The winners have been announced in the Kids In Need Foundation/American Licorice School Supply Stories Contest.

You can read the stories from all the winners by clicking here.

A panel of judges chose the first round of winners.

K-4 Stories:

• Why Every Little Thing Does Make A Difference
• We Care to Share

5-8 Stories:

• What a Difference a Pencil Makes
• School Supplies in an Inner City Classroom

9-12 Stories:

• The Boy Who Flew
• As we manipulate our world!!!

These teachers will each receive a check for $500.00.

The second round winners (voted on by Kids In Need Foundation facebook frans from the two choices above) are:

K-4 Stories:

• Why Every Little Thing Does Make A Difference

5-8 Stories:

• What a Difference a Pencil Makes

9-12 Stories:

• The Boy Who Flew

These teachers will receive an additional check for $250.00.

Congratulations and thank you to all who entered and to our winners.

According to the EPA WasteWise program’s Climate Profile report, American Licorice’s recycling rate resulted in a significant amount of carbon emissions reduced in 2011. The 898 metric tons of carbon emissions reduction is equivalent to the following:

• The emissions from 164 passenger vehicles.
• 6 acres of standing forest.
• The emissions from annual energy consumption of 81 households.
• Over 101,000 gallons of gasoline.
• 8.5% of American Licorice’s total carbon emissions from stationery combustion (gas) and electricity.

American Licorice achieved a 92% recycling rate in Union City, California in 2011, and a 92-93% recycling rate in LaPorte, Indiana in the months of November and December of 2011.

Read more about the EPA WasteWise partners program here.

Note:  total metric tons of carbon emissions reduced from waste reduction was updated on March 1st based on a corrected Climate Profile report from EPA WasteWise.

Community Engagement Benefits at American Licorice:

• Charitable Match Program
• Dollars for Volunteers, Matching Off-Work Volunteering Hours with Charitable Contributions
• 16 paid hours for volunteering, each year
• The Volunteer Vine, communicating local opportunities
• Service Trips and Team Volunteering Event Coordination
• Volunteer of the Month Award
• Junior Achievement Bowl-a-Thon Team Sponsorship (Bend, Oregon)
• High Desert Museum Membership (Bend, Oregon)
• Bend, Oregon Running/Walking Teams to support events (Sponsorship or Entry Fee Contribution/Match):
•    Healthy Beginnings Grin and Bear It 5K Run/Walk, 1 Mile Family Fun Run (March 10th)
•    CASA Light of Hope 5K/10K Run/Walk, 1 Mile Family Fun Run (April 22nd)
•    Happy Girls Half Marathon, Relay, and 5K (May 27th)
•    The Jingle Bell Run (December)

Our Union City plant is the recipient  of the WRAP (Waste Reduction Awards Program) once again, from the California Department of Resources, Recycling, and Recovery. Thank you to the entire Union City plant for their exceptional efforts in recycling, with a 92% rate measured through September.

According to CalRecycle, “recycling plays an important role in the battle against climate change by reducing the amount of waste material that decomposes in landfills and generates methane, a greenhouse gas that is 23 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Turning old items into new value-added products also saves energy and resources.”

Union City saves thousands of dollars in reduced cost in garbage pickup and receives thousands back in recycling revenue.

With LaPorte measuring at a 93% recycling rate in the month of November, American Licorice is well on our way to Zero Waste to Landfill!

American Licorice is sponsoring an essay contest for teachers to win funding to use in their classrooms.

The Kids in Need Foundation is seeking to find out how school supplies make a difference in the life of a teacher, their students, and their classrooms.  Three winners in 3 categories (J-4, 5-8, and 9-12) will be selected to receive either a $250-$500 prize.  Two winners in each category are selected by a panel of judges, and one winner in each category is selected by facebook voters.

The contest began on January 4^th,  2012 and ends on February 8^th, 2012.  Voting begins on February 20^th, 2012 and ends on February 27^th, 2012.

For more details and to enter, please go to the Kids In Need Foundation’s facebook page and click on the “Supply Stories” tab.

In December of 2011, American Licorice recapped a year of making a difference in our communities and presented our sustainability and community goals for 2012 and beyond.

Here are some of the highlights of community activities in 2011:

We donated free school supplies to 4,000 children across our 3 locations of operation.

We recycled and donated 14,000 pounds of clothing in Union City, California.

48 associates worked on 2 houses for Habitat for Humanity in LaPorte, Indiana.

