On a Friday afternoon, instead of preparing for the weekend, 31 Aflac employees gathered at a warehouse in Columbus, Georgia, to take part in a hands-on community service project. With lumber, power tools and workstations surrounding them, the volunteers spent the afternoon constructing beds that would provide local children with a safe and comfortable place to sleep.

The team partnered with Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP), a nonprofit organization with more than 400 chapters across the United States. Its mission is straightforward: making sure no child has to sleep on the floor. The demand for its services remains substantial, with more than 108,000 children nationwide on the waiting list for beds, including almost 2,000 in the Columbus area.

Over the course of three hours, the Aflac volunteers turned stacks of raw lumber into 20 finished beds. They measured and cut wood, sanded pieces, assembled frames, applied stain and fitted the slats. Working together through each stage, they transformed basic materials into beds that will soon serve children in their community.

Ryan Walker, an Aflac Compliance Resource Manager and longtime volunteer leader with the local SHP chapter, emphasized that the organization's work is about much more than constructing furniture.

For children who do not have a proper bed, receiving one can have a meaningful effect on their everyday lives. A comfortable place to sleep can contribute to better rest, improved well-being, greater concentration at school and increased confidence. In that sense, a bed can provide a foundation for stability and personal growth.

That opportunity to create a direct and lasting community impact encouraged Aflac employees to participate. The Columbus project was part of broader volunteer efforts by the company. In June, Aflac employees in Omaha also joined forces with their local Sleep in Heavenly Peace chapter to construct and deliver beds to children in their community.

Chevy Ingersoll, an Aflac Sales Compliance Incentives Specialist, said the organization's commitment to ensuring that children have a proper place to sleep was a major source of inspiration. She also valued the opportunity to work alongside colleagues while giving back to the community.

For Compliance Analyst Yvonne Corbin, the project carried an additional personal significance. Corbin and her family have supported Sleep in Heavenly Peace for several years, making the Aflac volunteer event an opportunity to share a cause that is important to her with fellow employees.

The experience, she noted, becomes increasingly rewarding each time she participates. Working with colleagues to advance SHP's mission offers its own sense of fulfillment, while seeing children receive beds of their own provides an even greater reward.

Aflac volunteers can also participate in the delivery and assembly of the beds at recipients' homes. Each child receives more than a bed frame: deliveries include a new mattress, pillow and bedding, creating a complete and comfortable sleeping space.

Although the 20 beds constructed by Aflac employees will help address the local demand, children continue to need assistance. Members of the community can contribute to Sleep in Heavenly Peace by volunteering their time, making financial donations or donating new bedding for children who need it.

Dailycsr.com – 30 November 2017 – In a continuous venture, General Mills invests on “soil health practices on U.S. agricultural farmland”, whereby making its latest contribution of “$735,000 to the National Wheat Foundation” in partnership with “Soil Health Partnership” for advancing “widespread adoption and implementation”.
 
During the course of the coming three years, the funds will be distributed equally for use on “soil health research on wheat farms and education outreach” programme to over “125,000 wheat farmers across the Northern and Southern Plains”. Following the “latest contribution” General Mill has made a recent commitment so far of “nearly $3 million”, all in the effort to promote “the expanded adoption of soil health practices”.
 
General Mills’ chief supply chain officer, John Church, said:
“We know that providing farmers with the research and tools to increase their yields while improving the quality of their soil is a vital step in ensuring agricultural lands are sustainable for generations to come. If we intend to see widespread adoption of these practices, we have to demonstrate both environmental and economic benefits over the long term.”
 
The National Wheat Foundation will use the enrolled farms network of Soil Health Partnership for increasing “grower participation in the partnership” as well as sharing “data and sustainability metrics for wheat production”. Furthermore, General Mills added:
“The Soil Health Partnership (SHP) is a data-driven program working to quantify the benefits of practices that support soil health, from an economic as well as environmental standpoint. Those practices include reduced tillage, growing cover crops in winter, and advanced nutrient management. Benefits include improved crop yield, enhanced water quality, increased drought resilience, better flood resistance, and decreased greenhouse gas emissions”.
 
While, the Soil Health Partnership’s director, Nick Goeser, said:
“Our project started in the corn belt, but soil is a national resource that we need to protect and enhance everywhere farmers grow crops. Soil health is the next frontier in American agriculture, and we’re eager to invite more wheat farmers in more states to join us, expanding our efforts and generating results that will help other farmers to see the benefits.”
 
Moreover, as mentioned in the agreement, General Mills has joined hands with the “SHP and the National Wheat Foundation” for carrying out “on-farm mentorship for the farm operators. Experts from SHP like Field Managers, agronomists, and farmers will conduct the training sessions in “advanced nutrient management and tillage methods. In the words of “National Wheat Foundation Chairman and North Carolina wheat grower”, Phil McLain:
“Wheat growers recognize the importance of being good stewards of the land because healthy land and soil means better crops. Through this grant, we will highlight how wheat farmers integrate good conservation and sustainability practices into their farms and the benefits to their operations and the value chain. The Foundation is excited to work with two like-minded organizations in such a unique project that can lead to scientifically sound data on farming practices for growers while ensuring a quality product for consumers.”
 
 
 
 
References:
3blmedia.com