

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For further information, please contact:

Jennifer Varadi 
346-410-9006 
jvaradi@dow.com

Originally published on Aflac Newsroom

It all started nearly three decades ago with a $3 million pledge to establish the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center — the first step in a long-standing commitment to supporting the treatment and cure of childhood cancer and blood disorders.

Fast forward to today, and that commitment has grown to include more than $184 million in donations, more than 32,000 My Special Aflac Ducks® delivered to pediatric cancer and sickle cell patients, and countless initiatives designed to raise awareness — all with the hope of adding a little more brightness for patients and their families.

Helping those facing childhood cancer and sickle cell is the core of our philanthropic mission, and this September — during Childhood Cancer and Sickle Cell Awareness Month — we continue to build that bridge toward a brighter future.

Last September marked our first “Bridge to Brighter” initiative — a campaign designed to help shine a light on the visible and invisible challenges that often come with cancer and blood disorders. Throughout the month, we saw various cities across the country light up their bridges in burgundy and gold — the signature colors for these two causes. We saw local news anchors don burgundy and gold ribbons during their live broadcasts. We introduced a new Pediatric Cancer and Sickle Cell Awareness plush duck, which happens to feature the same ribbons on its little backpack. And we partnered with athletes and celebrities to deliver My Special Aflac Ducks to thousands of pediatric cancer and sickle cell patients.

This year, it’s the same mission: raise awareness and support for those facing these illnesses. News anchors across the country will once again wear burgundy and gold while they help spread the word; familiar faces will share why they’re signed on to support our initiative — and My Special Aflac Duck will land in the arms of children for the first official delivery event in New York City. But we’re adding more resources for anyone who wants to help but isn’t sure where to start. The Bridge to Brighter campaign has tips on how to offer support, such as dropping off a meal or offering to run an errand, various ways to donate, and even premade social media posts to show your support and spread the word about these resources to others.

I hope you’ll join me in building this bridge to a brighter future. Visit Aflac.com/BridgeToBrighter to see all of the ways you can become part of this community of support for those facing cancer and blood disorders.

This content is for informational purposes only and is not a solicitation for insurance. Aflac includes Aflac and/or Aflac New York and/or Continental American Insurance Company and/or Continental American Life Insurance Company.

Aflac WWHQ | 1932 Wynnton Road | Columbus, GA 31999

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Originally published on Aflac Newsroom

It all started nearly three decades ago with a $3 million pledge to establish the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center — the first step in a long-standing commitment to supporting the treatment and cure of childhood cancer and blood disorders.

Fast forward to today, and that commitment has grown to include more than $184 million in donations, more than 32,000 My Special Aflac Ducks® delivered to pediatric cancer and sickle cell patients, and countless initiatives designed to raise awareness — all with the hope of adding a little more brightness for patients and their families.

Helping those facing childhood cancer and sickle cell is the core of our philanthropic mission, and this September — during Childhood Cancer and Sickle Cell Awareness Month — we continue to build that bridge toward a brighter future.

Last September marked our first “Bridge to Brighter” initiative — a campaign designed to help shine a light on the visible and invisible challenges that often come with cancer and blood disorders. Throughout the month, we saw various cities across the country light up their bridges in burgundy and gold — the signature colors for these two causes. We saw local news anchors don burgundy and gold ribbons during their live broadcasts. We introduced a new Pediatric Cancer and Sickle Cell Awareness plush duck, which happens to feature the same ribbons on its little backpack. And we partnered with athletes and celebrities to deliver My Special Aflac Ducks to thousands of pediatric cancer and sickle cell patients.

This year, it’s the same mission: raise awareness and support for those facing these illnesses. News anchors across the country will once again wear burgundy and gold while they help spread the word; familiar faces will share why they’re signed on to support our initiative — and My Special Aflac Duck will land in the arms of children for the first official delivery event in New York City. But we’re adding more resources for anyone who wants to help but isn’t sure where to start. The Bridge to Brighter campaign has tips on how to offer support, such as dropping off a meal or offering to run an errand, various ways to donate, and even premade social media posts to show your support and spread the word about these resources to others.

I hope you’ll join me in building this bridge to a brighter future. Visit Aflac.com/BridgeToBrighter to see all of the ways you can become part of this community of support for those facing cancer and blood disorders.

This content is for informational purposes only and is not a solicitation for insurance. Aflac includes Aflac and/or Aflac New York and/or Continental American Insurance Company and/or Continental American Life Insurance Company.

Aflac WWHQ | 1932 Wynnton Road | Columbus, GA 31999

Z2400842

Key Points

Marathon Petroleum’s Los Angeles refinery hosted open houses at its Wilmington and Carson sites and welcomed hundreds of community members.The events provided an inside look at the refinery’s operations and its impact on the local community.The refinery hopes this event will become an annual tradition

Marathon Petroleum’s Los Angeles refinery recently hosted open houses at its Wilmington and Carson sites, drawing hundreds of attendees to meet with refinery staff and learn more about the facility. The Wilmington site welcomed the return of the open house after a decade, and the Carson site hosted its first-ever open house event.

Since its founding in 1923, the Los Angeles refinery has grown alongside its Wilmington and Carson communities, building a century-long legacy of partnership. The successful return of the open house at Wilmington, coupled with the debut event at Carson, further strengthens these community ties.

“It was fantastic to see so many familiar and new faces,” said CP Patsatzis, Vice President of Refining at the Los Angeles refinery. “We wanted to revive and introduce this tradition to strengthen our community ties, and the turnout was phenomenal.”

The events highlighted the refinery’s strong commitment to community partnership.

“It’s fantastic for the community to come together and learn about Marathon Petroleum,” Arleen Bocatija Rojas, Council Member for District 4 in the City of Carson, said. “It’s a partnership built on teamwork between the community and business.”

Organizers hope the event becomes an annual tradition.

“It’s fantastic for the community to come together and learn about Marathon Petroleum. It’s a partnership built on teamwork between the community and business.”

Interactive fun and learning

The open houses featured guided tours, food and booths that highlighted the refinery’s range of expertise in areas like engineering, maintenance, safety and human resources. A highlight of both events was the involvement of Summer Youth Program interns, who volunteered their time to engage with community members, and some even showcased what they achieved over the summer.

“Our interns were the stars, demonstrating their knowledge of our industry and their ability to work as a team,” said Luisa Wiggins, a refining engineer and Summer Youth Program coordinator. “Their very presence, coupled with their enthusiasm, really resonated with visitors.”

Sen. Steven Bradford of California Senate District 35 emphasized the broader impact.

“This event shows Marathon’s role as more than just a producer of petroleum products,” he said. “They provide well-paying jobs and contribute significantly to the community.”

A community united

Partnerships with local nonprofits like SBCC Thrive, Century Villages at Cabrillo and the Wilmington YMCA helped make the open houses a success, highlighting the refinery’s commitment to community relations.

“The energy was contagious, and the feedback has been incredibly positive,” said Olga Chavez, Senior Community Relations Representative at Marathon Petroleum. “These events foster mutual understanding and respect between the refinery and the community.”

Mayor Pro Tem Jawane Hilton of District 1 in Carson noted the local impact.

“Marathon supports our schools and community, offering valuable opportunities right here,” he said.

Many employees, including the volunteer planning committee, worked hard to make the open houses a big success.

“The effort put into these events not only highlights our refinery’s deep-rooted commitment to the community but also underscores the refinery’s role as a good neighbor and integral part of the community’s fabric,” Patsatzis said.