Tyson Foods Honored for Support of Veterans, Military

Tyson Foods has been a long-time member of the Indiana Chamber, and the following report isn’t the first time its benevolence has been noted here. Kudos to the company for its ongoing support of American men and women in the military.

Two Tyson Foods team members – Russell Tooley, senior vice president of corporate and international human resources, and James David, pricing manager with the company’s consumer products division – were recognized as “Champions of Change” by the White House today. Each week, President Barack Obama’s Administration recognizes individuals and businesses that create jobs in the United States and make positive impacts in the communities where they operate. Different issues are highlighted each week and Tyson was chosen to participate in this week’s discussion about the benefits of hiring military veterans in the corporate world due to the company’s continued efforts to employ veterans, reservists and their family members.  
 
“These are the leaders this country needs, people who are working to build in America and create jobs in America,” the White House states on its Champions of Change website. The event was broadcast live of online at 11:30 a.m. CST, but will be available for playback on the White House’s YouTube channel
 
Tooley is instrumental in Tyson’s recruiting of military veterans for both the corporate headquarters and international teams. David was a United States Air Force Captain and now, in addition to his duties at Tyson, serves as an Executive Officer with the 22nd Air Force Detachment 1 Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at Little Rock Air Force Base. Tooley is one of six individuals recognized as a Champion; David is one of five military veterans who participated in the roundtable.   
 
“In my experience, current and former military personnel are quality hires for many positions at Tyson Foods,” Tooley said. “They’re well-trained and frequently have developed leadership skills. They also fit well with our culture, which places emphasis on honesty, accountability and dedication.”
 
Tyson employs about 3,000 military veterans and is a member of the American Logistics Association, which recently committed to hiring 25,000 veterans and their family members over the next two years. Tyson Foods also employs more than 500 military family members and veterans who help stock Tyson products at military commissaries. The company regularly makes a concerted effort to hire junior military officers who have received training from an outside agency on how to transition from the military to the business world.
 
Another way Tyson Foods supports the military is by providing differential pay for all employees called to active military duty, making up the difference between military compensation and pay they normally receive from Tyson. Since September 11, 2001, Tyson has provided $2 million in differential pay to almost 400 employees.
 
Other ways the company supports the U.S. military include:  

  • Since 2009, Tyson Foods has been a major sponsor and coordinator for Northwest Arkansas Honor Flight, which flies World War II veterans free of charge to Washington D.C. to spend a day visiting the World War II Memorial and other military memorials.
  • Tyson Foods has a Veterans Business Resource Group for military veterans who work at the company’s corporate headquarters. The group gives the veterans employed by Tyson the opportunity to become active in community initiatives like Honor Flight, and it is also involved in sending holiday care packages to fellow employees, family members and friends serving the U.S. military in the Middle East.
  • Tyson has been a winner of the National Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Freedom Award, primarily because of the company’s differential pay policy. 
  • The company is one of the leading suppliers of food to the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) and has been helping feed the U.S. military and their families for more than 50 years. 
  • In recent years, Tyson Foods has also provided food for the Wounded Warrior Picnics at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and for certain welcome home parties for soldiers returning from overseas assignments.
     

Lilly Gives Back in a Big Way

For the fourth year in a row, Eli Lilly and its employees are showing a true commitment to making their city a better place. The Indy Star reports on this year’s massive undertaking:

An army of 8,000 red-shirted volunteers will fan out across the city today, planting thousands of trees, painting at least seven large murals to brighten public spaces and generally dressing up the community.

This is the fourth annual Lilly Global Day of Service, when 24,000 employees of Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly and Co. volunteer for community service projects in 39 countries around the world.

Here in the company’s hometown, volunteers from at least 30 other companies, which are providing people and donated services, will reinforce the Lilly volunteers.

Event organizers estimate the value of the 35,000 hours of volunteer labor plus the materials and supplies at nearly $2 million for the day in Indianapolis.

Last year’s Day of Service included the creation of a six mile-long linear park along the sides of I-70 on the west side of Downtown.

While that caused some traffic problems for several hours while I-70 was closed, today’s projects will have minimal impact on most motorists. The ramps of the Emerson Avenue interchange of I-70 will be closed for various periods while the cloverleaf receives new trees and other landscaping.

