LS&Co. Unzipped

Welcome to our blog. Here’s where you’ll find a “behind-the-seams” look at what’s going on with Levi Strauss & Co. You’ll hear from a variety of voices, from both inside and outside the company. And you have the chance to share your thoughts. So read on — and weigh in!

Apr 24 2013

Red Ribbons of Hope

Last year, while undergoing routine medical tests prior to breast cancer surgery, Mrs. Zeng found out that she was HIV-positive.

The diagnosis was not only devastating news, but it also meant a disruption to her breast cancer treatment at a public hospital in Taishan, Guangdong.

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Posted By: Thomas Cai, Founder, AIDS Care China

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Apr 07 2013

Lasting Impact for All

As a community organizer for 15 years, I've worked with low-income people to influence public policies that affect their lives. I have also witnessed first-hand what an incredible difference it makes when nonprofit foundations believe in and invest in grassroots organizations and their communities.

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Posted By: Aaron Dorfman, Executive Director, National Committee for Responsible Philanthropy

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Apr 02 2013

Tapping Potential for Community Prosperity

Five years ago, Veronica was living in San Francisco’s Mission neighborhood and dreamed of owning a restaurant to serve her Mexico City favorites: gorditas, huaraches, and pozole. But without access to mainstream loans, starting and growing a business was virtually impossible.That’s where Mission Asset Fund (MAF) enters the scene.   

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Posted By: Jose Quiñonez, Mission Asset Fund

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Mar 20 2013

Isabel

“I’m thankful that I found Mercado Global and can provide a better life for my family.”That's what Isabel Chiroy Pixtay said, following a recent, long day at work.Isabel, pictured above, is the oldest of twelve siblings. She cradled the dream of getting an education, but her parents could not afford to send her to school beyond the sixth grade.

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Posted By: Kimberly Almeida, Program Manager, Americas, Levi Strauss Foundation

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Feb 01 2013

Breaking the Silence

In order to help end HIV/AIDS among women, we also have to break the silence about violence against women. This is Christine’s philosophy, and it’s what drives this activist to organize group meetings for women affected by HIV/AIDS in her country of Zambia.All around the world, but particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, violent norms and practices against women put them at a higher risk of contracting HIV. In addition, fear of further abuse or the social stigma surrounding the virus often dissuades women from learning their HIV status — or from sharing it with partners and families.

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Posted By: Zoe Blumenfeld, Communications Manager, Global Fund for Women

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Dec 19 2012

Justice Can't Wait

Too often, in every corner of the globe, suspects are treated as convicts the minute they enter the criminal justice system. Whether detainees are tortured and coerced to “confess,” or find themselves unjustly excluded from legal representation — they are, in essence, “guilty until proven innocent.”To help preserve human dignity in these settings, the Levi Strauss Foundation and International Bridges to Justice (IBJ) are supporting pioneering legal advocates from all over the world through the JusticeMakers annual competition.

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Posted By: Maurice van der Spek, Coordinator, JusticeMakers 2012 HIV/AIDS Global Competition

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Nov 30 2012

Youth-Led Courage

As we enter the fourth decade of HIV/AIDS, the global face of this epidemic is increasingly young and female.Today, women account for more than half of all people living with HIV.That’s why the Levi Strauss Foundation is partnering with the HIV Young Leaders Fund (HYLF) to support local youth activists who are responding to the epidemic with courage and vigor. 

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Posted By: Brandee Butler, Levi Strauss Foundation Program Manager, Europe, Middle East and Africa

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Nov 07 2012

If Levi Were Alive Today...

Levi Strauss cared about the community.Upon his death in 1902, the San Francisco Call newspaper noted that his life had been devoted “not only to fostering the highest commercial conditions, but to the moral, social and educational welfare and development of the young men and women of the state.”If Levi were alive today, I think he would be proud to know that his pioneering spirit thrives on through the Levi Strauss Foundation.

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Posted By: Daniel Lee, Executive Director, Levi Strauss Foundation

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Nov 07 2012

If Levi Were Alive Today...

Levi Strauss cared about the community.Upon his death in 1902, the San Francisco Call newspaper noted that his life had been devoted “not only to fostering the highest commercial conditions, but to the moral, social and educational welfare and development of the young men and women of the state.”If Levi were alive today, I think he would be proud to know that his pioneering spirit thrives on through the Levi Strauss Foundation.

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Posted By: Daniel Lee, Executive Director, Levi Strauss Foundation

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Nov 05 2012

Hurricane Relief

Like you, our hearts and thoughts are with the millions of people across the Carribean, United States and Canada whose lives have been affected by Hurricane Sandy.To assist with the disaster relief efforts, the Levi Strauss Foundation has committed a total of $100,000 to the American Red Cross and grassroots organizations in affected areas. In addition, the foundation is double-matching our employees donations to disaster relief.

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Posted By: Rebecca Youngs, Associate Editor, LS&Co. Unzipped

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