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February 20^th is recognized internationally as the World Day of Social Justice. Social Justice concerns include poverty, exclusion, gender inequality, unemployment, and human rights. These are concerns of employers such as AMS, as we are a certified B Corporation, committed to justice, equity, diversity and inclusion – JEDI.

An overview at National Today [LINK] states the following: “The World Social Justice Day is observed on 20 February to commemorate and urge all efforts to combat unemployment, social exclusion, and poverty. The United Nations General Assembly recognizes that social development and social justice are indispensable for the achievement and maintenance of peace and security within and among nations and that, in turn, social development and social justice cannot be attained in the absence of peace and security, or in the absence of respect for all human rights and fundamental freedoms.”

The history of this commemoration takes us to 1995 and Copenhagen, Denmark, where Denmark hosted the first World Summit for Social Development. The Copenhagen Declaration and Program of Action came out of this meeting, where over 100 leaders pledged to alleviate poverty, create just societies, and work toward full employment.

Quoting again from National Today, “In 2005 in New York, the U.N.’s member states reviewed the Copenhagen Declaration and Programme of Action at a session of the Commission for Social Development. They agreed to commit to advancing social development. Two years later on November 26, 2007, the United Nations General Assembly declared that starting from the sixty-third session of the General Assembly, February 20 will be celebrated annually as the World Day of Social Justice. On June 10, 2008, The International Labour Organization adopted the I.L.O. Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization.”  

Advancing Social Justice

What does social justice look like? According to the UN it is decent work and a fair globalization agenda focused on employment opportunities, fundamental rights, social dialogue between governments, employers and workers.

Quoting from UN.org, “Advocates point out the persisting grave injustices, widespread labor insecurity, high inequality, and unraveling social contracts exacerbated by global crises. These harsh realities threaten progress made on social issues. Reinforcing institutions and policies that truly advance social justice is seen as an urgent priority.

“Proposals to advance social justice include improving inclusive and effective governance of work, ensuring employment opportunities and lifelong learning, reforming institutions for fairer labor market outcomes, and extending social protections across peoples’ lifetimes. An integrated approach across all these areas is touted.”  [LINK to UN.org]

B Corporations and JEDI

The B Corporation is a global movement for social justice. From B Corporation.net we can see how JEDI is described. [LINK]

“B Lab recognizes that we cannot credibly build an inclusive economic system without addressing the fundamental injustice, inequity, and violence that disproportionately impact people of color and women. It is not enough to be quietly non-racist and non-sexist. We have a responsibility to build a community of vocal, visible, anti-racist, and feminist business leaders. Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) is central to all of B Lab’s operations.

Justice dismantles barriers to resources and opportunities in society so that all individuals and communities can live a full and dignified life. At B Lab, we strive to embed justice into our work to catalyze equitable outcomes for all.

Equity is critical to attracting and attaining the best results in business. At B Lab, we are committed to holding ourselves accountable for policies, processes, and programs that appreciate differences and create a fair, safe, and just working environment for staff.

Diversity in age, race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, physical or mental ability, neurocognition, and lived experience is proven to make organizations more effective. At B Lab, we celebrate varied points of view and approaches to our work. 

Inclusion accelerates culture shifts by ensuring all voices are included in the conversation. At B Lab, we strive to build a culture where everyone feels their perspectives are valued. 

Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion are not just words. They are the framework for how we build teams, cultivate leaders, and make business a force for good.”

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AMS Fulfillment is a certified B Corporation, committed to people and planet before profit. We work to B the Change we want to see in the world.

For Black History Series #3 we’re going to talk about the Black Power movement of the ‘60s and ‘70s. We will introduce some leaders who spoke to the time. To begin, we will bring to mind an iconic image from the Summer Olympics. From Wikipedia [LINK]:

“During their medal ceremony in the Olympic Stadium in Mexico City on October 16, 1968, two African-American athletes, Tommie Smith and John Carlos, each raised a black-gloved fist during the playing of the US national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner”. While on the podium, Smith and Carlos, who had won gold and bronze medals respectively in the 200-meter running event of the 1968 Summer Olympics, turned to face the US flag and then kept their hands raised until the anthem had finished. In addition, Smith, Carlos, and Australian silver medalist Peter Norman all wore human-rights badges on their jackets.”

Black Power and Civil Rights

The Black Power movement took place parallel to the Civil Rights Movement. It formed under the concept of human rights – not one’s right as a citizen (civil rights) but rather one’s right as a human being. From the National Archives [LINK] we read the following:

“Black Power began as revolutionary movement in the 1960s and 1970s. It emphasized racial pride, economic empowerment, and the creation of political and cultural institutions. During this era, there was a rise in the demand for Black history courses, a greater embrace of African culture, and a spread of raw artistic expression displaying the realities of African Americans.

“The term “Black Power” has various origins. Its roots can be traced to author Richard Wright’s non-fiction work Black Power, published in 1954. In 1965, the Lowndes County [Alabama] Freedom Organization (LCFO) used the slogan “Black Power for Black People” for its political candidates. The next year saw Black Power enter the mainstream. During the Meredith March against Fear in Mississippi, Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) Chairman Stokely Carmichael rallied marchers by chanting ‘we want Black Power.’”

When the gloved fist was raised at the Olympics, Black Power certainly entered mainstream conversation. This global ‘raised fist’ demonstration had been preceded by the murder of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., which brought about a mass outpouring of grief and anger, with rioting taking place in cities across the country. It was a world-changing time in Black History.

A Revolutionary Time

The story of the Black Power movement is the story of a revolutionary time that brought about COINTELPRO (a US Government counterintelligence program) as well as a number of very strong and articulate Black leaders. We encourage readers to visit the History website [HERE] for an interesting writing entitled “How the Black Power Movement Influenced the Civil Rights Movement.”

Rather than generalize on what was an inspiring movement of two decades, we will introduce three leaders from the time, Stokley Carmichael, Shirley Chisholm and Fred Hampton, and we’ll speak on their work. A glimpse into their experience tells the story of the time. The information is gleaned primarily from Wikipedia.

Stokely Carmichael

Stokely Carmichael was known by his given name, and some years later, by his chosen name, Kwame Ture. He was a prominent organizer both with regard to the civil rights movement and the pan-African movement. He was born in Trinidad and came to the US around the age of 11, attending Bronx High School of Science where he became an activist. He was a key leader in the development of the Black Power movement; leader of the SNCC (the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee), Honorary Prime Minister in the Black Panther Party and then leader of the All-African People’s Revolutionary Party. He was one of the original SNCC 1961 Freedom Riders who took busses into the South to do ‘sit ins’ and challenge segregation.

He was a strong voting rights advocate, but the 1964 Democratic National Convention’s failure to recognize the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party delegates caused him to discard the two-party system. Carmichael eventually decided to develop the national Black Panther Party. He popularized Black Power in his speeches and writings, and became one of the most popular and controversial Black leaders of the late 1960s.

