Last year, Tammy Trent, our Chief Accounting Officer, asked the Corporate Accounting and Accounts Payable teams to select local charities to join their quarterly meetings to share their missions and how they support the local community. One organization the team heard from was Watered Gardens — a nonprofit located in Joplin, Missouri, that serves the needs of individuals and families by providing shelter, food, and other services.
After learning about Watered Gardens, a group of our employees quickly formed to donate to and serve the nonprofit each month. Kim Hickey, Senior Business Analyst, volunteered to coordinate and create a sign-up schedule for preparing and serving dinner at the outreach center and donating food supplies or money for food.
“I enjoy being part of the volunteer team because serving dinner is a simple way to make an impact on the lives of people struggling in our community,” said Kim Hickey. “We are bringing them a tangible form of comfort and an encouraging smile. It’s also a great way to get to know the other volunteers.”
The group tends to look different each month, but there are many L&P employees who frequently sign up, including members from the Internal Audit and Accounts Payable teams. When it’s their time to volunteer, some employees bring family members with them.
We are grateful to our employees for giving back to their communities and doing great work together!
Our employees who regularly volunteer for Watered Gardens
As August rolls around, so does the start of a new school year for many students. In order to give back to the communities where we live and work, L&P recently made a contribution to Bright Futures Carthage’s back-to-school program.
Bright Futures is a non-profit organization that brings together community resources to meet children’s basic needs so they can succeed in school and beyond. Our donation helped purchase backpacks for nearly 1,700 students!
In addition, corporate team members organized a school supply drive, collecting donations in one of our L&P trucks, which made its way to our Carthage, Missouri, facilities and our corporate office. A team sorted through nearly 2,000 contributions, many of which were packaged items like crayons and markers, and divided the supplies which were donated to five area schools: Diamond, Neosho, Carterville, Carthage, and East Newton.
Thank you to our teams for working together to put people first!
August 26 is Women’s Equality Day. This day commemorates the passage of the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1920, which allowed women the right to vote.
Women’s Equality Day celebrates the achievements of women’s rights activists and reminds us of the unique daily struggles that women face in their fight for equality. Here are a few notable milestones and influential advocates for the women’s movement:
July 19-20, 1848 | The First Women’s Rights Convention was held in Seneca Falls, New York. Sixty-eight women and 32 men signed the Declaration of Sentiments, which sparked decades of activism and led to the passage of the 19th Amendment.
May 15, 1869 | Susan B. Anthonyand Elizabeth Cady Stanton established the National Woman Suffrage Association, which coordinated the national suffrage movement.
April 2, 1917 | Jeannette Rankin of Montana is the first woman elected to Congress as a member of the House of Representatives.
June 30, 1966 | Betty Friedan helps found the National Organization for Women (NOW).
July 7, 1981 | Sandra Day O’Connor was sworn in as the first woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court.
January 20, 2021| Kamala Harris became the first woman and woman of color Vice President of the United States.
You know that giving benefits others, but did you know it’s also good for you?
When we donate, volunteer, or give gifts, we’re doing some good for others and ourselves. Here are three things we learned about the personal benefits of giving:
Giving helps your health. When we give, our brains release feel-good hormones, which make us feel happier. Giving can also lower blood pressure and cortisol levels, which are responsible for making us feel anxious or stressed.
Giving enhances positivity. When we are generous, our perception of others becomes more positive, causing us to feel closer and more connected to others. Giving can also increase gratitude and help us feel connected to a bigger picture beyond ourselves, which can help cultivate meaning in life.
Giving strengthens your circles. Generosity is contagious. When we give, we also inspire others — both near and far to us — to give. Since we’re all parts of multiple circles or communities, it’s no surprise that, when we invest in the places where we live, work, and play, we’re also investing in ourselves.
References
Brower, Tracy, PhD. “Giving Is Good—For Others, but Also for You.” Forbes, 28 Nov. 2021, www.forbes.com/sites/tracybrower/2021/11/28/giving-is-good-for-others-but-also-for-you/?sh=7aa5caf623a1. Accessed 6 July 2023.
“Five Reasons to Give to Charity.” Charities Aid Foundation, www.cafonline.org/my-personal-giving/long-term-giving/resource-centre/five-reasons-to-give-to-charity. Accessed 6 July 2023.
Suttie, Jill, and Jason Marsh. “5 Ways Giving Is Good for You.” The Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley, 13 Dec. 2010, greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/5_ways_giving_is_good_for_you. Accessed 7 July 2023.
