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Video: Fair Trade USA Celebrates 20 Years of Impact

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New Video Showcases the Organization's History and Plans for the Future

SOURCE:Fair Trade USA

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Twenty years ago, Fair Trade USA’s Founder and CEO Paul Rice brought an idea from his field work in Nicaragua to a one-room office in Oakland, California. What started with coffee and conviction – and not much else – is now the leading market-based model of sustainable production, trade and consumption.

Since its launch with coffee in 1998, Fair Trade USA has:

  • Partnered with over 1,300 brands to generate more than $500 million in additional income for farmers and workers around the world.
  • Expanded to more than 30 different product categories including coffee, tea, coconut, seafood, cocoa, produce, apparel, home goods, and more.
  • Grown into an internationally-acclaimed social enterprise and leading certifier, with an estimated $7 billion in U.S. retail sales of Fair Trade Certified products in 2017 alone.
  • Established key brand partnerships with market leaders including: Patagonia, west elm, Gap Inc., Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Starbucks, Nespresso, Driscoll’s, Dole General Mills, PepsiCo, Whole Foods, Costco, Target, Walmart and more.

Tweet me:New @FairTradeCert video highlights 20 years of #FairTrade Impact http://bit.ly/2QHvxFC #video #sustainability #PaulRice #FairTradeDifference

KEYWORDS: video, fair trade, Paul Rice, anniversary, Youtube, Fair Trade USA, fairtrade


12 Tales of Empowerment to Celebrate International Day of the Girl

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From ballerinas in Texas to soccer players in Uganda, HP and Girl Rising unveil the winners of the first ever Creative Challenge.

SOURCE:HP, Inc.

DESCRIPTION:

By Isabel Gonzalez Whitaker 

"There is no action that is too small that can't grow into something bigger."

For Girl Rising CEO Christina Lowery, that was just one of many lessons she walked away with after reviewing 882 creative submissions from 110 countries that were entered into the Girl Rising Creative Challenge, powered by HP. The competition, which debuted in April and culminates on International Day of the Girl, asked entrants to submit story-driven works, including poetry, videos, illustrations, and essays that celebrated individuals or groups making their communities more gender equitable.

"To highlight through storytelling the myriad ways that people are making a difference in girls’ lives is wonderful," says Lowery, who has led the non-profit organization Girl Rising since 2009 in their mission to empower girls around the world. "These stories are the seeds of social movements."

In 2015, HP helped distribute the Girl Rising film in India and translated it into Hindi. The partnership has proven fruitful, as the two organizations work globally to highlight stories that wouldn't otherwise be known. “We are working to show that people all over the world are fighting the good fight for gender equality writ large, but specifically also to advance the rights of girls," Lowery says.

For the 12 winners of this year's challenge, the visibility means recognition for work that sometimes goes unnoticed. One of the competition's eight judges, Kat Gordon, founder of 3% Movement which aims to get more women in the highest tiers of the advertising industry, was moved by the entrants’ work. "It contributes to and improves the world, but is done oftentimes with little guidance, budget or glory," she notes. "This challenge gives [the winners] the spotlight they deserves because they've often are doing it without applause."

This amplification is valuable for winner and girl's advocate Olaoluwa Abagun, whose Lagos-based initiative Safe Kicks has taught tae kwon do to 270 adolescent girls since 2016 as a way to protect themselves against sexual violence, a problem Abagun says is rampant in Nigeria regardless of class or ethnicity. For Abagun, who showcased one of the classes, being a winner of the Girl Rising Creative Challenge "means we can stay motivated even when times are rough and progress isn't coming quickly enough."

Along with martial arts classes, the girls in Safe Kicks are taught about sexual violence so that they can identify predatory behavior and articulate their rights. This year the students drafted a community action plan that was distributed to 1,500 community leaders and resulted in improved lighting in a Lagos neighborhood. Abagun, who fought off a predator when she was 10, hopes to bring the sexual violence education and defense classes to 5,000 girls across Lagos yearly. "When I was attacked, I was scared as any young girl would be," says Abagun. "If I had known martial arts, I would have been less scared and more empowered. That's what we are giving these girls."

Empowerment is also the root of TaKiyah Wallace's winning social impact effort as interpreted through the lens of representation — literally. A hobbyist turned professional photographer, Wallace in 2012 founded the Dallas-based Brown Girls Do Ballet, which started as a collection of her portraits of girls of color doing ballet. "At the time my young daughter wanted to take ballet classes and as I was looking online at schools, I saw no photos of girls of color," the mom of two recalls. "It became my personal project to seek out dancers of color to photograph."

What started as a passion project turned into a full-fledged non-profit providing grants to young girls of color to study ballet, mentorship programs and even relief backpacks that are sent to dancers impacted by natural disasters. Yet the photos of girls of color doing classical ballet, which Wallace still takes, are the heartbeat of the mission. "You can read research studies and blog posts about representation, but there is nothing like a true visual picture as a way of communicating across language and class," she says. "Ultimately you can't be it if you can't see it."

See all the Girl Rising Creative Challenge winners.

Tweet me:12 tales of empowerment to celebrate International Day of the Girl http://bit.ly/2OkGIYf via @HPSustainable #DayOfTheGirl

KEYWORDS: Girl Rising, HP, brown girls do ballet, International Day of the Girl, girl empowerment

Meat Industry Grilled by Investors to Address Water and Climate Risks

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SOURCE:Ceres

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by Brooke Barton, Senior Director, Water and Food, Ceres

Hurricane Florence is only the latest environmental, financial and reputational calamity to hit the nation’s vast livestock industry this year.

Even before last month’s torrential rains caused widespread losses and flooding in hog waste lagoons across North Carolina, meat producers had come under growing pressure due to extensive pollution from their sprawling factory farms, which confine thousands of hogs and chickens in tightly packed facilities.

Noxious odors from football field-sized waste pits have prompted dozens of nuisance lawsuits by local neighbors in Iowa and North Carolina, two of which have resulted in favorable jury verdicts and financial damages. Harmful runoff into local waterways have triggered civil and criminal cases across the Midwest. Investor inquiries to companies about their ability to limit these pollution impacts have also been mounting, as is public pressure on state legislatures to crack down on the industry.

Many of these pressures are expected to grow as climate change and more extreme weather events trigger more disasters for the industry, which is especially concentrated in poor, rural areas in the Midwest and Southeast.

Floodwaters from Hurricane Florence caused dozens of hog waste lagoons to overflow, leaving trails of floating excrement that compromised local waterways and drinking water supplies. More than 3.4 million chickens, turkeys and hogs were killed, and the hurricane also forced plant closures, including the world’s largest hog plant operated by Smithfield Foods (WHGRF). Sanderson Farms (SAFM), the country’s third largest poultry producer, lost more than 1.7 million chickens to flooding. The losses come fresh on the heels of Hurricane Matthew in 2016, which caused similar damages, much of it from overflowing livestock farms.

The United States’ livestock industry produces 335 million tons of untreated animal manure annually. (In comparison, the U.S. human population produces 7 million tons of waste annually, the majority of which is treated by public wastewater utilities). This vast stockpile of poorly stored animal manure is a burgeoning liability to a growing U.S. meat and livestock industry, and especially risky in the context of the ever-wilder weather we see tied to climate change. The irony is that livestock production is also a major and growing contributor to global warming -- producing approximately 15% of annual global greenhouse gas emissions—so these risks are at least partially self-inflicted wounds.

A small number of industry players have taken steps address the twin impacts of water and climate pollution, but to date overall industry response has been tepid. When 40 of the world’s largest food producers were ranked by Ceres last year on their management of water risks, meat sector companies had the lowest overall scores, averaging only 15 points on a scale of 1 to 100. Similarly, very few meat companies have set climate targets that address the large-scale impacts of animal and feed-related emissions.