J. Edgar Hoover identified Carmichael as the man most likely to succeed Malcolm X and the FBI targeted him for counterintelligence activity through its COINTELPRO program. In 1968 Carmichael moved to Africa and was established in Guinea by 1969. He adopted the name Kwame Ture and campaigned for the revolutionary socialist pan-African movement until his death in 1998.

Shirley Chisholm

Shirley Anita Chisholm was an American politician who, in 1968, became the first black woman to be elected to the US Congress, representing New York’s district centered in Bedford-Stuyvesant. She served for seven terms, from 1969 to 1983. In 1972, she became the first black candidate for a major-party nomination for President running for the Democratic party’s nomination. Throughout her career, she was known for her stand against economic, social, and political injustice and for black civil rights and women’s rights.

She became involved in local Democratic Party politics in the 1950s. In 1964 she was elected to the New York State Assembly and four years later, she was elected to Congress. She rose to party leadership and expanded food and nutrition programs for the poor. She retired from Congress in 1983 and taught at Mount Holyoke College while continuing her political organizing. In 2015, Chisholm was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Fred Hampton

Fredrick “Chairman Fred” Hampton came to prominence in his late teens and early 20s in Chicago as deputy chairman of the national Black Panther Party. He founded the anti-racist, anti-classist Rainbow Coalition, a multicultural political organization that included the Black Panthers, Young Patriots, an activist organization of white youths, the Young Lords made up of Hispanic activists, and an alliance of street gangs. This helped them end infighting and work for social change. Hampton considered fascism the greatest threat, saying “fascism will stop us all.”

In 1967, the FBI identified Hampton as a radical threat, trying to subvert his activities in Chicago and placing a counterintelligence operative in the local Panthers organization. In December 1969, Hampton was drugged, then shot and killed in his bed during a predawn raid at his Chicago apartment by the Chicago Police Department and the FBI. Law enforcement sprayed more than 100 gunshots throughout the apartment; the occupants fired once. Panther Mark Clark was also killed and several others were seriously wounded. In 1970 the Cook County Coroner’s inquest concluded that Hampton’s and Clark’s deaths were justifiable homicides. But a lawsuit in 1982 lead to a monetary settlement from the US Government, Cook County and the City of Chicago. Many scholars now consider Hampton’s death at age 21, a deliberate murder, or an assassination at the FBI’s initiative.

A Glimpse of the Time

We hope that these stories have increased your knowledge of Black History and the Black Power movement. The efforts for racial pride, development of Black business, self-support and self-determination continue to this day within a human rights movement embracing the entire Afrodescendant family, located in the USA and Americas Region and Caribbean, in countries where the slave trade brought their ancestors.

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Our Black History Series #4 will be on the abolitionists and their work to end slavery.

AMS Fulfillment is a Certified B Corporation, committed to put people before profit. We work to B the Change we wish to see in the world.

Everybody tunes in to Valentine’s Day!! February 14^th definitely can’t be ignored – it’s about love! We need a gift for the sweetheart, some flowers for the beloved wife, something special for the hero husband, cool stuff for the grandchildren – it’s time to show love.

What does Google tell us it’s about? “The 8th-century Gelasian Sacramentary recorded the celebration of the Feast of Saint Valentine on February 14. The day became associated with romantic love in the 14th and 15th centuries when notions of courtly love flourished, apparently by association with the “lovebirds” of early spring.”

A Little Bit of History

Where did the Valentine name and the February 14 date come from? Here’s what the History website says: “While some believe that Valentine’s Day is celebrated in the middle of February to commemorate the anniversary of Valentine’s death or burial—which probably occurred around A.D. 270—others claim that the Christian church may have decided to place St. Valentine’s feast day in the middle of February in an effort to “Christianize” the pagan celebration of Lupercalia. Celebrated at the ides of February, or February 15, Lupercalia was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus.”

Here’s a little more about this interesting and colorful holiday. “The Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred. One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine’s actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death. Still others insist that it was Saint Valentine of Terni, a bishop, who was the true namesake of the holiday. He, too, was beheaded by Claudius II outside Rome.

Although Valentine’s Day is clearly about romantic love, people do give gifts to a wider list of loved ones, such as Mom and the kids and grandkids, sons, daughters, folks at the office or workplace and basically whoever touches their heart. Here at AMS our employees who wish to, can purchase $1 valentine fortune cookies for their co-workers with the funds going to an organization AMS is supporting in honor of Black History Month.

The Very Best Love Poems

Because we do love romantic love, we went looking for the best love poems we could find. Here below are our favorites.

She Walks in Beauty

By Lord Byron

She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that’s best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes;
Thus mellowed to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

One shade the more, one ray the less,
Had half impaired the nameless grace
Which waves in every raven tress,
Or softly lightens o’er her face;
Where thoughts serenely sweet express,
How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.

And on that cheek, and o’er that brow,
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,
The smiles that win, the tints that glow,
But tell of days in goodness spent,
A mind at peace with all below,
A heart whose love is innocent!


How Do I Love Thee

By Elizabeth Barrett Browning

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of being and ideal grace.
I love thee to the level of every day’s
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for right.
I love thee purely, as they turn from praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints. I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.

Aedh Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven

By W.B. Yeats

Had I the heavens’ embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half light,
I would spread the cloths under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.

I Wish I Could Remember that First Day

By Christina Rossetti

I wish I could remember that first day,
First hour, first moment of your meeting me,
If bright or dim the season, it might be
Summer or Winter for aught I can say;
So unrecorded did it slip away,
So blind was I to see and to foresee,
So dull to mark the budding of my tree
That would not blossom yet for many a May.
If only I could recollect it, such
A day of days! I let it come and go
As traceless as a thaw of bygone snow;
It seemed to mean so little, meant so much;
If only now I could recall that touch,
First touch of hand in hand – Did one but know!

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Happy Valentine’s Day to all of our employees, clients and friends. For your enjoyment, at this [LINK] is a beautiful love song from the Temptations… “A Song for You.” We promise… it’s worth a teardrop or two.

AMS Fulfillment is a Certified B Corporation, committed to put people and planet before profit. We work to B the Change we wish to see in the world.

The Lunar New Year begins in China on February 10th this year. We’re hearing the buzz… it’s the Year of the Dragon!! Of course we want to know what is predicted to happen in the Dragon year! Let’s find out about the celebrations and the Chinese Zodiac predictions!

The Lunar New Year, called the Spring Festival, is celebrated in many Asian countries. The celebration kicks off on February 10th this year and lasts for up to 16 days, with the first seven days considered a public holiday. The Lantern Festival is the peak of the season.

The following is from People magazine [LINK]: “Originating in multiple countries in east Asia, the holiday is filled with rich culture and tradition that centers around the hope for good fortune and prosperity. Each year, the exact date differs as it’s based on the cycle of the moon, though it usually falls between Jan. 20 and Feb. 21 on the Gregorian calendar. Each year also has a corresponding animal from the Chinese zodiac, based on ancient Chinese mythology, and 2024 marks the Year of the Dragon.”

