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Supported charities:
Locally,
supplier Ariel Premium supports
several charities including holiday
season toy drives for homeless
children through the Sweet
Celebrations Organization, and Susan
G. Komen Race for the Cure events.
On a national level, Ariel is involved
with several charities supported by
evangelical churches around the
country. Globally, the company has
recently become a corporate sponsor
for Rainforest Trust, a nonprofit
organization that helps buy and
protect the world’s tropical forests.
In addition to financial support, the
company provides other support such
as providing gifts for their annual
donor meeting, and promoting
their work within the promotional
products industry. Rainforest Trust
is now at the forefront of many of
the company’s charitable causes.
It’s also one they can be involved
with all year long. As part of Ariel’s
Rainforest Trust participation, the
company’s owners, Yuhling Lu and
Tai Lin, are scheduled to be part of
an upcoming conservation tour to
either Borneo, South Africa or Brazil
to see where the corporate-giving
dollars are best being utilized.
Program structure:
Within
the company, the HR department
organizes most of the local charity
involvement. Lu spearheads the
company’s involvement with
Rainforest Trust. In addition to
monetary support, the company
also provides donor gifts and
shares its experiences with others
in the promotional industry. Team
members get involved primarily
through donations of time, money
and gifts, volunteering or walking
at Komen races, raising funds
through sponsors, donating toys,
organizing parties for homeless
children, and other activities.
ARIEL
PREMIUM
Christopher Duffy, MAS,
Director of Marketing
What does giving back mean to Ariel Premium
?
Getting involved in charitable giving has
become an excellent team-building and sharing
experience for our associates. It brings our
people together with a common goal and to share
common experiences and interests. Our programs
also provide that extra non-work environment
bonding experience for them, getting to know their
colleagues in a more social setting.
What advice do you have for other companies
that want to start a charitable giving program?
We would highly recommend “adopting” a
charitable cause for any company in our industry.
Simply pick a cause that’s most interesting to
your team (let them select the organization),
and watch how they’ll run with it. The feel-good
experience pays itself forward in so many ways—
through improved camaraderie, attitude and
empathy. So many charities are grateful for any
support and so you can often choose the level of
commitment your team is most comfortable with.
What has been the most unexpected result of your
company’s giving program
? Our most unexpected
outcome has been the higher level of participation
that our team has been willing to commit to. When
it’s a good cause, it’s simply amazing how much
people will step up and get involved.
The Rainforest Trust team sports their donated co-branded Ariel Premium/Rainforest Trust jackets.
The Heroes Among Us
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FEATURE
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MAY 2017
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