As the water pollution-climate change connections accelerate, some in the investment community have begun asking “Big Meat” to identify how these impacts translate into bottom line regulatory, reputational and market risks. In 2016, 45 institutional investors and debt holders sent letters to major livestock companies – including Smithfield Foods, Cargill and JBS/Pilgrim’s Pride (PPC) – requesting that they address significant water-related risks associated with feeding, slaughtering and processing livestock.

Investors followed up by filing shareholder resolutions this year with Tyson Foods (TSN) and Pilgrim’s Pride. The Tyson resolution was supported by 63 percent of the company’s independent shareholders. The company subsequently committed to improve water, soil and fertilizer practices on two million acres of its supplier land and to take additional measures to reduce water runoff and soil losses.

To date, meat companies have also been slow to set greenhouse gas emissions targets and disclose their climate risks in alignment with the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures. Nevertheless, major meat buyers are increasingly issuing their own directions for their suppliers. McDonald’s recently committed to lower the greenhouse gas intensity across its entire food supply chain by 31 percent by 2030. Wal-Mart, through its Project Gigaton, is asking its supplier base, including meat suppliers, to eliminate a total of one gigaton of emissions by 2030 – the equivalent to taking more than 211 million passenger vehicles off of U.S. roads and highways for a year.

While these actions are encouraging, growing pollution pressures and extreme weather events mean that the meat and livestock industries’ outsized impacts and risks will require bigger responses. Maintaining public trust and their license to operate will require much more, including rethinking the siting practices of new animal feeding operations, the adoption of far safer manure management models, and providing much needed incentives for contract animal and feed suppliers to adopt more sustainable practices.

Brooke Barton is the senior director of water and food programs at Ceres, an organization working with the investment and corporate communities to advance sustainability leadership.

Tweet me:As the water pollution-climate change connections accelerate, some in the investment community have begun asking “Big Meat” to identify how these impacts translate into bottom line regulatory, reputational and market risks. http://bit.ly/2yxR5gD

Contact Info:

Tessa Castellani
Ceres
+1 (617) 247-0700ext. 145
castellani@ceres.org

KEYWORDS: meat industry, Hurricane Florence, CERES, climate change, food

Best. Year. Ever: Albertsons Companies Customers Set New Record in 5th Annual Hunger Is Campaign

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Results bring total fundraising to $30.2 million — enough to provide 77 million breakfasts to kids in need

SOURCE:Albertsons Companies

DESCRIPTION:

BOISE, Idaho,  October 11, 2018 /3BL Media -- Albertsons Companies and Albertsons Companies Foundation announced today that, through the generous donations of customers, the Hunger Is fundraiser to fight childhood hunger in America raised a record $7.2 million in just 30 days. 
 
The 2018 campaign, which engaged communities to support their most vulnerable citizens, raised enough to provide 22 million breakfasts for kids in the 2,300+ communities in which Albertsons Companies operates.
  
“I am blown away by the generosity of our customers,” said Albertsons Companies President and CEO Jim Donald. “Their donations will fund 22 million breakfasts to kids in need and help us Make Every Day a Better Day in the communities we serve. Together, through one- and two-dollar donations at a time, we are having a tremendous impact on the lives and the futures of young people.”
 
Throughout September, many of the company’s stores, including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw's, ACME Markets, Tom Thumb, Randalls, Pavilions, Star Market, and others accepted Hunger Is donations at checkout. All donations will benefit hunger relief organizations in the communities in which they were raised and will be extended in the form of grants.
 
Hunger Is Impact on Childhood Hunger
Since the 2014 inception of Albertsons Companies Foundation’s Hunger Is campaign, the initiative has had the following dramatic and lasting impacts on childhood hunger in America:
  • $30.2 million raised and donated to hunger relief programs across the U.S. 
  • 77 million breakfasts made possible for kids in need
  • 200,000 kids’ lives touched each year
  • 281 organizations and food banks awarded Hunger Is grants to connect children to healthy food in their communities
Following the fundraising effort each year, dozens of boots-on-the-ground foodbank partners turn the generosity of our customers into real results.
 
For example, the Sunshine Division in Portland, Oregon is a 95-year-old organization that provides food and clothing to low-income residents. The organization serves the entire Portland metro area, where nearly 38 percent of children qualify for free or reduced-price school breakfast and lunch. Unfortunately, many children have no access to school meals during the summer when school is out. To bridge the gap, the Sunshine Division provides low-income families with summer food boxes containing healthy breakfast, snack, and lunch items that kids can prepare themselves. The Sunshine Division provides approximately 44,000 more children with healthy breakfasts and other meals during the summer months, thanks to Hunger Is funding.
 
Childhood Hunger Statistics
The need for sweeping, coast-to-coast initiatives to fight childhood hunger remains urgent. According to Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger relief organization:
  • There are more than 12 million children in the U.S. who struggle with hunger
  • 21 percent of children in food-insecure households may have to rely exclusively on donations from programs like Hunger Is to make ends meet
  • Households with children are more likely to be food insecure than those without children
The Hunger Is campaign seeks to decrease those numbers. Funds from previous campaigns were granted to more than 270 organizations that perform critical work in battling childhood hunger. Organizations receiving Hunger Is funds are chosen by stores in cooperation with the Hunger Is Advisory Committee (HIAC) and Albertsons Companies Foundation. The HIAC is comprised of leaders from the most respected hunger advocacy organizations in the U.S. including Feeding America, Food Research & Action Center, Hunger Free America, Share Our Strength, and WhyHunger.
 
Albertsons Companies is a Visionary Partner of Feeding America. For more information about Albertsons Companies’ commitment to hunger relief, please visit us here.  
 
About Albertsons Companies 
Albertsons Companies is one of the largest food and drug retailers in the United States, with both a strong local presence and national scale. We operate stores across 35 states and the District of Columbia under 20 well-known banners including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw’s, Acme, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Star Market, Haggen and Carrs, as well as meal kit company Plated based in New York City. Albertsons Companies is committed to helping people across the country live better lives by making a meaningful difference, neighborhood by neighborhood. In 2017 alone, along with the Albertsons Companies Foundation, the company gave nearly $300 million in food and financial support. These efforts helped millions of people in the areas of hunger relief, education, cancer research and treatment, programs for people with disabilities and veterans outreach.
 
About Albertsons Companies Foundation
Founded in 2001, Albertsons Companies Foundation, formerly Safeway Foundation, supports causes that impact customers’ lives. Albertsons Companies stores provide the opportunity to mobilize funding and create awareness in our neighborhoods through the generous contributions by our customers, our employees’ passion and partnerships with our vendors. We focus on giving locally in the areas of health and human services, hunger relief, education and helping people with disabilities. Albertsons Companies and Albertsons Companies Foundation have invested $1 billion in our neighborhoods since 2001. For more information about Albertsons Companies Foundation, visit www.albertsonscompaniesfoundation.com.
 
Contact:
Teena Massingill
925-738-1387

Tweet me:.@AlbertsonsCompanies Foundation 5th annual @HungerIs campaign has its best year ever and sets a new record by raising $7.2M in 30 days! http://bit.ly/2PvtdS0 #MakeBreakfastHappen

KEYWORDS: Albertsons Companies Foundation, Hunger Is

  

KeyBank Provides $6 Million in Financing for Preservation of Affordable Housing in Cleveland

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SOURCE:KeyBank

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CLEVELAND, October 12, 2018 /3BL Media/ - KeyBank Community Development Lending & Investment (CDLI) has provided $6 million in construction financing to Woda Cooper Communities for the acquisition and substantial rehabilitation of the Stuyvesant Motor building in Cleveland, OH. Upon completion, the historic five-story building will be renamed Prospect Yard and contain 42 units serving individuals and families earning at or below 60% area median income (AMI).