The Lunar New Year Traditions

The first tradition is to thoroughly clean the house. This is done to drive away any bad luck from the previous year. Another preparation is to pay off any debts so to start the new year fresh. Families also might buy new clothes and put Spring Festival decorations on the doors and windows.

On the evening of the first day, people go to the tombs of their ancestors and sweep the tomb, then return home for a family reunion dinner. This dinner is the most important of the year and several generations will come together. From USA Today [LINK] we read the following: “In China, the foods served at these dinners vary from north to south. Northern Chinese cuisine tends to have dumplings and noodles; southern Chinese meals rely heavily on rice cakes. Traditionally, people give out red envelopes with money and light fireworks after dinner.”

The small red envelopes containing money are given to children and family members, friends and employees as well. The color red is associated with energy, happiness and good luck. There may also be fireworks. Here’s an interesting tidbit from USA Today.

“Traditionally fireworks are set off to mark the new year and ward off monsters. According to legend, the origin of the practice goes back to a story about a monster called Nian, who is believed to have been causing great harm to some villages. In response, the villagers are said to have set off explosions to scare off the monster. Since then, it has become a tradition for Chinese New Year.”

The Festival of Lanterns comes on the final day. All types of lanterns are lit throughout the streets and they fill the sky, making the night into colorful, beautiful light. The celebration reaches its peak with the Lantern Festival.

The Year of the Dragon

From China Highlights [LINK] we read: “Wood Dragon. The Chinese zodiac gives each year an animal sign. Chinese New Year 2024 is a Year of the Dragon, more specifically, Wood Dragon, starting from February 10th, 2024, and lasting until January 28th, 2025. Recent/upcoming years of the Dragon are 2024, 2012, 2000, and 1988.”

In answer to the question… was I born in a Dragon year? Years of the Dragon go back to 1988, 1976, 1964, and 1952. People born in Dragon years are said to possess courage, tenacity, intelligence, enthusiasm and confidence.

Once again from China Highlights, we read: “In Chinese culture, the Dragon holds a significant place as an auspicious and extraordinary creature, unparalleled in talent and excellence. It symbolizes power, nobility, honor, luck, and success. 2024 is forecasted to bring about opportunities, changes, and challenges. If you’re seeking a shift in your current lives, this year might offer a favorable chance.”

The animals of the Chinese zodiac have fixed elements and variable elements, and wood is the fixed element of this year’s Dragon. The wood element is said to add a layer of creativity, growth and compassion, and the ability to be persuasive and communicative.

According to China Highlights: “The Dragon is known for its ambition, courage, and enthusiasm, while the Wood element adds a layer of creativity, growth, and compassion. Together, they suggest a year and people characterized by dynamic growth, innovation, and the ability to inspire and lead others.”

Find out Your Sign in the Zodiac

We will link you to the China Embassy website for a chart that tells you which animal you are according to your birth year:

“The Chinese zodiac, or shengxiao, refers to the circle of 12 animals that measure the cycles of time. Signs or animals are determined by the lunar year in which you were born.

“Legend has it that a god beckoned all animals to bid him farewell before his departure from Earth. Only 12 of them, namely the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig arrived, with each given a place of honor in a year based on the order of arrival.”

You can determine your animal sign by referring to the year you were born. There is also a listing of the attributes and personalities of each animal and some advice on which sign you might want to partner with. [Click HERE for the chart.]

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AMS Fulfillment is a Certified B Corporation. It is our goal to put people and the planet before profit, and B the Change we all wish to see in the world.

We promised four stories of Black history during the month of February. Our first story was of the Gullah Geechee – a unique culture that has developed with some memory of home woven in. This week our story is going to be a painful and tragic look into what racism, envy, jealousy, and white supremacy caused to happen in Oklahoma. Looking back, we are very grateful that hearts and minds have awakened since that time.

Our first Google description is as follows: “On May 31 and June 1, 1921, mobs of white residents attacked Black residents, homes, and businesses, as well as cultural and public institutions in the Greenwood District of Tulsa, OK, an oil boom city. Greenwood was also known as “Black Wall Street,” one of the wealthiest Black communities in the United States.”

More from Google: “Although racial segregation was the norm in post-Civil War America, Black Wall Street turned the tables on the system, as budding Black entrepreneurs were able to offer goods and services to their own neighbors since many white-owned businesses wouldn’t serve Black communities or customers.”

A Wealthy Black Community

In 1921, the Greenwood District in Tulsa, Oklahoma was a very prosperous Black community. From the Daily [LINK] we read the following: “This modern, majestic, sophisticated, and unapologetically black community boasted of banks, hotels, cafés, clothiers, movie theaters, and contemporary homes. Not to mention luxuries, such as indoor plumbing and a remarkable school system that superiorly educated black children. Undoubtedly, less fortunate white neighbors resented their upper-class lifestyle. As a result of a jealous desire to put progressive, high-achieving African-Americans in their place, a wave of domestic white terrorism caused black dispossession.”

As was the case with so much racial violence and lynching in the American South, a Black man was accused of attempting to rape a white woman in the elevator of the Drexel Building. Rather than investigate to see whether such a crime had occurred, there began a torrent of racial violence. Thirty-five city blocks were burned to the ground, at least 300 died and 800 were injured. All of this in defense of white female virtue.

Homes and Lives Lost in Violence

Continuing from the Daily, we see the following: “Accounts vary on what happened. Yet as a result of the Tulsa Tribune’s racially inflammatory report, black and white armed mobs arrived at the courthouse. Scuffles broke out, and shots were fired. Since the blacks were outnumbered, they headed back to Greenwood. But the enraged whites were not far behind, looting and burning businesses and homes along the way.” As we can see, according to the quote, the media is accused of inflaming the situation.

Estimates are that between nine and ten thousand people became homeless. According to the Library of Congress, “No insurance claims were honored for African Americans in the Greenwood District, and according to the Red Cross reporting, by July 1921, there were lawsuits filed by African Americans with claims over $4 million, which would be worth nearly $60 million today.” The article goes on to say that the Red Cross set up a hospital to care for the injured and it provided temporary tent housing with sides and floors of lumber.

“The Red Cross documented the violence in reports, which are available through the Tulsa Historical Society and Museum. The Association surveyed 1,765 families and found that 1,115 homes were burned and 314 homes were looted but not burned. Victims were relocated to a variety of areas, from Chicago to Houston, with approximately 300, mostly women and children, leaving to stay with relatives.

“In the preface of the 1921 report, Mr. Willows wrote: ‘The story of the tragedy enacted on the night of May 31st, 1921, and the morning of June 1st, 1921 has been told and retold, with all sorts of variations in the press of the country. Whatever people choose to call it a “race riot”; “massacre”; a “negro uprising;” or whatnot, the word has not yet been coined which can correctly describe the affair. This report attempts to picture the situation as representatives of the Red Cross found it, and to record the activities of the organization to bringing order out of chaos and administering relief to the innocents.’” Read the full article [HERE].

