Happy Labor Day to all who are celebrating!
Happy Labor Day!
Happy Labor Day to all who are celebrating!
Want to feel less stressed? Consider volunteering! 👐
Volunteering can reduce the amount of cortisol – a stress hormone – your body produces, helping you feel less stressed on days you volunteer.
Source
Han S, Kim K, Burr JA. STRESS-BUFFERING EFFECTS OF VOLUNTEERING ON SALIVARY CORTISOL: RESULTS FROM A DAILY DIARY STUDY. Innov Aging. 2018 Nov 11;2(Suppl 1):75. doi: 10.1093/geroni/igy023.283. PMCID: PMC6228389.
August 26 is Women’s Equality Day!
Today, we’re remembering the passage of the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution – which granted women the right to vote – in 1920. We’re also celebrating the achievements of women’s rights activists and are reminded of the unique struggles women face in the pursuit of equality.
We asked members of our Women’s ERG to share when they feel empowered, who inspires them, and ways we can advocate for women:
I feel empowered when. . .
We can advocate for women by. . .
A woman who inspires me is. . .
Our Bedding Products team in Rensselaer, Indiana, found a few ways to give back this year!
This spring and summer, their Eco Team visited a local elementary school, participated in a community clean-up event, and donated $1,500 to their local Fire Department Training Center. At the elementary school, the team taught third graders about the history of Arbor Day, their state tree, and why trees are important for the ecosystem. They also gave 200 trees to the school’s students and staff and planted some trees with the kids. During the clean-up event, they picked up eight large bags of trash at a local boat landing.
As a group, Branch 0788 sponsored their county fair and raffled off 10 grandstand tickets to their production partners. They also donated a mattress and power base to an auction benefiting a cancer event and the proceeds went to the wife of one of their team members.
We’re proud of Branch 0788 for doing great work together and giving back to their community!
August 19 is World Humanitarian Day!
Every day, humanitarian workers risk their lives to serve the most vulnerable people around the world. We are proud to support humanitarians by contributing to the agencies they work for.
In 2023, we contributed approximately $800,000 in cash and in-kind donations to nearly 150 agencies working to provide vital resources and programs to those in need around the world.
To learn more about World Humanitarian Day, visit the United Nations.
At Leggett & Platt, we believe in putting people first and doing the right thing. This year, we’ve given over $240,000 in corporate charitable contributions to programs that inspire our future, elevate our communities, and help those in crisis.
Here are just a few of the ways we’ve given back.
We Rise
We Rise is an employee and company-funded program that has helped satisfy the emergency needs of our employees in the aftermath of catastrophic events and natural disasters. In 2024, we’ve helped seven team members in North Carolina, Missouri, and Kentucky.
Big Brothers Big Sisters
Big Brothers Big Sisters is a youth mentoring program in the United States. It pairs adult volunteers with children and young adults in the community and aims to foster positive relationships. Leggett & Platt has committed to sponsoring three matches a year, and one of the adult volunteer matches this year is an employee’s son.
Destination Imagination
Destination Imagination (DI) is a global community of 28 countries on six continents whose focus is to inspire and equip today’s youth to find their creative self-expression by providing challenges rooted in science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM). Leggett & Platt has sponsored DI for the past three years and has helped multiple teams from all over the world, including Ukraine, compete in the program and at the annual global finals.
United Way
United Way is a global network of over 1,800 non-profits that help fundraise for agencies focused on solutions that strengthen the education, financial stability, and health of their communities. In 2023, employees raised more than $80,000, a gift that was enhanced by a $145,000 corporate donation to United Way agencies worldwide.
Susan G. Komen
Susan G. Komen is a non-profit organization dedicated to breast cancer awareness, research, and support. Last year, the Women’s ERG partnered with Susan G. Komen and held the More Than Pink Walk Where You Are event. Together, our L&P teams across North and South America raised over $23,000 for breast cancer research.
We are proud of our employees and their commitment to each other, their neighbors, and their communities. Thank you for putting people first!
Happy National Left-Handers Day to all the lefties! August 13 is dedicated to celebrating the unique and creative qualities of you.
Did you know that approximately 708 million people in the world are left-handed? While that sounds like a lot, that makes up only 10% of the global population.
Here are some other interesting facts that make lefties stand out:
Lefties are forced to adapt. We live in a right-handed world. Whether using scissors, a can opener, or writing on a desk, most items are designed for the majority.
You may be better with directions. A study observed that left-handed people showed a lower rate of error in a spatial orientation test than righties.