This project represents the first affordable housing units to be built near downtown Cleveland in the past 20 years. Constructed in 1911, the property originally housed a production plant, service center, garage and storage for Stuyvesant Motor Company and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Kelly Frank of Key’s CDLI group arranged the financing. Additional funding was provided by CREA, Woda Group and Ohio Housing Finance Agency.

About Key Community Development Lending/Investment

KeyBank Community Development Lending and Investment (CDLI) helps fulfill Key’s purpose to help clients and communities thrive by financing projects that stabilize and revitalize communities. Experts in complex tax credit lending and investing, Key is one of a handful of affordable housing lenders in the country with a platform that brings together balance sheet, equity, and permanent loan offerings. CDLI has a substantial investment and loan portfolio worth more than $2 billion, 90% of which is Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) projects. For its ability to lend to, invest in, and serve its communities –especially low-to-moderate income communities – KeyBank has earned nine consecutive “Outstanding” ratings on the Community Reinvestment Act exam, from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.

About KeyCorp

KeyCorp's roots trace back 190 years to Albany, New York. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Key is one of the nation's largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $137.8 billion at June 30, 2018. Key provides deposit, lending, cash management, and investment services to individuals and businesses in 15 states under the name KeyBank National Association through a network of approximately 1,200 branches and more than 1,500 ATMs. Key also provides a broad range of sophisticated corporate and investment banking products, such as merger and acquisition advice, public and private debt and equity, syndications and derivatives to middle market companies in selected industries throughout the United States under the KeyBanc Capital Markets trade name. For more information, visit https://www.key.com/. KeyBank is Member FDIC.

###

Contact:         
Laura Mimura
216.471.2883                  
laura.mimura@key.com

Tweet me:KeyBank CDLI is proud to finance @WodaCooper's restoration of the former Stuyvesant Motor Car Company building in to create the first 42 affordable apartments in downtown #CLE. #affordablehousing @Key_B2B http://bit.ly/2Ps04qY

KEYWORDS: NYSE:KEY, keybank, affordable housing, KeyCorp, lending, Investment

Wells Fargo Assists Customers and Communities Impacted by Hurricane Michael

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Donation of $1 million made to American Red Cross and local organizations for relief; customers can make additional donations through ATM Contributions and Go Far™ Rewards

SOURCE:Wells Fargo & Company

DESCRIPTION:

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., October 12, 2018 /3BLMedia/ --Wells Fargo (NYSE:WFC) today announced $1 million in donations to support communities impacted by Hurricane Michael. The company also activated special disaster assistance for customers in Florida, Georgia and Alabama.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with those being impacted by Hurricane Michael,” said Chief Executive Officer Tim Sloan. “The severe weather of the past month has brought great adversities to communities along the East Coast and the Gulf Coast, and we remain committed to helping in the recovery of both Hurricane Michael and Hurricane Florence.”

Nationwide relief efforts
The Wells Fargo Foundation will donate $1 million in support of hurricane relief efforts, with half going to the American Red Cross for immediate needs and half distributed to local non-profits to aid with the recovery in affected communities.

In addition, the company is accepting donations to the American Red Cross through its nationwide ATM network. Customers also can redeem available Go Far™ Rewards for donations.

ATM donations will be accepted nationwide through Oct. 24. There is no fee, and 100 percent of contributions will be sent to the American Red Cross.Go Far Rewards can be redeemed at GoFarRewards.wf.com or by calling the service center at 877-517-1358.

Last month, the company allocated $3 million to its WE Care Fund in response to Hurricane Florence. The fund provides grants to Wells Fargo team members who face a catastrophic disaster or financial hardship resulting from an event beyond their control. This program is intended to help team members get back on their feet with basic necessities and, in particular, is intended to assist those team members who do not have other resources to help themselves. These funds will continue to be available to those affected by Hurricane Florence as well as Hurricane Michael, and Wells Fargo will allocate additional funds as needed to meet all of our team member needs.

Disaster relief customer assistance information
Wells Fargo is committed to providing support to customers and clients affected by Hurricane Michael. This includes reversing certain fees — such as late fees — for our lending products, including credit cards, auto loans, personal loans and lines of credit, and waiving Wells Fargo fees for customers using non-Wells Fargo ATMs. Customers who want to discuss their financial needs should call 800-TO-WELLS (800-869-3557), available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Wells Fargo Home Mortgage and Home Equity customers can contact Wells Fargo to discuss potential payment and disaster assistance options or access information at the Disaster Assistance and Property Damage Support site.

Home Mortgage: 888-818-9147, Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern time, and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Eastern time.Home Equity: 866-355-1540, Monday through Thursday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern time, and Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern time.

Auto loan customers can request payment assistance for up to 90 days and discuss available options for the filing of a Guaranteed Asset Protection (GAP) claim, if applicable. Customers can call 800-289-8004, Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern time, and Saturday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Eastern time.

Wells Fargo Consumer Lending customers (credit card, retail services, student loans, personal loans and lines of credit) who are affected by the hurricane can request payment assistance and waiving of fees for up to 90 days.

Personal loans: 877-269-6056, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern time and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Eastern time.Credit cards and personal lines of credit: Call the number on the back of the card or call Wells Fargo at 800-642-4720 24 hours a day, seven days a week.Education financial services: 800-658-3567, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern time.

Wells Fargo Small Business Lending customers who are affected by the hurricane can request a payment deferment and waiver of late fees for up to 90 days on their Small Business Line of Credit, Small Business Credit Card, Commercial Loan, Wells Fargo BusinessLoan® Term Loan, Business PrimeLoan, Equipment Express® Loan, Commercial Equity Line of Credit, Commercial Real Estate Loan, FastFlex® Small Business Loan or FastFlex® Small Business Line of Credit. Customers can contact the National Business Banking Center at 800-225-5935, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Retail small business customers impacted by the hurricane are encouraged to call Wells Fargo, 800-225-5935, for more information and to discuss their options. Wells Fargo Insurance Services also has contacted clients in impacted areas to provide support and expertise.

Customers in the impacted area who participate in an employer-sponsored 401(k) plan provided by Wells Fargo may be eligible to access their retirement savings. For more information, customers should call 800-728-3123.

Customers of Wells Fargo Merchant Services who are in need of assistance with their merchant processing due to the impact of Hurricane Michael can call 800-451-5817. Impacted merchant customers who contact Wells Fargo by Oct. 31 can receive a complimentary Clover® Go card reader that works with a mobile device, which will allow their business to accept card payments. The one-time cost for the card reader is waived; however, payment processing costs from using the card reader, and cellular service data rates as described by the provider, still will apply.

About Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) is a diversified, community-based financial services company with $1.9 trillion in assets. Wells Fargo’s vision is to satisfy our customers’ financial needs and help them succeed financially. Founded in 1852 and headquartered in San Francisco, Wells Fargo provides banking, investment and mortgage products and services, as well as consumer and commercial finance, through 8,050 locations, 13,000 ATMs, the internet (wellsfargo.com) and mobile banking, and has offices in 38 countries and territories to support customers who conduct business in the global economy. With approximately 265,000 team members, Wells Fargo serves one in three households in the United States. Wells Fargo & Company was ranked No. 26 on Fortune’s 2018 rankings of America’s largest corporations. In 2017, Wells Fargo donated $286.5 million to 14,500 nonprofits and Wells Fargo team members volunteered a record 2 million hours. In 2018, Wells Fargo is ranked as the No. 2 corporate cash donor in the U.S., according to the Chronicle of Philanthropy. Wells Fargo’s corporate social responsibility efforts are focused on three strategic priorities: diversity and social inclusion, economic empowerment, and environmental sustainability. News, insights and perspectives from Wells Fargo are also available at Wells Fargo Stories.