What We Can Learn

When we look into Black history, we see the sad reality of slavery and the international and domestic slave trade. We have the history as well of the Civil War, and the emancipation from slavery. Tragedies like the destruction of Black Wall Street are part of a decades-long story that includes a number of assaults on Black communities, and of course, we have seen many men killed by lynching.

Fear of the ‘other’ or the ‘unalike’ is found throughout human history. What better thing can we do now than learn about the human families and cultures until it dawns on us – we are all wonderful, unique human beings, far more alike than unalike. Today, the imbalance still exists in some of the judicial and prison systems and perhaps in other systems as well. Remnants of racism or discrimination in the structure are dismantled in the corporate world by JEDI and DE&I. As we can see, human beings have an inspiring capacity to change and evolve.

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AMS Fulfillment is a Certified B Corporation. We work to put people before profit, and B the Change we wish to see in the world.

It’s coming up soon – Fat Tuesday – the Mardi Gras Party! There will be a parade, a whole lot of costumes, great food and a ton of fun taking place in New Orleans. What else is Mardi Gras? It is cultural and religious and interesting for all of us who enjoy learning about our culture – the who, the what and the why of human beings! The more we know about each other, the more we understand, appreciate and respect each other.

Let’s get into it. From Google we see that Mardi Gras 2024 falls on Tuesday, February 13, 2024. That’s because the date of Easter is tied to the moon (it’s always the first Sunday after the full moon that follows the spring equinox) and Mardi Gras is tied to Easter.

Mardi Gras and Easter

For the millions of people celebrating Easter, there is a Lenten season that precedes the three-day Easter celebration. The Lenten season is a 40 day season when the people fast and pray and give alms to the poor. It begins on Ash Wednesday, which is February 14th this year. The Mardi Gras celebrations take place on the Tuesday before fasting begins, which is the 13th.

Fat Tuesday is the final day of partying prior to the Lenten fast. It’s also called Shrove Tuesday, Pancake Tuesday and Carnival Tuesday depending on the location. On this day we’ll see the parades and parties and indulgence in food. The words ‘mardi gras’ actually is French for Fat Tuesday. So, in essence, we are going to talk about the party that comes before the period of fasting for people who practice the Christian religion, especially the Roman Catholic practices.

Mardi Gras History

We’re not going to go way back through the centuries. That is a long and interesting story and we will give readers the [LINK] to the full article. Here’s just a little taste: “The earliest reference to Mardi Gras “Carnival” appears in a 1781 report to the Spanish colonial governing body. That year, the Perseverance Benevolent & Mutual Aid Association was the first of hundreds of clubs and carnival organizations formed in New Orleans. By the late 1830s, New Orleans held street processions of maskers with carriages and horseback riders to celebrate Mardi Gras. Dazzling gaslight torches, or “flambeaux,” lit the way for the krewe’s members and lent each event an exciting air of romance and festivity.”

What to do at Mardi Gras

Mardi Gras is a big holiday in New Orleans, full of excitement. People who come to celebrate wear costumes or at least they dress in purple, green and gold, and they wear the long necklaces (beads) that are tossed to them from the celebrants on the floats. Mardi Gras is people having fun together: crazy costumes, lots of families, locals and visitors sitting on the ground, playing music, eating great food, watching the amazing parade performances. On Mardi Gras day, the majority of non-essential businesses are shut down because of the celebration.

What Google says: “The South unequivocally owns Mardi Gras. Between our over-the-top festivities in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Mobile, Alabama, everyone knows that if you want to properly celebrate Fat Tuesday, it’s got to be in the South.”

Something unique to this celebration is the King Cake, which is a colorful pound cake, with gold, green and purple frosting, in which a little trinket is placed. Here’s a bit from Google: “The colors of the icing (and the royal colors of Mardi Gras) have a deeper meaning. Gold represents power, green is associated with faith, and purple illustrates justice.”

Who gets the slice of cake with the trinket? “The common denominator between all of these cakes is that they all have a small trinket or figurine — such as a bean, a coin, a nut, or a tiny baby figurine — hidden inside. Whoever finds the trinket in their slice of cake gets to be “king” for a day and is also said to have good luck.”

What Else? Mardi Gras Indians

We like to give our readers information they might not find elsewhere because there is much to learn when it comes to culture and identity. The more we learn, the more we appreciate everyone’s journey. In that spirit we’re going to offer a few paragraphs about the Mardi Gras Indians, and then offer a link to the full, and very interesting article.

“Mardi Gras is full of secrets, and the Mardi Gras Indians are as much a part of that secrecy as any other carnival organization. Their parade dates, times and routes are never published in advance, although they do tend to gather in the same areas every year.

“The Mardi Gras Indians are comprised, in large part, of the African-American communities of New Orleans’s inner city. While these Indians have paraded for well over a century, their parade is perhaps the least recognized Mardi Gras tradition.

“’Mardi Gras Indians–the parade most white people don’t see. The ceremonial procession is loose, the parade is not scheduled for a particular time or route…that is up to the Big Chief.” – Larry Bannock

“Traditional Mardi Gras organizations form a “krewe.” A krewe often names their parade after a particular Roman or Greek mythological hero or god. The ranking structure of a Mardi Gras Krewe is a parody of royalty: King, Queen, Dukes, Knights, and Captains, or some variation of that theme. Many of the more established krewes allow membership by invitation only.

“Few in the ghetto felt they could ever participate in the typical New Orleans parade. Historically, slavery and racism were at the root of this cultural separation. The black neighborhoods in New Orleans gradually developed their own style of celebrating Mardi Gras. Their krewes are named for imaginary Indian tribes according to the streets of their ward or gang.

“The Mardi Gras Indians named themselves after native Indians to pay them respect for their assistance in escaping the tyranny of slavery. It was often local Indians who accepted slaves into their society when they made a break for freedom. They have never forgotten this support.” [LINK] to the full article.

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We hope you have enjoyed this brief look into Mardi Gras. Be sure and tune in to the news on Tuesday the 13th to see the parade! There is much to learn about each other and learning history is always a good thing.

AMS Fulfillment is a Certified B Corporation. We work to B the Change we wish to see in the world.

Every year, during the month of February, the American Heart Association steps forward to lead activities during American Heart Month. The focus of the American Heart Association this year is on the value of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training.

President Lyndon Johnson issued the first proclamation regarding American Heart Month sixty years ago, in 1964. But the American Heart Association is actually 100 years old this year. The organization is marking their 100 years of service by suggesting that our focus should be on CPR in order to give people the experience and training they need to respond to a cardiac emergency.

The American Heart Association conducted a survey [LINK] in the fall of 2023 regarding people’s familiarity with CPR. The survey showed the following:

“The survey, conducted in fall 2023, indicates that although 35% of respondents have the confidence to perform CPR when needed, an increase from 30% in 2021, only 39% of those surveyed are familiar with conventional CPR and only 23% with Hands-Only CPR. According to the American Heart Association, fewer than half of people suffering out-of-hospital cardiac arrest receive the immediate CPR they need before professional help arrives.”

