Tyson Foods Continues Hunger Relief Efforts with Gleaners

It’s always a pleasure to see our members giving back to their communities. As we’ve documented here before, Tyson Foods makes it a point to aid those in need of food. Here is information on the company’s latest effort in partnership with Gleaners Food Bank:

Tyson Foods, Inc. donated a truckload of food to Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana today as part of an effort to feed people in need and promote public awareness of hunger in America. 

“There are millions of hard-working adults, children and seniors who simply cannot make ends meet and are faced with the realities of hunger and malnourishment,” said John Tyson, chairman of Tyson Foods. “We’re trying to make a difference in their lives by providing nutrient-rich protein and by increasing understanding of hunger in our country.”

To date, Gleaners has distributed over 300 million pounds of food and critical grocery products. In the last fiscal year, the food bank distributed nearly 21 million pounds of food, or 16 million meals.

“We are thrilled to receive this very generous donation from Tyson Foods,” said Cindy Hubert, president and CEO of Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana. “It is a fantastic effort that will help to exceed the National FFA’s goal of feeding 1 million people.”

Last year Tyson launched the “KNOW Hunger” campaign to raise hunger awareness. As part of the campaign, the company released the results of a survey which found that one in four Americans is worried about having enough money to put food on the table and that many Americans are unaware of how serious hunger is in their own communities. Raising awareness that hunger exists in every community in the country reinforces the campaign’s imperative that “We should all KNOW Hunger.”

Since 2000, Tyson Foods has fought hunger in the U.S by donating nearly 90 million pounds of protein. The company partners with Food Research and Action Center, Feeding America, Share Our Strength, Lift Up America and the League of United Latin American Citizens to raise awareness and help feed the hungry across the nation. 

Meat and poultry are excellent sources of heme iron, which is especially important for women, children and adolescent girls, who are often deficient in iron. For more information on the nutritional value of meat and poultry, go to: https://www.meatpoultrynutrition.org/ht/d/sp/i/26062/pid/26062

For more information on Tyson’s hunger relief efforts, go to: https://www.TysonHungerRelief.com/

Interactive Intelligence Sept. 24 Gala to Raise Funds for Indiana Youth

If you’re not familiar with Indiana Chamber member Interactive Intelligence, it’s a remarkably successful business communications software provider based in Indianapolis. But it’s also a company with a social conscience. Through its foundation, the company raises funds for local not-for-profit organizations including the Julian Center, Save the Children and FIRST, each selected annually by the company’s board, based on projects that promote technology education to targeted at-risk youth. One of the main sources of revenue for the foundation is the Annual Interactive Intelligence Foundation Auction Gala. The company relays:

On Saturday, September 24, the Interactive Intelligence Foundation will hold its 1st Annual Interactive Intelligence Foundation Auction Gala at the JW Marriott Indianapolis.The goal of the event is to bring together numerous Indianapolis corporations, Interactive Intelligence employees and volunteers who will join together to assist in fostering life improvement for at-risk youth.

With an estimated attendance of over 200 attendees, enjoy a fun evening of entertainment, a live and silent auction and much more! The Interactive Intelligence Foundation Auction Gala provides not only an opportunity to support a great cause, but is also a great marketing opportunity for local businesses and is a powerful way to advertise while helping those in need.

Items up for bid include: a Vegas vacation featuring a stay at a five-star hotel, tickets to Cirque du Soleil, limo transportation and a helicopter ride to the Grand Canyon; a Sugarland autographed guitar; a party at the Rathskeller for 25 people; four-course meal with complimentary red and white wine for up to 10 guests in the JW Marriott’s private dining room in Osteria Pronto; several golf packages; an elephant behind-the-scenes experience including a painting at the Indianapolis Zoo, and more.

Click here for more details and ticket pricing info.

Event highlights include a reception, three-course dinner, the auction, and live entertainment provided by Fingertrip.

Cause Marketing: Make $ and Help Somebody

One of the most exciting developments in American commerce that I’ve seen recently (although it’s been prevalent for years) is the emergence of cause marketing. To me, it truly reflects the greatest potential of our economic system and illustrates a heightened level of corporate responsibility, as well. It’s amazing what can be done when free enterprise and benevolence meet. Mickie Kennedy of Causewire explains that companies will spend about $1.61 billion on cause marketing this year — up over 6% from last year — and how it could help your business:

Associate your brand with a positive cause

Consumers respect cause-related marketing. It helps to humanize your company, showing your customers that you aren’t just concerned with turning the highest profit possible, but that you also want to help make a difference in the world. This breeds credibility, and it puts your company in a positive light with customers.

Associating your brand with a positive cause can also be useful for separating it from the competition. It’s a powerful differentiator that can actually motivate customers to do business with your company rather than one of your competitors.

Even your employees could become more loyal when you associate your brand with a positive cause. It allows them to feel like they’re doing more than just a job…that they’re actually working to make a difference.

Connect with consumers on a deeper level

Supporting causes your customers care about gives you something to bond with them over. It’s like you and the customer are working together to help make the world a better place. This allows you to create a much deeper relationship with the customer than you would just by being the typical company that interacts with them on standard purchases.

This new, deeper connection can be helpful in creating more loyal customers. It can also increase your visibility, allowing you to connect with customers who may not have even known you existed until you tied your brand to a cause they cared about.

Give your brand more stories to tell

Charitable contributions and cause-related marketing make for great press release topics. These press releases cut through the clutter of boring, self-indulgent press releases that reporters receive all day long. Everybody loves a feel-good story, and by helping raise awareness for a cause, you can generate more media coverage and positive publicity for your company and the cause you support. It’s a win-win.

Austrian Man Gives Up Wealth, Starts Charity for Entrepreneurs

A very unique — and inspiring — story from the Austrian Alps via The Telegraph. One can’t help but think that if more people thought in these terms, the world would be much better off.

Mr Rabeder, 47, a businessman from Telfs is in the process of selling his luxury 3,455 sq ft villa with lake, sauna and spectacular mountain views over the Alps, valued at £1.4 million.

Also for sale is his beautiful old stone farmhouse in Provence with its 17 hectares overlooking the arrière-pays, on the market for £613,000. Already gone is his collection of six gliders valued at £350,000, and a luxury Audi A8, worth around £44,000…

Mr Rabeder has also sold the interior furnishings and accessories business – from vases to artificial flowers – that made his fortune.

"My idea is to have nothing left. Absolutely nothing," he told The Daily Telegraph. "Money is counterproductive – it prevents happiness to come."

Instead, he will move out of his luxury Alpine retreat into a small wooden hut in the mountains or a simple bedsit in Innsbruck.

His entire proceeds are going to charities he set up in Central and Latin America, but he will not even take a salary from these.

"For a long time I believed that more wealth and luxury automatically meant more happiness," he said. "I come from a very poor family where the rules were to work more to achieve more material things, and I applied this for many years," said Mr Rabeder.

All the money will go into his microcredit charity, which offers small loans to Latin America and builds development aid strategies to self-employed people in El Salvador, Honduras, Bolivia, Peru, Argentina and Chile…

Since selling his belongings, Mr Rabeder said he felt "free, the opposite of heavy".

But he said he did not judge those who chose to keep their wealth. "I do not have the right to give any other person advice. I was just listening to the voice of my heart and soul."

Hat tip to The Huffington Post.