You are in good company. Eight former U.S. presidents are left-handed. Other notable lefties include Paul McCartney, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Prince William, Napolean, Lady Gaga, Bill Gates, Charlie Chaplin, Mother Teresa, and Joan of Arc.
You may bounce back from injuries faster. Research on brain-related injuries shows that left-handed people recover more quickly. The cognitive functions are spread out in the brains of lefties, which means less of your cognitive functioning will be affected.
If you are part of the 10% of left-handers, do something to celebrate your uniqueness today!
References
Sanders, B.; Wilson, J.R.; Vandenberg, S.G., “Handedness and spatial ability.” Cortex,1982.
Bareham, C. et al. “Does left-handedness confer resistance to spatial bias?” Scientific Report, 2015.
Our Hanes Geo Components business helped 29 families in Iron Station, North Carolina, by donating gabions – wire mesh box-shaped baskets filled with aggregate that prevent soil erosion and stabilize slopes – for a new community bridge.
Before the bridge, the only way in and out of Iron Station was by crossing a dirt road over a creek prone to flooding. Earlier this year, flooding washed out the culvert, leaving residents cut off from the rest of the world. This wasn’t a new problem for the Iron Station community, as the culvert occasionally washed out and temporary crossings were usually too narrow to allow cars through.
Thanks to a multi-agency effort and many volunteers, the Iron Station community has a new bridge and doesn’t have to worry about being stranded when it rains. We are proud of our Hanes Geo Components team for being a part of this effort and for putting people first!
Hanes Geo Components, a division of Leggett & Platt, is the leading supplier of erosion control, storm water compliance, revegetation, and geosynthetic solutions for the civil construction industry. To learn more, visit their website.
With core values like putting people first and doing the right thing, we’re committed to investing in the communities where we live and work. Since 2001, we’ve given more than 11 million dollars to these communities.
We prioritize giving with three main goals:
We’re also proud of our employees who frequently give their own time and resources to address local needs and build a brighter future for communities around the world.
This month on L&P social, we’re excited to share content related to giving back!
July 30 is International Day of Friendship – a day to recognize the bonds that support and uplift us!
To celebrate, we’re spotlighting a great friendship at L&P: Alex Lazarchik, Social Media Strategist, and Mollie Deskin, Marketing Project Manager!
“Having a good friend at work makes life so much better,” shared Alex. “Not only is Mollie an amazing friend – she’s fantastic at her job. It’s really cool to see your friend succeed and grow in their role. Mollie is someone I can lean on and count on to do a job well and with a positive attitude. The people you work with play such a huge role in your life, and Mollie makes work a place where I’m happy to be.”
“Having a good friend at work has a huge positive affect on me!” shared Mollie. “We spend so much of our life at work and working remotely can feel isolating at times, which makes having a work bestie even more important. It’s also enjoyable to celebrate your friends’ wins at work because you already have so much context into the work that went into their accomplishments.”
Alex: “When I joined L&P, Mollie trained me on all things social media. We quickly became close, and after a few weeks, our professional relationship blossomed into a friendship. Now, we talk outside of work and still partner together on certain projects.
Mollie is so good at what she does, extremely smart, incredibly kind, and has a heart of gold. I feel lucky to not only work with her but to call her a friend. Over the last year and a half, I watched Mollie blossom into an amazing person and talented project manager. I’m looking forward to watching her continued success in her career and personal life.”
Mollie: “We initially bonded over our love of reading. She often jokes about being someone who talks a lot. And while I admit, her words per minute can be quite high at times (*lol*), she’s also a very gifted active listener. I’ve lost count of the number of times my long rants were met with her genuine curiosity and non-judgment. These are qualities I’ve always admired and appreciated about her, and the decision to be her friend was a quick and easy one.”
Alex: “I often forget that we don’t see each other in person. At work, Mollie and I have at least one meeting together every week. Outside of work, we FaceTime and text quite a bit. As grateful as I am to work remotely, I wish we could work together in person a few days a week and grab dinner after work. However, it still feels like we get to talk and hang out every day.”
Mollie: “It’s been a really interesting experience. There have been many instances where I’ve wanted to go to lunch, take a walk, or have a happy hour after work with her! Since that’s not an option, we’ve found other ways to cultivate a friendship through FaceTime, sharing weekly “recaps” on Sundays (she’s way better at this), sending each other very niche-humored memes on social media, and sharing book and music recommendations. Although our friendship formed through digital means (thank you, modern technology), it feels no different than friendships I’ve developed in person. Alex is a forever friend, and I’m grateful that L&P allowed our paths to cross.”