The need for CPR training within a business such as AMS, with hundreds of employees, is evident, and AMS does provide CPR training. The American Heart Association, in its news article, suggests four ways to learn CPR with the fourth being training at the place of work. We definitely have that covered. In 2023, 35 AMS employees (east/west) were trained in first aid and CPR by a certified instructor. This year we are launching mental health first aid for the first time ever.

Employee safety and security has a very strong focus at AMS, and the CPR training has been done for some years. Thankfully there are persons in the warehouses and offices of AMS who can step in and save a life. In the case of a medical emergency, the AMS Safety and Security team is well trained to deal with it following established procedures. We care, and we show it by training in saving lives.

Ways of Learning CPR

“CPR – or cardiopulmonary resuscitation – is an emergency lifesaving procedure performed when the heart stops beating. During American Heart Month, the Association is offering four ways to learn CPR and join the Nation of Lifesavers, as an individual, family, organization or community at heart.org/nation.”

The other ways of learning, suggested by the American Heart Association are as follows:

“Watch online. Learn the basics of Hands-Only CPR with this instructional video and share it on social media with #NationofLifesavers. Hands-Only CPR has just two simple steps, performed in this order: 1) Call 911 if you see a teen or adult suddenly collapse; and 2) Push hard and fast in the center of the chest to the beat of a familiar song that has 100 to 120 beats per minute.

“Learn at home. Learn basic lifesaving skills in about 20 minutes from the comfort and privacy of home with the CPR Anytime® kits. The Infant CPR Anytime program is for new parents, grandparents, babysitters, nannies and anyone who wants to learn lifesaving infant CPR and choking relief skills.

“Take a course. Get a group together and find a nearby class to learn the lifesaving skills of CPR, first aid, and AED. Encourage others by sharing on social media with #NationofLifesavers.

“Turn employees into lifesavers. Help make your workplace and community safer one step at a time by forming a Heart Walk team and committing to CPR training for your employees.”

Please go to the AHA website [LINK] for full information and links to their recommendations.

An Example for All

Many of us will remember the shock and horror felt when seeing Damar Hamlin collapse on the football field with cardiac arrest. It was awful to see, and millions of us saw it in the media. Thankfully Mr. Hamlin has fully recovered and has stepped in to be an ambassador. Here are the details:                                         

“One of the people helping turn a nation of bystanders into a nation of lifesavers is Buffalo Bills safety and cardiac arrest survivor, Damar Hamlin. Since June 2023, Hamlin has served as the national ambassador for the American Heart Association’s Nation of Lifesavers. Following his cardiac arrest during Monday Night Football on Jan. 2, 2023, millions of people worldwide have engaged with American Heart Association educational content about CPR.

“’You never know when it’s going to be your opportunity to step in and save a life. CPR and AEDs are why I’m here today,’ says Hamlin in a newly released video shared on the Association website. ‘The mission of the Nation of Lifesavers is simple…when someone needs CPR, people can be well equipped to save a life. Someone who can save a life, that’s a superpower if you ask me.’”

We encourage readers to seek out CPR training, so that you can be one of those lifesavers. If you are one of our valued employees and you would like to take part in our next CPR classes, please let your Safety and Security Team know of your interest, or email [email protected].

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AMS Fulfillment is a Certified B Corporation. We seek to B the Change we wish to see in the world.

February is a month dedicated to Black History. Why do we appreciate Black History Month at AMS? Because the more we know of each other’s history, the more we appreciate the struggles and lessons and victories. Most of us have learned little of Black history in our schooling and in general, which is the reason a month is dedicated to learning.

In this blog series we will publish several interesting treasures of Black history – stories most of us have never heard, giving us greater understanding of a family of Americans we love and appreciate. In our first blog we will learn about the yearning of the enslaved Africans to remember and retain some of their culture and language. Since the enslavement was trans-generational, for all but a tiny few, the language, culture, religion and family history is gone and cannot be recovered. While tracing the genetic journey is possible, the loss of identity is felt as a great loss.

As we know, African families were torn apart and the people were transported to and enslaved in South, Central and North America and the Islands of the Caribbean. In early 2000, at the request of Black leaders from a number of countries including the US, the United Nations recognized the descendants of these families collectively as Afrodescendants.

Our first Black History story will focus on one of three groups that managed to retain some of their language and culture. There is a group called the Garifuna, who live on the coastline of Honduras, and one called the Maroons who escaped slavery and lived for some time in southern Jamaica. The family we will learn about is called the Gullah Geechee. The Gullah Geechee are living on the coast of South Carolina and Georgia, on the coastal plain and the Beaufort Sea Islands. For more, we will quote from the Gullah Geechee Corridor website. [LINK]

The Gullah Geechee People

The Gullah Geechee people are descendants of Africans who were enslaved on the rice, indigo and Sea Island cotton plantations of the lower Atlantic coast. Many came from the rice-growing region of West Africa. The nature of their enslavement on isolated island and coastal plantations created a unique culture with deep African retentions that are clearly visible in the Gullah Geechee people’s distinctive arts, crafts, foodways, music, and language.

“Gullah Geechee is a unique, creole language spoken in the coastal areas of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. The Gullah Geechee language began as a simplified form of communication among people who spoke many different languages including European slave traders, slave owners and diverse, African ethnic groups. The vocabulary and grammatical roots come from African and European languages.  It is the only distinctly, African creole language in the United States and it has influenced traditional Southern vocabulary and speech patterns.”

The article goes on to say that today’s descendants have continued some traditions, arts, foodways and music that come from their ancestors, such as making cast nets for fishing, basket weaving for agriculture and textile arts for clothing and warmth. The music arose out of the conditions of slavery and its influence and evolution of musical forms can be heard in many musical genres.

The article speaks about the foodways as follows: “The traditional Gullah Geechee diet consisted of items available locally such as vegetables, fruits, game, seafood, livestock; items imported from Europe, items imported from Africa during the slave trade (okra, rice, yams, peas, hot peppers, peanuts, sesame “benne” seeds, sorghum and watermelon), and food introduced by Native Americans such as corn, squash, tomatoes and berries. Rice became a staple crop for both Gullah Geechee people and whites in the southeastern coastal regions. Because plantation cooks were primarily enslaved women, much of the food today referred to as “Southern” comes from the creativity and labor of enslaved cooks.”

The spiritual practices of the Gullah Geechee family are made up of Christian practices incorporated into an African rooted system of beliefs. “These values included belief in a God, community above individuality, respect for elders, kinship bonds and ancestors; respect for nature, and honoring the continuity of life and the afterlife. Lowcountry plantations frequently had a praise house or small structure where slaves could meet for religious services.”

The Loss of Land to Developers

Since the land occupied by the Gullah Geechee people is in a beautiful spot on the beach, sure enough there are developers wanting to build hotels and golf courses. One of the means of obtaining the land has been for the County to claim the land due to delinquent property tax and sell it. An article in The Guardian explains as follows:

“Across the low country, land once owned by formerly enslaved people and their descendants is being lost rapidly to development. With that land loss comes the degradation of Gullah culture, which once flourished in places like Beaufort, Hilton Head and other islands off the eastern coast of the US.”