* The American Red Cross name, emblem and copyrighted materials are being used with its permission, which in no way constitutes an endorsement, express or implied, of any product, service, company, opinion or political position. The American Red Cross logo is a registered trademark owned by The American National Red Cross. For more information about the American Red Cross, please visit redcross.org.

 

Contact
Media: Ann Wasik
763-251-0549
​Ann.wasik@wellsfargo.com​
@AnnWasikWF

Tweet me:.@WellsFargo Assists Customers and Communities Impacted by Hurricane Michael http://bit.ly/2PtFINT

KEYWORDS: Wells Fargo, hurricane michael, disaster relief, American Red Cross, NYSE:WFC, Donations

Camélia Rose by Virginia Langley for Durkan

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SOURCE:Mohawk Industries

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October 12, 2018 /3BL Media/ - For centuries, both the rose and the camélia flower have been a symbol of longevity and purity — with the rose especially symbolic of love and passion. In the Victorian Era, when pink and red camélias were sent to someone, it meant that the recipient was the “flame” in the heart of the sender. The inspiration for Durkan’s new Camélia Rose carpet collection is helping bring awareness to breast cancer while also raising funds for research, not just in October but year-round.

“I was honored to partner my new collection in the fight against breast cancer with Susan G. Komen. My family has had to deal with cancer and my father is a survivor. I can only imagine how difficult it is to go through and how strong one has to be to get through it,” said designer Virginia Langley, who created the collection in collaboration with Durkan. “To all those who have gone through suffering or loss, who show us and inspire us with their beauty and strength — to me, you are all the flames in our hearts.”

As a long-term partner of Susan G. Komen, Durkan is committed in the fight against breast cancer. Hospitality flooring specifiers can join Durkan in the fight when they Specify for a Cure. Camélia Rose PDI carpeting is included in Durkan’s Specify for a Cure corporate donation program, which gives 25 cents per square yard sold to Susan G. Komen when 500 square yards or more of any PDI (Precision Dye Injected) carpeting styles are ordered. Also included in the program is Secoya and Bolder enhanced resilient tile (ERT) from the Hot & Heavy collection. When customers specify 1,000 square feet or more of these eligible hard surface products, Durkan will donate 10 cents per square foot sold. Since 2001, Mohawk Industries programs like Specify for a Cure have collectively contributed more than $5.5 million to Susan G. Komen on behalf of customers and employees.

In addition to PDI, the Camélia Rose collection also features styles offered in Durkan’s innovative Definity technology, which redefines luxury performance with patterning and textures never before seen in the industry. Enhanced surface detailing provides more than twice the definition of any other high-end hospitality carpet.

To learn more about the Specify for a Cure program, please visit Durkan.com.

About Durkan

From the hotel lobby and corridors to guest rooms and ballrooms, casinos and areas of assisted living facilities, Durkan is world-renowned as an industry leader in innovative design solutions and high style, high-performance hospitality flooring solutions. Durkan’s products are offered in a wide range of exclusive innovative pattern and texture technologies, including Definity™, an advanced generation precision sculpturing technology that produces the highest definition of texture, pattern and color available in hospitality carpet; and Synthesis™, which provides a three-dimensional layering effect using a custom base and Precision Dye Injected (PDI) surface that enables unprecedented image quality. Durkan is the hospitality brand of Mohawk Group, a leading commercial flooring manufacturer and a pioneer in the design of sustainable flooring.

Tweet me:.@DurkanFloors’ new Camélia Rose carpet collection is helping bring awareness to #BreastCancer while also raising funds for research, not just during #BreastCancerAwarenessMonth but year-round http://bit.ly/2ydzhYU #SpecifyForACure @SusanGKomen

Contact Info:

Luke Chaffin
+1 (762) 204-5607
luke_chaffin@mohawkind.com

KEYWORDS: NYSE:MHK, mohawk group, Durkan, breast cancer, Susan G. Komen

  

Overcoming Our Barriers to Find Peace and Purpose

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No Barriers USA uses transformative experiences, tools, and inspiration to help people embark on a quest to contribute their absolute best to the world.

SOURCE:Wells Fargo & Company

SUMMARY:

Viewpoints’ invites guest authors from outside of Wells Fargo to share an important perspective related to their work. Today, we welcome Erik Weihenmayer, the first blind climber in history to reach the summit of the world’s highest mountain, Mount Everest, and the co-founder and board vice president of No Barriers USA.

DESCRIPTION:

I can’t turn on the radio or TV without being bombarded by negative news. We’re hyper-focused on the latest Twitter feed, and it consumes our awareness. We’re reeling and reacting, blaming and attacking, and drowning in fear.

Despite my own fears, I’ve tried to live differently.

As a teenager, I went totally blind due to a rare eye disease, but I found a way to climb my way out of that dark place.

By the time I was 33 years old, I was standing atop Mount Everest. Later, in 2008, I completed the Seven Summits — the tallest peaks on each of the seven continents. I then trained for six years to accomplish the most terrifying experience of my life: kayaking the entire 277-mile length of the Grand Canyon, through some of the fiercest whitewater in North America.

I’ve worked to use my expeditions as a platform to do some good. Fifteen years ago, I helped plant the seeds of a movement called No Barriers USA, with a mission to help people with challenges tap into the light of the human spirit, break through barriers, and find purpose.

What’s within you is stronger than what's in your way

Since its inception in 2003, No Barriers USA has grown into a powerful community of pioneers, thought leaders, and everyday people striving to find solutions to the brick walls that stop us from realizing our full potential. Along the way, I’ve met people who renew my courage.

Last summer, Cole Rogers joined us on a hike up Copper Mountain in Colorado. Cole was born with arthrogryposis, a condition that fused his joints and weakened his muscles. We swapped his electric wheelchair for a special Action Trackchair propelled by treads like those on a tank, and Cole rolled his way high above the tree line. Several hundred yards below the summit, however, the terrain got rocky and jumbled. Cole came to a stop and looked up at the peak. I expected him to call it good right there.

Instead, he dropped down out of the chair and — on his hands and knees — he slowly began clawing his way up and over the rock and snow to the top of Copper Mountain. Cole has fought to make his life meaningful. “There will always be uncertainty, fear, and doubt,” he explained. “What we can control is our courage to reach. The fighter in you has to continue pushing and say, ‘No, we can achieve more. Always!’”

Karen Kennedy is another hero of mine. Karen’s son, Jeff, served in the Army, but when he returned home from Iraq, he wasn’t the same easygoing, young man. Overcome by post-traumatic stress disorder, Jeff took his own life.

Karen fell into a deep depression but knew that hiding from the world, mired in pain, was the easy choice. It was much harder to use the depth of her experience to lift up her family and community. She could blame others for her situation that felt suffocating, or she could turn inward and ask herself, “What do I have inside me that I can grow, nurture, and bring forth into the world?”

That question led her to our No Barriers community, where she signed up as a volunteer to work with the Children of the Fallen— a program for youth who have lost a parent in the military. Her first trip as a guide was a float trip down the San Juan River with 10 teenagers. When she arrived, the kids looked at her with doubt and asked, “Who are you to understand what we’re going through?” Karen shared her story and replied, “Look, your feelings of loss are OK, but the question is: What are you going to do with them?” By leaning into her loss with an open heart, Karen found a path to healing.