We worked with ClifBar and other like-minded companies to work on a house build in the Hopi Nation.

We donated over 1,730 pounds of food to local food pantries during the month of November.

We volunteered over 800 hours at local community organizations.

We supported the following organizations:

All locations:  Kids In Need Foundation

Bend, OR: Arthritis Foundation, Arts Central, American Cancer Society, Bethlehem Inn, Bend Beautification Program, Bend Community Center, Bendfilm, Boys and Girls Club of Central Oregon, Center Foundation, Central Oregon Environmental Center, Commute Options, Family Access Network, Healthy Beginnings,  High Desert Museum, Humane Society, The Kids Center, Neighbor Impact, Ronald McDonald House, Saving Grace, United Way

LaPorte, IN:  the American Cancer Society, Habitat for Humanity, Junior Achievement, LaPorte County 4-H, LaPorte Firefighters, LaPorte March of Dimes, Parents and Friends Inc, the Salvation Army, Soles4Souls

Union City, CA: Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, Centro de Servicios, Latinos Unidos de Newark Association (LUNA), League of Volunteers, Viola Blythe

In 2012, we are targeting 2,080 company paid volunteering hours (or the equivalent of one full-time employee) in our communities.  Associate supported organizations can also receive additional support through our Dollars for Volunteers and Charitable Match programs.  We’re also working on creating an approach community engagement where we will coordinate funding and volunteering to help solve community problems.

To become more sustainable, we set goals to become zero waste—now across all locations—by the year 2016.  We’re currently collecting information on and will be looking for opportunities to improve the sustainability of our product packaging.

We reported to the Carbon Disclosure Project and set a goal to reduce our emissions by 10% per pound produced by 2015.  With a major lighting efficiency project in the works in LaPorte, Indiana, we expect to report significant progress on this goal by the end of the year.  We’ll be working on capturing our scope three emissions in the areas of transportation and business travel.

In 2012, we continue to be committed to sustainability.  This is our approach to business, through LEAN practices in manufacturing, in building long-term relationships with our consumers, in our support of associate wellness, in our support of our communities, and in reducing our impact on and conserving natural resources.

Susan from LaPorte, Photo Credit, Anne Hamersky

“Healthier Tomorrow Than We Are Today.”

You could call it a motto; a mission statement of our Wellness Program.

We like to think of it as something more.  It’s an attitude and lifestyle becoming inherent to our American Licorice culture; a call to action that highlights our dedication in helping all members of the American Licorice family stay healthy and active, not only at work, but throughout our everyday lives.

Since the American Licorice Health & Wellness Program was established in 2007, each American Licorice facility in Bend, OR,  La Porte,  IN and Union City, CA, has been individually honored as the “Healthiest Employers” in their areas based on the commitments our Associates and their families have made to leading healthier lifestyles.

Some of our Wellness Programs and Initiatives available to all Associates include:

• Health Fairs—featuring healthy cooking demonstrations, massage therapists, acupuncture, medical carriers, yoga, fitness and stretching demonstrations.

• Annual health screenings for all associates

• The American Licorice Company (ALC) Store features fitness and wellness related merchandise.  Associates can earn points to purchase this merchandise by participating in wellness initiatives.

• Wellness Centers that feature computer kiosks and phones to access all wellness vendors, including WellCall for personal coaching, the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and medical carriers. The Wellness Centers also feature the programs that are currently in place and highlight items from the ALC associate store.

Wellness Initiatives

Biggest Loser
A 13 week program that features on-site weigh-ins by WellCall.

• As we shed pounds, we donate the pounds in non-perishable food to local food banks.
• Collectively, we’ve lost nearly 1,000 pounds and have donated that amount to our community food banks.

Walking Programs
We run a 9-week virtual walking program that encourages our associates to exercise on a daily basis.

• We’ve walked to Orlando, Hawaii, New York and Las Vegas. We’ve logged millions of steps on our way to beingHealthier Tomorrow.
• Each competition a lucky associate and guest win a trip to the destination city.

Coaching
We offer unlimited wellness coaching through WellCall.

• Associates and dependents have access to free wellness coaching that includes access to wellness experts.
• Coaching takes place via email or by telephone.
  • Fruit/Veggie and Super Foods Day—each month we feature a fruit, veggie or super food for our associates to try.
  • Offerings range from the obscure (cherimoya) to more every day foods.
  • We publish a tip sheet on the item that we are serving for the day.
  • We do this to encourage our associates to get in their daily intake of fruits and veggies, expose them to something they wouldn’t normally try, and provide education on why fruits, veggies and super foods are so good for you.