There is a movement to keep these sales from being done, and the County government is responding. “As a means to help preserve Gullah land from this tide of coastal development, officials in Beaufort county allow heirs, as the descendants are called, to claim their land when it comes up for bid at auction. The hope, in explaining to attendees that the county’s practice is deference to the owners, is that would-be bidders will respect the custom and not make offers on the historic land.

“Of the more than 250 properties featured in the October auction, at least 10 belonged to heirs. When a Gullah heir kept their land, promising to pay the delinquent taxes, the crowd in the gym clapped. Some non-heirs bid anyway, effectively taking the properties out of Gullah hands. “The land loss we are dealing with now is due to predatory development and greed,” said Luana Graves Sellars, a director at the non-profit Lowcountry Gullah Foundation, which helps Gullah families hold on to their land by raising money to pay the outstanding taxes on their behalf.”

The struggle goes on, with property value rising and property tax rising as well. Readers can view the full story at this [LINK].

Gullah Geechee Corridor

There are efforts being made to involve the US National Park Service in protecting the people and their land by making it a National Heritage site. Apparently some land is now being protected. Quoting from the Gullah Geechee Corridor website, we hear this encouraging news:

“The Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor is a National Heritage Area managed by the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission.  The National Heritage Area program is managed by the U.S. National Park Service. National Heritage Areas are designated by Congress as places where natural, cultural, and historic resources combine to form a cohesive, nationally important landscape. The purpose of the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor NHA is to preserve, share and interpret the history, traditional cultural practices, heritage sites, and natural resources associated with Gullah Geechee people of coastal North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida.”

People Before Profit

In a world where people are put before profit, the Gullah Geechee heirs would not have to be engaged in such a struggle to remain in their homes. We appreciate the organization helping the heirs pay their property tax in order to retain their homes, the Lowcountry Gullah Foundation [LINK].

Well, there we have it – Black History story #1 in our series. Our next story will be on “Black Wall Street,” and our third will be on “Ebeneezer Creek.” The final blog will be about the abolitionist heroes. We hope you enjoy these glimpses into Black History.

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A B Corporation is a business that does put people before profit in their business practices. AMS Fulfillment is a Certified B Corporation. We aim to B the Change we wish to see in the world.

January 27^th is the anniversary of a very profound day in our human history – the day of the liberation of the men and women who were confined at the concentration camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau. If any day in our recent history should be remembered with gratitude, it is this day. As we know, there were six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust and millions of other victims of Nazi persecution.

How many people were sent to the camp, and how many lost their lives in this horrible time period? Records tell us that from 1940 to 1945 at least 1.3 million people were forced into the Auschwitz concentration camp and 1.1 million lost their lives. This crime took the lives of 960,000 Jews, 74,000 Non-Jewish Poles, 21,000 Roma, 15,000 Soviet prisoners of war and 15,000 other nationalities.

How were the survivors liberated on this day? We will take our answer from the Memorial and Museum website, linked [HERE].

“Soldiers of the 60th Army of the First Ukrainian Front opened the gates of Auschwitz Concentration Camp on January 27, 1945. The prisoners greeted them as authentic liberators. It was a paradox of history that soldiers formally representing Stalinist totalitarianism brought freedom to the prisoners of Nazi totalitarianism.

“The Red Army obtained detailed information about Auschwitz only after the liberation of Cracow, and was therefore unable to reach the gates of Auschwitz before January 27, 1945.

“About 7 thousand prisoners awaited liberation in the Main Camp, Birkenau, and Monowitz. Before and soon after January 27, Soviet soldiers liberated about 500 prisoners in the Auschwitz sub-camps.

“Over 230 Soviet soldiers, including the commander of the 472nd regiment, Col. Siemen Lvovich Besprozvanny, died in combat while liberating the Main Camp, Birkenau, Monowitz, and the city of Oświęcim. The majority of them are buried at the municipal cemetery in Oświęcim.

“In the Main Camp and Birkenau, Soviet soldiers discovered the corpses of about 600 prisoners who had been shot by the withdrawing SS or who had succumbed to exhaustion.”

Lessons Can Be Learned

What could we learn from this chapter in human history? Looking back, we can see a great deal of growth in our realization that we, human beings, are NOT unalike! How is the human being persuaded to hate, to enslave, to destroy? Have we reached a time in our evolution where we can no longer be poisoned in spirit against one another? One can see progress, and perhaps the light of awareness – this is my brother, this is my sister, this is my Self. We are growing, and that is encouraging.

Every human being is deserving of 100% respect, no matter the skin color, no matter the religious practices, no matter the sex or sexual preference, no matter the level of education, and no matter the history. We are one Humanity.

The following lessons from history are listed on the aish.com website and they provide very good guidance as we remember the liberation of Auschwitz on this day.

Lesson 1: The Importance of Holocaust Remembrance – The Responsibility of Memory
Lesson 2: The Danger of State-Sanctioned Incitement to Hatred and Genocide — The Responsibility to Prevent
Lesson 3: The Danger of Silence, The Consequences of Indifference — The Responsibility to Protect
Lesson 4: Combating Mass Atrocity and the Culture of Impunity — The Responsibility to Bring War Criminals to Justice
Lesson 5: The Trahison des Clercs — The Responsibility to Talk Truth to Power
Lesson 6: Holocaust Remembrance — The Responsibility to Educate
Lesson 7: The Vulnerability of the Powerless — The Protection of the Vulnerable as the Test of a Just Society

Integrity and B Corporations

We Are Responsible for our world and the evolution of our society. And yes, we have a responsibility to prevent and a responsibility to protect. We must have the courage to talk truth to power, and we must protect the vulnerable.

There are so many wrongs of the past that society has worked to repair and change, and this is the aim and goal of the B Corporation. Can business put people before profit? At AMS Fulfillment the answer is yes – we can put people before profit and still be a very successful business.

Can corporations take a position of responsibility? The answer is absolutely YES. “Be the change you wish to see in the world” is a phrase we use, and it is meaningful to all of us at AMS Fulfillment. We are grateful to be able to educate and commemorate the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. May such an atrocity never happen again in our shared world.

For the full story of the liberation, we invite you to visit this [LINK].

At AMS, we have a strong focus on environmental sustainability. After a very dedicated year, in 2023 AMS achieved carbon neutral recognition. Throughout the year we worked in every area we could to have an impact upon our footprint, from energy use to sustainable and biodegradable packaging to plastics recycling. We are back at it in 2024 with high goals to do even better.

One thing we are proud of… we offer our clients a number of sustainable packaging options as we know online customers are concerned about the packaging their products arrive in. The customer asks… “Will it add to plastics pollution in a landfill, or can it be recycled?” Sustainability of packaging is increasingly playing a role in the online customer’s buying choice.