‘A battle cry for grit, innovation, and a dogged pursuit of purpose’

The experiences of Karen’s son Jeff are far too common for our military veterans, which is why No Barriers USA puts such a keen focus on supporting those who have been disabled in military service. We’ve worked with Wells Fargo since 2014 to sponsor No Barriers Warriors, the transformational program that helps these veterans find footing and purpose after returning home from the physical and emotional trauma of war. Wells Fargo remains a committed advocate of this important and life-changing work, going even beyond our expeditions to provide additional support and financial education for our nation’s heroes.

Our two organizations also work together at our annual No Barriers Summit, which will be held in New York City on Oct. 5 and 6. The Summit connects people looking to reach their full potential through one of the nation’s most thought-provocative, experiential learning events.

Over the last 15 years, I’ve met thousands of people who live the spirit of No Barriers, a battle cry for grit, innovation, and a dogged pursuit of purpose. Our challenges are as real as dragging and bleeding our way toward a distant summit. They are as real as overcoming the death of a child. And yet, despite the formidable obstacles in our way, the greatness within us can transcend all barriers. It is the trail map Americans have always used to guide us toward growth and renewal.

Tweet me:No Barriers USA uses transformative experiences, tools, and inspiration to help people overcoming barriers to find peace and purpose http://bit.ly/2A7pogz

KEYWORDS: Wells Fargo, Persons with Disabilities, no barriers usa, seven summits, NYSE:WFC

 


Global Handwashing Day 2018

Caterpillar | Strategizing Safer Ways to Work

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SOURCE:Caterpillar Inc.

DESCRIPTION:

Click hereto learn about three examples of how Caterpillar is working safer at the Athens, GA, and Thiruvallur, India, facilities and the Melbourne Distribution Centre.

Tweet me:Protecting the health of people and the environment is ingrained in @CaterpillarInc’s culture at every level. Check out their 2017 #sustainability report for 3 examples of how the company is working #safer in Athens, GA, Thiruvallur, India, and Melbourne http://bit.ly/2RjviSb

KEYWORDS: Caterpillar, Caterpillar Building Construction Products, Athens, GA facility, Focus Forward, Thiruvallur, India, Melbourne Distribution Centre, ZIP process, safety, NYSE:CAT

The Power of Human Difference

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SOURCE:VMware

DESCRIPTION:

Our advances in sustainability and IT solutions would not be possible without our diverse employee base and inclusive culture. We recognize the power of human difference to drive progress across our business and the communities we serve, and we continue to adapt our Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) journey to foster an inclusive culture that celebrates these differences. This inclusive culture, coupled with our EPIC2 values, helps us attract and retain the best talent, ultimately delivering the most innovative IT solutions to our customers.

Building on the launch of VMinclusion in 2016 — our company-wide D&I initiative — in 2017, we launched our first external D&I microsite to increase transparency around our journey. To advance and democratize these initiatives, we gave business leaders D&I goals for which they are accountable, empowering change to happen throughout each part of the business. Progress on our journey is reflected by the fact that 60 percent of global managers participated in unconscious bias training in 2017.

But it’s not just leaders who are driving change across VMware. Empowering all of our employees to create a diverse and inclusive culture is critical. One way we are approaching this goal is through our employee-driven Power of Difference (PODs) communities. PODs are designed to help participants grow as leaders, engage employees across different communities and drive business impact. For example, our Veterans POD was integral in changing our Military Leave policy from 30 days to 18 months, a benefit that will allow reserve employees to serve without financial hardship. The PRIDE POD has been spearheading VMware’s support of gender transitions and gender-neutral bathrooms. In fact, employees are now allowed 18 weeks of paid time off for gender transitions.

Supporting women in technology has been at the forefront of our D&I journey, and we continue to make bold commitments and invest in programs that expand the community of women leaders in tech. Since 2016, VMware has invested over $1.5 million in Stanford University’s Seeds of Change program to provide technical and leadership training to young women in STEM. The program launched in September 2017 with 17 Stanford undergraduates and 65 high school students, and the program plans to expand nationally over the next three to five years.

We also founded the WT2 (Women Transforming Technology) conference, which brings together a consortium of global organizations to build community and tackle issues that are top of mind for women in technology. In 2017, VMware hosted the second annual WT2 conference, where 300 participants joined from more than 100 different companies and over 4,000 participated virtually to hear keynote speakers Kara Swisher and Gloria Steinem. With these programs and others, we are extending our efforts beyond our doors to foster a culture of inclusion across the technology industry as a whole.

Tweet me:From employee resource communities to being a champion for #womenintech, @VMware empowers employees to create the #diverse and #inclusive culture http://bit.ly/2PqbHyp

KEYWORDS: VMware, Women Transforming Technology, STEM

The UPS Foundation Expands Its Disaster Relief Network for Hurricane Michael and Indonesia Earthquake Committing $1.5 Million

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Contributes immediate and long-term recovery assistance through a network of public-private partnerships

SOURCE:UPS

DESCRIPTION:

ATLANTA, October 12, 2018 /3BL Media/ – The UPS Foundation today announced a $1.5 million commitment to support relief and recovery efforts for the earthquake/tsunami in Indonesia and Hurricane Michael in Florida. Through a combination of cash grants, in-kind transportation movements and technical expertise, The UPS Foundation, in collaboration with its disaster relief partners, will provide urgent relief, as well as support for long-term needs ranging from rebuilding to personal and financial recovery assistance. Last month, The UPS Foundation also committed more than $1 million to assist with Hurricane Florence relief efforts.

“As was the case in 2017, we are experiencing a cluster of extreme weather events and natural disasters -- Hurricane Florence, the Indonesia earthquake and now Hurricane Michael. Due to this, we are again seeing unprecedented need in communities across a broad range of humanitarian areas,” said Eduardo Martinez, president of The UPS Foundation and chief diversity and inclusion officer. “Therefore, it’s critical that UPS and disaster relief organizations work together to deliver life-saving aid now and also help with rebuilding later. By donating financial and logistical support to our United Nations and humanitarian partners, The UPS Foundation and UPS are helping to ensure impacted communities can receive urgent support at a time when they need it most.”  

When a disaster strikes, The UPS Foundation moves quickly to mobilize its  relief network in support of first responders and immediate in-kind relief to assist with response and recovery efforts on multiple fronts. The UPS Foundation is working with the American Red Cross, Center for Disaster Philanthropy, Good360, International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC), NVOAD, Operation Hope, SBP(Saint Bernard Project), The Salvation Army, ToolBank Disaster Services, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), United Way, United Nations World Food Programme and other humanitarian aid partners to provide immediate support and assess longer-term needs, committing additional funding and in-kind assistance for recovery needs that will be specified during the post-crisis recovery phase.

The company has also activated skilled volunteers with humanitarian logistics expertise to support the American Red Cross and Global Logistics Cluster response efforts, helping to coordinate transportation of supplies to impacted communities in the U.S. and Indonesia. UPS and Hewlett Packard (HP) also continue to partner to bring internet connectivity to communities impacted by disasters. After transporting the HP Connection Spot trailer with Wi-Fi, internet access and phone charging stations to assist survivors of Hurricane Florence, UPS has again mobilized and prepositioned the trailer in Georgia, while HP assesses potential destination communities impacted by Hurricane Michael.

UPS and The UPS Foundation have a history of leveraging the company’s logistics expertise and moving quickly to assist in delivering humanitarian aid and relief efforts globally after natural disasters. In fact, currently UPS is transporting relief supplies to areas hit by the 7.5 magnitude earthquake which was followed by a tsunami in Indonesia on September 28.