“We are putting more emphasis on the Eastside this year, to help the neighborhoods, where so much is going on,” said David Forsell, president of Keep Indianapolis Beautiful.

The agency is a partner with Lilly in the Day of Service, and he was referring to developments on the Eastside of the city by the 2012 Indianapolis Super Bowl Host Committee to revitalize a neighborhood as a lasting legacy of the NFL game here in February.

Some of the work has been planned as a memorial, including development of a peace garden in a westside park, which will be created in memory of the victims of violence.

“This is a monumental day for civic service,” Forsell said. “In any community, it doesn’t come any bigger.”

The 8,000 volunteers will be focused at 46 worksites, which will be grouped in four primary zones of the city today.

Keep Indianapolis Beautiful Helps to Green Capital City

David Forsell of Keep Indianapolis Beautiful explains his passion for his work, as well as how his organization partners with businesses around central Indiana to help keep the area clean. This includes a project that involves 8,500 Eli Lilly staffers helping to clean the Interstate. Forsell is the focus of a BizVoice story in our July/August edition.

Chamber Members Work Together to End Hunger (You Can Get Involved, Too)

Indiana Chamber members Tyson Foods and MediaSauce (Carmel) are working on a "big idea" project that will transform one of the world’s hippest music festivals into a venue to provide charity of the utmost importance. In an effort to combat childhood hunger, the companies (along with several others) are acquiring pledges from people to donate, volunteer in their own community or share the message — and Tyson will donate 35 lbs. of food product (the equivalent of 140 servings) for each pledge. And ultimately, if the goal of 1,000 people taking the online pledge is reached, a semi-trailer filled with 140,000 meals will arrive at the Capital Area Food Bank of Texas in Austin during the South by Southwest Interactive Festival (March 13-22).

The Pledge’s web site explains a record 30 million Americans are on food stamps, and food banks face unprecedented demand. Additionally, more than 12.4 million children are going hungry right here in the United States. (That’s 1 in 6.)

Another goal of the venture is to display how technology can be effectively used to galvanize people behind worthy causes. A press release notes:

“We want to show how simple it is to bring people together to help solve a complex problem,” said Scott Henderson, Cause Marketing Director at MediaSauce.  “With just one click, a person can feed 140 children. When you make it easy to share your message and support your cause, it is amazing how much more willing corporations and individuals are to do something to make a difference.” 

The campaign web site challenges visitors to help spread the word about childhood hunger in America, find ways to get involved with a food bank in their area and donate money to Share Our Strength.  The site encourages a deeper dialogue about the issue with a blog focused on this initiative and ways to collaboratively solve the roots of this problem. 

To learn more about the program or to make a pledge, visit the web site. We offer some due propers to Tyson Foods, MediaSauce and the other companies involved for tackling this project.

Eli Lilly Helping Struggling Hoosiers Following Disasters

Bill Benner’s Indy Insights blog serves up due propers to Eli Lilly for the company’s monumental assistance to Hoosier families following the natural disasters we’ve had in Indiana this spring.

The Lilly Endowment is donating $50 million, $45 of which will go to the United Way of Central Indiana.

The Indy Star article explains the magnitude of the donation as follows:

The gift is the Lilly Endowment’s largest to a disaster-related cause to date. It also ranks among the top five private donations for disaster relief since 2000, according to the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University.

Kudos to Lilly, a Chamber member, for their efforts in re-Building a Better Indiana.

Lilly, KeyBank Among Businesses Helping Indiana Flood Victims

The Indiana Chamber would like to offer its sympathies to those impacted by this weekend’s massive flooding throughout the Hoosier state. Local businesses and relief organizations are working diligently to help.

Inside INdiana Business reports:

Companies in Indiana are stepping up to help the victims of recent outbreak of severe storms and flooding. Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly and Co. (NYSE: LLY) says it is donating $100,000 to help with the relief effort. The Lilly Foundation will provide financial assistance to the Disaster Relief Fund of the American Red Cross of Greater Indianapolis. Keybank (NYSE:KEY) is launching a fundraising initiative for disaster relief efforts in Indiana. It has opened an account for the American Red Cross Indiana Tornado and Flood Relief Fund.

Additionally, here is a link to the American Red Cross of Greater Indianapolis.