International Congress

January 26^th is designated International Environmental Education Day. The aim of the day is to raise awareness about environmental issues, promote sustainable practices, and encourage people to take action for the well-being of the environment – our shared Earth.

The history of this day is as follows: “This day dates back to June 1972, when the United Nations held a conference in Stockholm, Sweden, on Human Environment. At this conference, it was discussed that certain common principles and standards should be followed so that we can preserve and improve the environment today. Following that, many countries gathered in the International Workshop on Environment, held in Belgrade, wherein the “Belgrade Charter” was published to illustrate the essential demands of environmental education.” [LINK to the Congress website]

International Environmental Education Day is observed all over the world. This year’s congress is in Abu Dhabi, entitled the 12th World Environmental Education Congress. It takes place from January 29th to February 2^nd.

A brief quote from the Zawya website tells us: “As a progression of the pivotal discussions from COP28, the congress, featuring the participation of IUCN, will focus on the power of education in confronting the Triple Planetary Crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution.”

The article goes on the list the leaders planning to attend and concludes with the following: “With the UAE targeting a significant 22% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2027 and recent measures including banning single-use plastics and waste-to-zero campaigns, the country is committed to acting responsibly by actively addressing global challenges and charting its sustainable future.”

Single Use Plastics

At AMS we join them in their concerns – climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. Our efforts toward becoming carbon neutral speak to our concern for climate change, and our annual contribution to the Rainforest Trust, specifically the Brazilian Amazon Fund to stop deforestation, is due to our concern for biodiversity loss.

We admire the UAE decision to ban single-use plastics – that is a big step! At AMS we provide all employees with refillable water bottles, and of course we properly collect and recycle any plastics that are used in our facilities. And we are doing one more significant effort to recycle plastic stretch film. As a fulfillment company, we receive, at all of our warehouses, shipments all day every day of pallets protected by plastic stretch film. Our recycling companies refused to accept this plastic and as a result it was ending up in landfills. Members of our Green Team set out to solve this issue, and after a number of phone calls and inquiries, planning and some purchasing, we solved it.

The AMS Green Team saw that the plastic stretch film had to be accumulated in large quantities and baled before it would be accepted for recycling. As we mentioned in a previous blog, we purchased 92 waste bins, allowing the warehouses to accumulate 10k pounds and bale it for recycling. As of this date, we have accumulated three 10-15k loads of baled stretch film which will be recycled into long-lasting products. Those products may be composite lumber, which has many uses, or it could be reprocessed into small pellets used to make containers, crates, pipes and many other items.

One of our Green Team members is also a member of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition. This membership gives her the expertise to make recommendations to AMS clients of sustainable, earth friendly, eco-friendly packaging for their products. Many of our clients do choose sustainable packaging for their customers, and this is a Win for all of us and our shared Earth.

Environmental Education

The International Environmental Education Day organizers offer to us their recommendations as to why this day of education is important.

We learn more about our home…

“With this holiday, the environment is promoted, and people feel motivated to learn more and do something to help. It’s so humbling to realize that the earth is a beautiful place and one that should be preserved.”

We can be part of the action-taking…

“Once we are more aware, we can take steps to act according to the benefits of the environment. It’s always good to convince others, but it is more meaningful when we walk the talk.”

We help our home help us…

“As there is interdependence between man and the environment, it does benefit us to connect and come up with solutions to the issues our environment faces. When given more thought, it’s just like making sure our home is a livable and safe space to reside in.”

One more thing we would like to offer our readers is a link to a list of environmental science scholarships at leading schools and institutes in the country, for the betterment of the environment and our future. [LINK]

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AMS Fulfillment is proud to be a B Corporation. We strive to B the Change we wish to see in the world.

Thank you for your exemplary performance during the month of December: Norman R., Saul M., Naidelin G., Reina G., Daniel C., Matthew W., Martina P., Ramaesh N., Steven Charles Z., and Rachel P.

In the fulfillment industry, employees directly serve the company’s clients, making their efforts vital to the growth and success of the business. At AMS Fulfillment we appreciate and value our employees, and we respect and invest in them. Every month we see our employees working hard with such outstanding dedication and we are continually impressed by the results they produce!

Congratulations to this month’s winners! All Winners will receive an Employee of the Month Certificate, T-Shirt, and Quarterly Celebration Lunch!

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Norman R., Inventory Receiving Specialist I (11/16/2022) HQ Valencia, CA

Norman was impressing from day one. He is matriculate, observant, attentive and friendly. This is one of many reasons why we moved him over to HQ, and now joining the forklift driving ranks. His good character, wanting to learn more, and asking all the right questions is what makes him a great employee. Norman works hard every day and is always doing what’s best for the company. All around, he is a great worker. We are glad to have him on the team.

Saul M., Operations Supervisor II (09/15/2021) LIV Valencia, CA

Saul always comes to work with full intentions of keeping our employees happy along with making sure our clients are happy. He is our volunteer rep., and he makes sure that everyone in the warehouse is aware of all the company events and does a great job at getting everyone’s participation. Every day, he does not go home until he has made sure that every order for every client that could possibly ship has shipped. Saul is a very important part of our team, and we totally appreciate his full dedication to our employees and clients.

Naidelin G., Operations Associate II (03/21/2022) WIL Valencia, CA

Naidelin works in the returns department, and she is an outstanding employee who makes a positive impact on our team. She is a hard worker who always goes beyond the goals set for our department. Naidelin walks in with a smile and is always kind to everyone. You can rely on her to come in early or work on the weekend for any department. Her work ethic speaks for her, and she is our choice for Employee of the Month.

Reina G., Operations Supervisor I (07/24/2011) WIT Valencia, CA.

Since recently transferring to WIT, Reina has been of great help, especially during the Black Friday week. She has managed and worked the floor while continuing to do many other responsibilities. Regardless of the long hours worked and the pressure to get the orders out, she always had a positive and friendly attitude. She is always willing to help the team to pick, ship and resolve any other issues or questions the team might have. Her contribution to the team does not go unnoticed. Thank you, Reina!

Daniel C., Data Integration Analyst I (03/27/2015) IT Valencia, CA

Recently when a bi-coastal client experienced a system crash affecting their orders, Daniel proactively stepped in to manually import thousands of orders. It is worth noting that this particular client, operates through various channels and possesses a significant level of complexity. Despite the time-consuming nature of this task, Daniel handled it diligently and professionally, demonstrating exceptional composure while others may have struggled. He definitely deserves Employee of the Month.

Matthew W., Safety and Security Manager (11/06/2018) Safety, Valencia, CA

Matthew is responsible for maintaining the safety and security for AMS.  Matthew’s position requires him to ensure that all employees are working and operating equipment properly to reduce the risk of injury to themselves and others, make sure that any safety related maintenance issue is brought to the attention of Facilities immediately for repairs, see that all potential hazards are identified and remedied, oversee warehouses are secured properly, monitor cameras, issue name badges and keys for employees, manage after hours security patrols, respond to employee on the job injuries, and the occasional emergency 911 call when an employee is not feeling well. The list of his responsibilities is long, and Matthew puts all his energy into each duty to ensure everything is safe.