Last year, The UPS Foundation responded to 26 major world disasters and invested more than $21 million in funding, in-kind, and technical support for community safety initiatives that included enhancing preparedness, urgent disaster response, recovery and public health strengthening. Building the resiliency that communities need to better withstand and recover from future disasters is an ongoing and strategically important aspect of UPS’s Humanitarian Relief & Resilience Program. Also last year, The UPS Foundation provided in-kind support of humanitarian aid and relief across 53 countries – almost $6 million worth of in-kind services – including loaned experts and relief shipments leveraging UPS’s owned and contracted global network in the air, on the ground, over railroads and on the ocean.

About The UPS Foundation
UPS (NYSE: UPS) is a global leader in logistics, offering a broad range of solutions including the transportation of packages and freight; the facilitation of international trade, and the deployment of advanced technology to more efficiently manage the world of business. Since its founding in 1907, UPS has built a legacy as a caring and responsible corporate citizen, supporting programs that provide long-term solutions to community needs. Founded in 1951, The UPS Foundation leads its global citizenship programs and is responsible for facilitating community involvement to local, national, and global communities. In 2017, UPS and its employees, active and retired, invested more than $118 million in charitable giving around the world. The UPS Foundation can be found on the web at UPS.com/Foundation and @UPS_Foundation on Twitter. To get UPS news direct, follow @UPS_News on Twitter.

Tweet me:Today @UPS_Foundation pledged $1.5 million in grants, in-kind transportation, and technical expertise for #disaster recovery in Florida and Indonesia in partnership with #humanitarian groups @RedCross @Good360 and more http://bit.ly/2ynhi2j

Contact Info:

Kristen Petrella
UPS
+1 (404) 828-4182
kpetrella@ups.com

KEYWORDS: American Red Cross, UPS, NYSE:UPS

Register for Social Return on Investment (SROI) Accreditation Training!

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SOURCE:SiMPACT Strategy Group

DESCRIPTION:

October 12, 2018 /3BL Media/ - To register for SROI Accreditation, or to learn about other training opportunities, contact: mary@simpactsg.com

SOCIAL RETURN ON INVESTMENT (SROI) ACCREDITATION TRAINING

Toronto - November 6-7th, 2018

Register for Social Return on Investment (SROI) Accreditation Training with Jeremy Nicholls, Founder of Social Value UK and Social Value International, November 6-7th, 2018 in Toronto!

SROI Accreditation Training is the essential course for all professionals seeking to embed SROI and social value techniques into their daily work.

Day one is a practical, step-by-step introduction to the SROI process. Day two is an opportunity to explore methodology issues to develop the level of understanding necessary for accreditation.

To register, or for more information, contact: mary@simpactsg.com For information on other training opportunities, visit: https://lnkd.in/gwX9FRG

Tweet me:Register for #SROI Accreditation Training with @JeremyANicholls, Founder of #SocialValueUK & #SocialValueInternational, Nov 6-7 in Toronto! Embed SROI and #socialvalue techniques into your daily work! http://bit.ly/2OigQvY

KEYWORDS: Social Return on Investment, sroi, Social Impact, Training, Toronto, Social Value International, Social Value UK, Social Value Canada, Simpact strategy group

Virgin Atlantic Flies Boeing 747 on Biofuel

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SOURCE:Boeing

DESCRIPTION:

Boeing is proud of our partnership with @VirginAtlantic and @LanzaTech on this historic 747 flight to use biofuel made from waste carbon gas from a steel mill. #Boeing's partnership dates to aviation's first biofuel test flight, which Virgin flew 10 years ago.

Tweet me:Ten years ago, Virgin and Boeing flew aviation's first biofuel test flight. Now @VirginAtlantic makes history with Boeing 747 using biofuel made from waste carbon gas from a steel mill. http://bit.ly/2A8MH9X

KEYWORDS: Biofuel, csr, CSG, Boeing, GOL, NYSE:BA

Changing the World is Good Business

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Jennifer Weston-Murphy, Associate Manager, Corporate Leadership

SOURCE:CECP: The CEO Force for Good

DESCRIPTION:

The Fortune 2018 Change the World list features 57 companies that are doing well by doing good. These businesses are trying to fix big problems and make money while doing it. That’s right, it’s not a list about charity (though many of these companies also have charitable efforts). It’s about how business—one of the most scalable and sustainable engines we know of—is using its resources and expertise to tackle the biggest challenges. In recent years, more companies are taking steps to try to solve large-scale social issues; it’s a trend that’s not likely to slow down.

And people increasingly want and expect to see business playing this role. According to the 2018 Edelman Trust Barometer, the annual trust and credibility survey by PR firm Edelman, “By nearly a two-to-one margin, a company is trusted to take specific actions that both increase profits and improve economic and social conditions.” In other words, making money and doing good are no longer at odds, and it’s not just the people who work in business who believe this anymore. The public now believes it, too.

The 57 companies on the Change the World list, of which 22 are part of CECP’s coalition, come from 19 countries. Reliance Jio is headquartered in India and first on the list. The telecom company has made owning a smartphone a lot more affordable for millions of people in India and beyond, dropping the average cost of one gigabyte of data from $2.88 to as low as 4¢ per GB. The business is growing at a fast clip. Reliance Jio has gained 215 million subscribers in just 22 months. Nothing short of impressive is the fact that Reliance Jio has found a way to get internet access into the hands of millions who can now finally engage in the virtual economy. People are tapping into digital resources and a marketplace that will almost certainly change their lives and that of future generations.

Read the full piece on the CECP Insights Blog

Tweet me:.@FortuneMagazine's #ChangeTheWorld 2018 list features 57 companies that are doing well by doing good. On @CECPtweets Insights Blog, Associate Manager Jennifer Weston-Murphy discusses innovative examples of business as a force for good: http://bit.ly/2yvyl1l

KEYWORDS: Giving in Numbers, Investing in Society, CECP


"Superfood" Moringa Transforming Lives of Female Farmers Around the World

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Nutrient-rich moringa plant becomes superfood sensation while creating work and reducing malnutrition among farmers in West Africa and around the world.

SOURCE:Business Call to Action (BCtA)

DESCRIPTION:

OAKLAND, California, October 15, 2018 /3BL Media/ – With its line of moringa-based health foods, American Kuli Kuli Foods is improving the lives of female farmers by providing job opportunities and improving nutrition in 13 countries around the world. The new Business Call to Action member, which joins the inclusive business platform today, has committed to add an additional 500 women to its 1500-person strong supply chain and to plant five million moringa trees by 2020.

Launched in 2008, BCtA aims to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by challenging companies to develop inclusive business models that engage people with less than US$10 per day in purchasing power (in 2015 dollars) as consumers, producers, suppliers and distributors. Over 200 companies, ranging from multinationals to social enterprises, and working in 68 countries, have responded to the BCtA by committing to improve the lives and livelihoods of millions in developing countries through access to markets, financial services, affordable healthcare, water and sanitation, education and other critical services.

In West Africa, 18 million people are underfed and 55 per cent of the population live on less than US $1 a day. Malnutrition weakens communities, limiting individuals’ capacity to work. Yet small-holder farming communities have traditionally overlooked the local moringa oleiferaplant and its nutrient-rich properties of iron, calcium, antioxidants and proteins as both a source of food and income potential.
 
Kuli Kuli Foods, founded by former Peace Corps volunteer Lisa Curtis, saw an opportunity to both create a niche healthfood product and reduce malnutrition among these communities. To date, Kuli Kuli has developed an organic moringa supply chain in three countries, planted over one million moringa trees and provided more than US $1.5 million in income to over 1,000 moringa farmers and women’s cooperatives.
 
The company sells Pure Moringa Powder, Green Smoothie Mixes, Energy Bars and Green Energy Shots in over 7,000 leading supermarkets across the US. As demand grows, so too does the supply of moringa leaves, and the need for the sustainable farming work providing economic opportunities for developing communities.
 