The Wellness Committee of the Lean and Green Team works on Wellness program related projects, judges the effectiveness of each initiative, and provides feedback on future events.

Check out a few pics of some ALC team members getting active around their communities.

Many fantastic organizations serving the community in Bend, Oregon.  We thought we’d share some of the things we’re doing to support these organizations and a bit about the organizations we are supporting.

Tammy T. organized an effort to support the the Arthritis Foundation’s work by getting an American Licorice team together to participate in the Jingle Bell Run and asking American Licorice to provide matching donations to employees who participated in the walk or run. 

Our employees are buying gifts for families through the Rotary Club’s Tree of Joy program.  The Salvation Army and the Rotary Club are working together to bring gifts to 900 children in Bend, Oregon.  American Licorice will buy additional gifts for the program, and we will also be purchasing a Payless Shoes gift card requested by the Family Access Network  (FAN).  The FAN is located in public schools to serve families with children ages 0-18 whom are living in poverty to connect them to food, shelter, clothing, etc.  DJ, one of our Bend associates,  is spearheading a clothing drive to support the FAN and the Bend Community Center, as well.

Chandra H. is heading up a project to make blankets and collect stuffed animals for the Kid’s Center, a fantastic organization in Bend dedicated to the prevention, evaluation, and treatment of child abuse in the area.  The Kid’s Center provides a safe place for children to tell someone about their abuse.  Every child who visits the Kid’s Center leaves with a blanket and stuffed animals.

If you’d like to help, please click on any of the links above to get more information.  If you’re in Bend and would like to drop off warm jackets or shoes for children, please contact Laurel at Laurel.Weiland@amerlic.com.  We’re collecting clothing through December 19th.

On Tuesday, January 10th, members of the Bakery Union, Local 125, employed at American Licorice Company, voted to return to their jobs under the terms of the final contract offer that had been made to Associates in November.

The three year contract provides an increase in wages each year, improved healthcare for Associates and their families, as well as an improved retirement benefit.

We’re pleased that all of our Associates have decided to return to work and look forward to their ongoing contributions to our business in the years ahead.

On September 30, 2011, the Silcon Valley/San Jose Business Journal in partnership with the San Francisco Business Times awarded American Licorice the Healthiest Employer in the Bay Area (in the 100-499 employees category).  You can read about this award here.

Then, on October 14, 2011, the Portland Business Journal and Healthiest Employers LLC awarded American Licorice the #2 spot as the Healthiest Employer in Oregon! (in the 100-499 employees category)

Tammie Mitchell and the Human Resources team developed the American Licorice’s wellness program over the past four years, with a goal of creating a culture of health.  Tammie, the Senior Manager of Human Resources, seeks to promote better practices by providing education on healthy eating, exercise, stress management, and other wellness-oriented activities.

In an example, American Licorice encourages every associate to exercise at least 20 days out of every month for at least 30 minutes and drink 64 ounces of water a day (the 30-4-20+64 program).  In another example, almost half of Union City, California associates participated in the 13-week Biggest Loser weight loss challenge, and 71 percent of participants lost weight, shedding a collective total of 356 pounds.

In the walking program, associates work on reaching steps per week goals.  Associates who complete the goals can win a trip to a location voted on by the associates. In Bend, associates are committing to two fitness goals in the “Choose Two Challenge”.  Over a two month period, they attend at least 20 exercise classes–provided for free at Snap Fitness (within walking distance of the office), work with a health coach, and attend “Lunch and Learns” about health and fitness related topics, for example, “How To Eat Healthy and Exercise While Traveling”.

Associates in all locations, including Union City, California, and Bend, Oregon, visit the on-site wellness center for resources, literature on healthy cooking and other health oriented topics, pamphlets on wellness programs, and computer access to health-oriented information.  Associates are incented to participate in wellness programs with points to spend in the company’s online store (which includes exercise equipment and cookbooks about healthful meals).  In addition to engagement programs, the Human Resources group arranges for cooking demonstrations and other educational and fun activities for associates.

Over the four year period of the program’s inception, the bar continues to be raised.  As more education and resources are provided, more challenging goals are set.  For more information on our wellness program, please click here.

Amber, Chandra, DJ, Jesse, and Tania work out during their lunch hour in Bend, Oregon