Because a Safety and Security Manager position often requires pointing out everything that is being done wrong and needs correcting, many are viewed as a “Grinch.” Matthew, however, has been able to earn the respect of warehouse management and workers alike, by conducting safety meetings that include team members from each warehouse to participate during safety walks, as a way of educating and expanding the number of safe workers at AMS, showing that he values everyone’s input. Everyone at AMS knows that they are safer, and that they have a voice in safety because of the commitment that Matthew demonstrates every day.

Martina P., Inventory Receiving Manager I (09/18/2023) Churchmans, DE

Martina is a new inbound and inventory manager. She is pretty tuff and stands on business. She gives 100% every day. During our voluntary holiday gift exchange, she made sure that no team member was left behind and everyone left with a gift, even if they didn’t sign up. She also has been working closely with me and the receiving lead to make sure we get ahead and are doing well in our positions. She is very deserving of employee of the month.

Ramaesh N., Inventory Receiving Supervisor I (10/31/2022) Newark, DE

Recently Ramaesh (Meash) was promoted to a supervisor position, and he has handled all of the responsibilities and any complications being thrown at him. He has been with the company for a little over a year and has just been climbing his way up! Starting as a picker/ shipper on the floor, Meash stood out right away, putting out order volume that for most would take two people to do, but he consistently gave his best effort all day long. Not long after, he started to remember sku numbers and locations for all the client’s products, right off the top of his head. He always pays close attention to details and finds solutions to problems. Meash is killing it. We are looking forward to this coming year with him in his new role. Thank you Meash!

Steven Charles Z., Inventory Receiving Supervisor I (12/08/2021) New Castle, DE, Boulden

Charles has gone above and beyond his own day to day responsibilities to help increase his depth of knowledge in other areas of the warehouse, and he takes the initiative on his own in most cases to develop cross functionality. He has also mentored our new inventory supervisor which has helped her grow into her new role here at AMS.

Rachel P., Operations Lead I (03/31/2022) New Holland, PA

Rachel displayed strong qualities of a leader during a very challenging time. She was present well before the start of the day and stayed late. She is an excellent motivator, operates at a fast pace, and displays great critical thinking. Thanks, Rachel, for all that you contribute every day! 

To all of our Honorees, please know that whatever role you play, you are the reason for our success. Congratulations and Thank You!

A mentor is a person who is intuitive enough to guide a less experienced person along a path the mentor has walked, or, better said, someone who allows you to see the hope inside yourself. A mentor shares experience at the right time, and in the right way so that it is received, so the younger or less experienced person can learn. We know who our mentors are, and we know how precious the help they give.

January is ‘Mentor Month’, January 17 is ‘International Mentoring Day’, and January 21 is ‘Thank Your Mentor Day’. With all of these commemorations, it’s time to look into mentorship.

Our first step was to go to the definition of the word. What does the dictionary say a mentor is? The answer is, “… an experienced and trusted adviser.” A second definition is… “an experienced person in a company, college, or school who trains and counsels new employees or students.” Some synonyms are adviser, guide, confidant, counselor, consultant, therapist, trainer, teacher, tutor, coach and instructor.

Next we’ll offer an example of mentorship at AMS. Each week we feature an employee on our website, and a few weeks ago we interviewed Ignacio, Our AMS Receiving Supervisor. Quoting Ignacio:

“Three people who have been great inspirations to me in the company are Nacho, our fearless leader, for having the confidence in me to do the job right, Becky for being there to direct me to be better, and Steve for giving me the opportunity by hiring me and to be myself.”

Ignacio went on to say that he, too, is a mentor: “Overall, I aspire to help as many people as I can, and to grow with them personally and professionally, and in a positive environment.”

Here below are few more examples of who served as a mentor to whom. The full article is found at Evidence Based Mentoring [LINK].

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From the website we read the following:

“Musician Woody Guthrie, whose musical legacy includes hundreds of political, traditional and children’s songs including “This Land is Your Land,” mentored fellow singer-songwriter Bob Dylan.  As a high school student in the 1950’s, Dylan listened to Guthrie’s music, eventually moving to New York City and befriending the musician.  Dylan played and wrote to his idol, which was often met with Guthrie’s approval.  In 1962, Dylan released “Song to Woody,” an ode to Guthrie.”

This one shows the value of a teacher:

“Astronaut and former U.S. Senator John Glenn was mentored by his high school civics teacher. He is an advocate of mentoring and has spoken about the importance of being a mentor. “I think a mentor gets a lot of satisfaction in a couple of ways. They’re doing something constructive, so they feel good about that. And when they see the results of this, with the young people they’re working with, it’s very, very rewarding,” Glenn said.”

A mentor can be a spiritual guide:

“Mother Teresa committed her life to helping others and was recognized as one of the most admirable people of the twentieth century, operating orphanages, AIDS hospices and other charities worldwide.  She led a remarkable and revered life but may not have achieved all that she did if it weren’t for her mentor, Father Michael van der Peet. The two met while waiting for a bus in Rome, and quickly developed a close friendship. They spoke regularly and confided in each other over the years.”

Nothing beats the mentoring of a parent:

“Retired basketball player and MENTOR board member Bill Russell played center for the Boston Celtics from 1956 to 1969.  His mother was his greatest mentor. “My mother taught me to stand up for myself, to use my brainpower on my behalf,” he said. Russell’s mother died when he was twelve, but he continued to live through her guidance. “More strongly than ever, she stayed with me–in my thoughts, my goals, my aspirations… her presence, her teachings, remained with me when she was not around.’”

An incredible poet is mentored by an incredible poet:

“A leader of the transcendentalist movement, Ralph Waldo Emerson was perhaps best well-known for his essays concerning individualism and self-reliance. He mentored and worked closely with poet and transcendentalist writer Henry David Thoreau. When Thoreau graduated from Harvard University, the young writer was inspired by the older man’s views on the natural world, which would later influence Thoreau’s writings, most famously his master work on living in natural surroundings, Walden.”

Career mentoring is invaluable:

“Physicist and astronaut Sally Ride became the first American woman in space in 1983.  Ride’s graduate school professor, Dr. Arthur Walker was her life-long mentor and initially encouraged her to apply to NASA’s astronaut corps. “He instilled confidence and made me believe that I could accomplish what I set out to accomplish,” Ride said.”

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These are inspiring stories, pointing to a truly valuable relationship that helps both people involved. At AMS there are mentor/mentee relationships in many departments. We are so grateful to our employees who respond to a co-worker’s need for guidance or helpful instruction with patience and a willingness to take the time and give guidance.

As we said in the opening paragraphs, January 21^st is ‘thank your mentor day’. We encourage readers to do exactly that – find a special way to thank your mentor for ‘being there’ for you and helping you learn and grow. And one more thing… consider being a mentor yourself!