The social impact of the Kuli Kuli operation extends beyond income increases for women at the Base of the Economic Pyramid. The company also tackles malnutrition by educating its farmers about moringa’s health benefits, and ensures households of the suppliers can access the products for themselves.
 
“While working as a Peace Corps volunteer in West Africa, I found that local women saw no reason to grow moringa when there was no market demand. In the US there are millions of health-conscious people looking for all-natural ways to nourish their busy lifestyles, just as there are a billion people around the world just looking for nourishment to survive,” CEO Lisa Curtis said.
 
To ensure that Kuli Kuli's supply chain helps to improve nutrition and livelihoods for its farmers, it partners with nonprofits to pay fair wages and educate locals on the nutritional value of moringa. 
 
“An impressive start-up company blending consumer packaged goods and social good, Kuli Kuli has already improved the incomes of around 1000 women in three countries. The company is doing its part to push the Sustainable Development Goals forward by reducing hunger and poverty, bettering gender equality, and helping the environment by planting more moringa trees,” said Head of BCtA Paula Pelaez.
 
For further information: 

aimee.brown@undp.org
 
BCtA membership does not constitute a partnership with its funding and programme partners, UNDP or any UN agency.
 
About Business Call to Action (BCtA): 

Launched at the United Nations in 2008, BCtA aims to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by challenging companies to develop inclusive business models that offer the potential for both commercial success and development impact. BCtA is a unique multilateral alliance between key donor governments including the Dutch Ministry of Foreign AffairsSwedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida)Swiss Agency for Development and CooperationUK Department for International Development, and the United Nations Development Programme — which hosts the secretariat. For more information, please visit www.businesscalltoaction.org or on Twitter at @BCtAInitiative.
 
About Kuli Kuli Foods: 

Kuli Kuli is the leading moringa brand in the US and was founded by Lisa Curtis after she discovered the wonders of moringa during her time as a volunteer in the Peace Corps in Niger, West Africa. As it turns out, moringa is one of the most nutritious plants on the planet, even more nutritious than kale. Kuli Kuli sources only the highest quality moringa. The company is proud to partner with family farmers and women-led farming cooperatives in developing countries to provide economic opportunities, and has partnered with the Clinton Foundation to help with the reforestation of Haiti. To date, Kuli Kuli has planted more than 1 million moringa trees and supported over 1,000 women and smallholder farmers to help them earn a sustainable living. To learn more about Kuli Kuli, visit www.kulikulifoods.com

Tweet me:Thanks to @KuliKuliFoods, the #moringa plant has become a #superfood sensation while creating work and reducing malnutrition among #farmers in #WestAfrica and around the world. @BCtAInitiative

KEYWORDS: business call to action (bcta), Kuli Kuli Foods, Moringa, superfoods, female farmers, inclusive business

 

To Create a Functional Healthcare System in Kenya, We Don’t Need Tech Disruption

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Kenya’s fragmented healthcare system needs to be made more functional and future-looking

SOURCE:Business Call to Action (BCtA)

DESCRIPTION:

By Melissa Menke, Access Afya CEO

In the US, we hear a lot about how technology is disrupting inefficient, entrenched systems. Usually, this conjures up images of mature, large businesses being taken by surprise by new, agile startups.

In countries such as Kenya, where I work, the conversation needs to be more about creation than disruption. Let’s take primary healthcare as an example. Primary care is essential to a happy and prosperous society. It is the foundation of a health system, a first access point for response, information and, ideally, prevention.

But primary health in Kenya is fragmented and is not reaching the entire population. Thirteen per cent of Kenyans do not seek care because of cost (pdf). One-third of people who do seek care go straight to unregulated chemists to buy medication (Access Afya data). Stock-outs are rampant in public- and private-sector facilities. Transportation infrastructure is limited and data coverage does not reach all parts of the country consistently. In Kenya, we do not need to disrupt the status quo – we need to create a functioning and future-looking health system.

At Access Afya, we have found that a combination of technology, operational excellence and investing in our staff gets us closer to this system. We are excited about linking together different technologies, generating data and creating insights to improve quality and support scale.

One example of this is how we run our “Akiba ya Roho” programme (Swahili for “Save your Heart”). Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) account for 27% of deaths in Kenya, for those aged 30-70, and these deaths are largely preventable. NCDs are 31% more likely than infectious diseases to impoverish a family because of their chronic nature.

Our model starts with mass screening in Nairobi’s informal settlements. To make this low-cost and convenient, we built a screening tool on CommCare’s platform that prompts community health workers to ask questions that evaluate risk factors – such as “do you smoke?” – or about family history of NCDs, and to take measurements such as blood pressure and sugar levels. The application displays a risk score at the end, so that a health worker knows whether a patient needs referral to a clinic.

At our chain of low-cost clinics, patients who are referred are greeted by Access Afya staff, who run further investigations and, if a diagnosis is confirmed, work with the patient on a treatment plan. Kenyan clinical officers run our clinics, and they are able to deliver world-class care partially through the support of a clinical decision support tool, which is like a digital guide, prompting the right questions to ask or investigations to order; through telemedicine, which connects patients with remote specialists when needed; and through the Access Afya Academy, which ensures our providers are up-to-date with the latest health information they need to do their jobs.

In between follow-up visits and medication refills, we are in touch with our patients via SMS texts for behaviour coaching and reminders.

Another example of operational excellence is training. New clinical team members have quality interactions with trainers and patients at our best-performing clinics before ever going to run their own sites. They practise using our systems and they practise our approach to patient care. In between in-person training, they can engage in online learning through the Access Afya Academy or other online resources.

We believe in the possibility of digital creation in Kenya and across the developing world. Innovators and implementers must put patients at the centre of a new approach to delivering care, one that learns from expensive or convoluted tactics deployed in other markets. Teams need to be agile and infrastructure adaptable as we design for the needs of today and the trends of tomorrow. Access Afya is working to exemplify an empathetic, innovative and adaptive primary health ecosystem and we are ready to partner with anyone who shares our values.

Tweet me:Kenya’s fragmented healthcare system needs to be made more functional and future-looking. Learn how Melissa Menke, CEO of @Accessafya, thinks that we can achieve that goal: http://bit.ly/2On5FT3 @BCtAInitiative

KEYWORDS: Melissa Menke, Access Afya, Kenya, healthcare systems, Business Call to Action, BCtA

 

Essity- Global Handwashing Day Power of Hands Video

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SOURCE:Essity (Formerly SCA)

DESCRIPTION:

We are supporting the Global Handwashing Partnership on their activation to promote hand hygiene globally under their theme: ‘Clean Hands – a recipe for health on Global Handwashing Day, October 15, 2018. Essity, the maker of the Tork brand, is a partner and we actively contribute with education, insights and innovations for better hand hygiene. Learn more on globalhandwashing.org

Essity and its global hygiene brand Tork are advocates for hand hygiene in the critical moments as determined by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Good hand hygiene has a big influence on the health and well-being of our loved ones. We aim to inform people about the critical moments of handwashing and proper handwashing methods with water and soap, preventing over-use of disinfectants, sanitizers and handwashing when this is not needed.

Learn more: https://www.torkusa.com/about/hygiene/ghd/

Tweet me:.@EssityUSA Power of Hands Video http://bit.ly/2PusDnr #GlobalHandwashingDay @torkusa

KEYWORDS: hand hygiene, global handwashing day, Essity

LIXIL Wins Coveted ‘Innovation of the Year’ at Ethical Corporation Responsible Business Awards

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SATO series of products is recognized for enabling millions of people to access basic sanitation

SOURCE:LIXIL

DESCRIPTION:

TOKYO, October 15, 2018 /3BL Media/ – The Ethical Corporation’s Responsible Business Awards have recognized LIXIL, maker of pioneering water and housing products, for its innovative SATO line of toilet and sanitation products. The range, which offers safe and affordable sanitation for those who lack access, won the prestigious ‘Innovation of the Year’ award.

