Ask employees why they like working at Levi Strauss & Co., and they’ll definitely tell you about our product. After all, this is the home of the Levi’s® and Dockers® brands. But they’ll also likely talk about our values and how we – as a group of people – put those values into action throughout the year, including this holiday season.
How we give back during the holidays varies from community to community. For example, at our San Francisco and Brussels offices, my colleagues and I work with local nonprofits to identify area residents who might need a little help during the holidays. A team in finance or marketing might “adopt,” and purchase presents for, an entire family. Or an individual employee might choose to buy gifts for a single recipient.
One colleague of mine worked with his daughter to purchase and build a bicycle that will go to a little girl in Oakland. Another chose to help a working mother who had just started a new job, buying her some new clothes to wear to the office.
I’ve heard from throughout the company this season about other community involvement. In Henderson, Nev., employees put together personalized stockings, filled with gifts, for children and families at a shelter for battered women. Employees in Cape Town, South Africa, visited a hospital to bring holiday cheer and presents to sick and bed-ridden children. And my colleagues in the Philippines collected donated items for those hardest hit by Typhoon Haiyan.
From school supply drives in Singapore to multiple giving-back initiatives in Eugene, Ore., from fulfilling “Dear Santa” wish lists in Chicago to an adopt-a-family effort in Turkey, it’s gratifying to see my colleagues step up to help out.
Our worldwide team is made up of scores of compassionate employees who contribute their time and resources to helping individuals in need outside of the office. It’s a legacy of our founder, Levi Strauss, that we work to carry forward.
As a global company, we strive to do our best to support communities around the world, and that’s what makes our employee giving initiatives so important to us. This year, we hope that many more families and children have a warmer, happier and more hopeful holiday season — and we continue to be inspired by the giving holiday spirit, happening everywhere.
Happy holidays, from LS&Co.!