“Why Giving Is Good for Your Health.” Cleveland Clinic, 7 Dec. 2022, health.clevelandclinic.org/why-giving-is-good-for-your-health. Accessed 6 July 2023.
At L&P, we have always believed in doing the right thing. Our corporate giving promotes goals that support our company values, one of which is helping communities in crisis. We seek to assist in disaster relief and humanitarian work around the world with financial or in-kind contributions to those in need. In 2022, we contributed to more than 125 agencies working to provide vital resources and programs worldwide. The need is greater than ever.
*Here are a few facts about the humanitarian crisis and those who risk their lives to help others:
339 million people will need humanitarian assistance in 2023. This equals 1 in every 23 people on the planet.
Over 122 million more people are facing hunger in the world since 2019.
More than 1 percent of the world’s population, 103 million, are displaced. About two-thirds of those who are displaced, originate from countries with food crises.
In 2022, 116 aid workers were killed while saving others.
8 months into 2023, at least 149 aid workers have been attacked while carrying out their life-saving work.
We honor the humanitarians who work tirelessly to save lives and bring hope to people in need, no matter who, no matter where, no matter what. To learn more, visit The United Nations – World Humanitarian Day.
*Sources: World Vision and The United Nations – World Humanitarian Day
After 15 years of dedicated service to L&P, Brad Gordon is preparing for his retirement by partnering for the good of his branch and creating a succession plan.
Brad’s L&P Career
Brad joined L&P in 2008, working at Genesis Seating in Grand Rapids, Michigan, as a Computer-Aided Design (CAD) Drafter. He continued in that role until 2017, when he transitioned into New Product Development and became a CAD Pattern Specialist, focusing on designing and manufacturing fabric and leather patterns. Most recently, Brad joined the ID&E strategy team and became a People First Champion at Genesis. He and colleague Americo Moto lead People First local conversations at Genesis. In addition, Brad has been training another colleague, Rosa Villagomez, to take over his role when he retires in early 2024.
We spoke with Brad about his time at Leggett and what he looks forward to in retirement.
What have you enjoyed most about your time at Leggett?
In all my years of employment, I have never worked in a role (CAD Pattern Specialist) that so perfectly aligns with my talents and abilities. It’s a role where my creativity can be fully expressed. Even joining People First has led to discovering gifts and talents I didn’t even know I possessed! I’ve also enjoyed the relationships with my colleagues. There is something mystical about working together in the trenches. That added element makes relationships uniquely strong. It has been a rich & rewarding 15 years!
Brad (center) with Americo and Rosa at Genesis Seating.
You have strong relationships with Americo, your People First partner, and Rosa, your apprentice. Can you tell us about those relationships?
Fully expecting to be Genesis Seating’s sole People First Champion, I was delighted to learn that Americo Mota, our 2nd Shift Plant Supervisor, wanted to serve as well. In the process, Americo and I have become brothers. The key takeaway from this experience is if something unexpectedly great comes your way and seems to be drawing you in, go for it! None of this would have happened if I hadn’t joined the ID&E strategy team.
I worked with my apprentice, Rosa Villagomez, for five years. Her primary role is Fabric Specialist. After speaking with her, my supervisor, and HR, we embarked on a succession plan to train Rosa to take over my role upon retirement. We are on target for her to become the primary CAD Pattern Specialist in early 2024. Over the years, we have become great friends, and along our journey, I have learned as much from Rosa about life as she has learned about CAD from me.
What are you looking forward to most in retirement?
I’ve always liked volunteering, traveling, and playing golf, so I will step that up. And I hope to read all the books people have either recommended or lent me over the years. I’m also married to Laurie, an off-the-charts Disney fanatic, so a reasonable amount of Disney Cruises will happen. And then, my secret retirement desire is to learn how to play the bass! I’ve always appreciated a good bass player and wondered what it would be like to play one. Now I will finally have the time to find out!
What will you miss about your job?
The relationships. I will miss the connections with friends the most.
If you could give one piece of advice to your younger self, what would you say?
There is only one thing you can take with you, your name. Work with all your heart to establish and retain a good name, and everything else will follow.
Giving back starts at home with We Rise—an employee and company-funded program that has helped satisfy the emergency needs of L&P employees in the aftermath of catastrophic events and natural disasters since 2011.
We Rise exists due to the generosity of our people. In 2022, our employees donated more than $50,000 to aid 13 employees in rebuilding from flooding, hurricanes, and other disasters. L&P further supported those employees with donations of mattresses for impacted family members. This year, We Rise supported several employees after a tornado went through Tupelo, Mississippi.
We are inspired by and grateful to our employees for putting people first and doing great work together through We Rise!