The internationally-renowned Responsible Business Awards recognize innovative and meaningful approaches to making responsible business a reality. Commenting on the selection of SATO, the Ethical Corporation Responsible Business Awards said, "LIXIL has launched an excellent series of products and innovations that help tackle the global sanitation crisis and positively impact the lives of millions of people."

Having to defecate in the open, into an open pit, or over an inadequate pit latrine exposes millions of people to odors and disease. SATO toilets require approximately 0.2 ~ 1L of water to flush away waste, after which an airtight, counterweighted trap door quickly seals to block odors and flying insects that can spread disease.

In developing the SATO range of products, LIXIL employed a frugal innovation design approach: creating original solutions that are affordable, simple to install, and sustainable. The first SATO model – a plastic latrine pan - was developed with funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and launched in Bangladesh in 2013. To date, more than 1.8 million units have been shipped around the world, enabling improved sanitation for approximately nine million people1.

Jin Song Montesano, Chief Public Affairs Officer at LIXIL Group, who oversees LIXIL’s social sanitation initiatives, said: “We are working to make better homes a reality for everyone on the planet. We put meaningful design at the heart of every product development process. However, with one in three people in the world still lacking access to basic and safe sanitation, we are particularly proud of the sustainable innovations we have introduced with the SATO range of products. We are incredibly proud to be recognized by the Ethical Corporation Responsible Business Awards. The award has boosted our motivation as a company to redouble our efforts to truly improve the lives of everyone, everywhere.”

The ‘Innovation of the Year’ award joins LIXIL’s ever-growing award cabinet. Earlier this month, LIXIL won 11 Good Design Awards that also recognized its expertise in meaningful design and innovation, which in turn followed multiple Red Dot and iF Award wins this year.

About LIXIL

LIXIL makes pioneering water and housing products that solve everyday, real-life challenges, making better homes a reality for everyone, everywhere. Drawing on our Japanese heritage, we create world-leading technology and innovate to make high quality products that transform homes. But the LIXIL difference is how we do this; through meaningful design, an entrepreneurial spirit, a dedication to improving accessibility for all, and responsible business growth. Our approach comes to life through industry leading brands, including INAX, GROHE, American Standard, and TOSTEM. Over 70,000 colleagues operating in more than 150 countries are proud to make products that touch the lives of more than a billion people every day.

LIXIL Group Corporation (TSE Code: 5938) is the listed holding company for LIXIL’s portfolio of businesses.

1Calculated by assuming that there is an average of five users for every SATO unit shipped as of March 2018.

Tweet me:#LIXIL wins coveted ‘Innovation of the Year’ for its SATO series at @Ethical_Corp Responsible Business Awards http://bit.ly/2yFI7Os #ECRBA

Contact Info:

Rie Manaka/Kai Maraun
Public Affairs Division, LIXIL Corporation
+81-362733607
pr_global@lixil.com

KEYWORDS: OTC:JSGRY, LIXIL, Ethical Corporation, responsible business awards, SATO, Safe toilet

‘Much More Than a Scholarship’

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The Hispanic Scholarship Fund has found that its scholarship recipients excel when it offers mentorships, career opportunities, wellness coaching, and other support services.

SOURCE:Wells Fargo & Company

DESCRIPTION:

When Vanessa Velasquez was in high school, she knew she wanted to go to college, but she wasn’t sure where to start. As the daughter of a single mother and the first in her family to go to college, she didn’t know how the college admissions process worked or how to find financial aid.

Fortunately, her mother’s friend who had taught her mother English referred Velasquez to the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, which provides scholarships and support services to as many Hispanic American students as possible. Today, thanks to scholarship funding and receiving support services from the organization, Velasquez, 24, has two college degrees from Mississippi State University — one in international business and marketing, the other in Chinese and Spanish — and currently works as a manager of operations at Amazon.

“I realized what I had was much more than a scholarship,” Velasquez said. “The staff cheers you on to do anything you want to do. HSF, honestly for me, has been a family. HSF has really been there for me at all times. It’s so empowering.”

‘Making sure you have everything to be successful’

The Hispanic Scholarship Fund awarded Velasquez with a scholarship to pay for her college education. She also attributes her success to the support services the organization provides. It began offering these services — which include mentoring, career services, and wellness — in 2015. It has been able to continue this work thanks to support from Wells Fargo, said Fidel Vargas, president and CEO of the Hispanic Scholarship Fund.

Vargas said offering support services has been a priority of his since he became the organization’s CEO in 2013.

“There’s lots of research that suggests what students value are the types of experiences they gain through mentorship, through coaching, through guidance, through people who’ve gone through similar experiences,” Vargas said. He also wanted to “solidify the connection between HSF and the Scholars, to let them know we support them financially and want to accelerate their path to a career during college. Our technology platform, which Wells Fargo funded, facilitated us implementing the tools we can use to provide these support services.”

Walter Dolhare, co-head of Corporate and Investment Banking for Wells Fargo and a board member of the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, said the company is proud to support the organization’s work.

“I have enjoyed witnessing firsthand the possibilities and opportunities that Hispanic Scholarship Fund provides,” he said. “At Wells Fargo, we believe there is a linkage between education, opportunity, and economic development, and I appreciate serving on the board for an organization that fosters these linkages by empowering the members of our Hispanic community.”

The Hispanic Scholarship Fund provides five support services: mentorship; career services, to connect scholarship recipients to internships and career opportunities at companies with whom it has a relationship; leadership development through conferences and online content; knowledge building, which provides resources on behalf of companies like Wells Fargo to help make students more well-rounded and successful in their careers; and wellness, which includes mental health, financial wellness, and general well-being.

The services help the organization deliver resources and guidance directly to scholarship recipients as they pursue their degrees, Vargas said. “It’s more than a scholarship. While in college, they’re thinking of what they’ll do next in their careers,” he said. “Ultimately for us, we want to serve students in every way, but our job is to make sure students graduate — and with a path to a career.”

Velasquez has participated in the leadership development conferences; volunteered at the Youth Leadership Institute, where she has mentored rising high school seniors and new HSF scholarship recipients; and taken advantage of career services, receiving notifications about jobs, participating in mock interviews, and having her LinkedIn profile reviewed. She said she still reaches out to staff members of the Hispanic Scholarship Fund for support and guidance as she works to move up in her career. Velasquez said having access to these resources through technology makes it easier, too.

“The career services are absolutely amazing,” Velasquez said. “I’m so grateful for that because now, as an adult, you don’t get access to things like that much. It’s a very holistic approach, making sure you have everything to be successful.”

Vargas said the feedback from scholarship recipients like Velasquez has been encouraging. He recently polled a group of about 20 seniors in college and recent alumni to see if they would rather have a scholarship or support services, and they all chose the support services.

“It’s really easy to understand that,” Vargas said. “Ultimately, we all value experiences over everything else and people over anything. While scholarships are important, the support services are things they can tangibly see the impact of because the relationships they make continue to give way beyond the time you have scholarship money.”

Velasquez agreed and said her experience inspires her to volunteer and share her experiences with current scholarship recipients. “I’ve been super fortunate to get the scholarship, but going to conferences, I’ve met the majority of my friends and network,” she said. “I think HSF honestly is one of the greatest resources. They are there to support you 120 percent. Without HSF, I would not be where I am today.”

Tweet me:.@HSFNews and @WellsFargo scholarship recipients excel http://bit.ly/2CeWkFv

KEYWORDS: Wells Fargo, Hispanic Scholarship Fund, scholarship, NYSE:WFC, scholarships

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