A Menu for Corporate Social Responsibility
Preparation time: 5 minutes to read proposal
BY: ANN C. PIASECKI, M.A.
Public Affairs Communicator
E-mail: apiasecki2000@aol.com
In keeping with your already successful Come Together campaign, allow me to offer some suggestions that broaden your focus. Along with the Chicago Fashion Incubator and Museum Adventure Pass programs, I propose enhancing the Corporate Social Responsibility commitment by highlighting items sold in the store’s For the Home Department. Imagine a Macy’s supper event organized to feature a menu of locally raised organic chicken served with side dishes and hors d'oeuvres consisting of urban-grown vegetables. The menu, of course, would be prepared by a celebrity chef together with some culinary arts students using cookware designs by Martha Stewart or Calphalon®.
In this instance, it would be fruitful to initiate a relationship between Macy’s and the Chicago Market, which sells urban-cultivated produce sown in the heart of the desperately poor Cabrini Green Neighborhood.
Meanwhile, a collaborative effort between Macy’s and a group of USDA-sponsored free-range chicken farmers from Hopkins Park, Illinois, would have a multitude of positive ripple effects. Like a fragile root system that takes hold once it achieves a consistent source of irrigation, the harvest works to sustain many. These particular free-range chicken farmers reside in one of the most financially-depressed communities in the country, according to recent economic statistics released about Illinois’ Kankakee region.
Rolling out the Dough
How about inviting Chicago dignitaries and a variety of Chicagoland families to partake in this public relations bonanza? This demonstrates the corporation’s creative response to the community by seeding and promoting enduring small business opportunities and non-profit organizations in your own backyard.
The name “Macy’s” would soon attract news analysis pieces and features in print, on television, on the Internet and over the airwaves, spotlighting the company for its role as an incubator of sustainable economies.
And as you know from my Sept. 22, 2009, blog posting, any effort made to partner with eco-themed fashions or accessories provides an impetus for hands-on participation in the overall effort to reduce our carbon footprint. Combined with a hefty dose of intuition from a homegrown Chicagoan, I guarantee a tasty medley of sustainable partnership possibilities. I also suggested a Chicago Public School partnership that unites the idea of conservation and profits by refashioning used clothes and old costume jewelry into fresh designs, using accessories to punctuate the look.
Coloring our World
Along that train of thought, Macy’s might consider a joint venture with the Illinois Arts Council to produce attractive water bottles for sale along with refashioned items on specialty carts run by small business ventures associated with the Rainbow Push Coalition or other small business supporters. Meanwhile, a public proclamation about the store’s commitment to reducing its waste at the stores, conserving water and composting restaurant wastes could be accentuated with exhibits featuring painted rain barrels and miniature windmills produced by university art students. The result here is dual purpose—it serves as a public service reminder about the importance of participation in pro-environment activities, and it puts Macy’s in sync with the Chicago Climate Action Plan, which is dedicated to resource conservation and the permanent reduction of the city’s carbon footprint.
I look forward to sharing my cookbook of ideas with you as they relate to the details and strategies of effective CRS.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Macy's food pantry campaign stokes compassionate ideas
Fashion design community outreach: proposal for Macy’s
BY ANN PIASECKI, M.A.
Public Affairs Specialist
Email: Apiasecki2000@aol.com
Your television commercial announcing Macy’s commitment to restocking our country’s empty food pantries—the life source in today’s economy for millions of unemployed—captured my heart. It’s a wonderful outreach campaign that stoked my passion for Public Affairs Communications and Outreach.
If time and patience allows, I seek to share a broader perspective for building a partnership between Macy’s, Rainbow Push Coalition, the University of Chicago and Chicago Public Schools. Based on a desire to promote sustainable economic development, environmentally safe practices, educational enrichment and entrepreneurial opportunities, I pose a series of authentic and genuine collaborations.
Consider a low-cost, highly visible campaign that cements Macy's "helping store" image as much as Santa Claus did in the 1947 Classic, "Miracle on 34th Street."
The Macy’s State Street store is only a few miles from the Hyde Park neighborhood, which is bordered by Lake Michigan and the Loop; this combination makes Hyde Park the perfect location for incorporating a Macy's-led education outreach project--especially if Chicago gets the nod to host the 2016 Olympics.
As one of Chicago’s most culturally and economically diverse neighborhoods, the opportunities for affective and effective partnership building are endless. The recipe for success, however, comes in understanding the social, political, economic and cultural forces that mark the community. Here, wealth and poverty live side-by-side; property values rise and fall within a matter of blocks.
The community lays claim to the home of President Barack Obama and the world famous University of Chicago. Its people and urban strife was captured in the ’50s, ’60s,’70s and ’80s by the iconic commentator Studs Terkel; and breathed life into Lorraine Hansberry’s, “A Raisin in the Sun.”
And despite the infusion of artistic, political, philosophical and scientific ideas that permeate the atmosphere, the neighborhood endures its share of crushing poverty and the chronic social implications that derive from that reality. For that reason alone the block-long headquarters of Rainbow Push Coalition, the church home of the Rev. Jesse Jackson, stands proud—a gentrified beacon of light in spite of its need for architectural tuck-pointing and bona fide growth of its business partnership programs.
As for Macy’s involvement, imagine a team of Chicago Public high school students enrolled in fashion design courses, working to reshape and redesign old clothes left in drop boxes at the downtown and suburban stores. A class of artisans could utilize the leftover scraps to fashion fabric purses or 2016 Olympic flags, quilts and more. Meanwhile, other students could unleash their ingenuity and creativity to recycle discarded costume jewelry, stringing together unique necklaces, creating rings and earring sets. These are just a few of the products that could be marketed as specialty goods within the Macy’s department store.
Capitalize further on the outreach project by collaborating with small business ventures to man specialty carts filled with student creations commemorating the 2016 Olympics, and site them in the Loop and just outside the Macy entrance to the Chicago Pedway. Student paintings, sculptures and photos (maybe featuring the historic State Street clock at Macy’s) would enhance the project as well.
Ultimately a healthy profit percentage could be dedicated to the schools to help fill in financial gaps, such as the after school tutoring programs that fell victim to state budget cuts. Student participants would benefit by delving into a variety of hands-on retail elements, including planning, marketing, sales and design. Perhaps Macy’s could arrange for presentations in which the students would glean insights about the fashion industry, target marketing, the art of creating store displays and the like.
A full-scale campaign, of course, would necessitate a series of news stories, human interest features, business articles, traditional media interviews, social media, Web site enhancements and online sales. Imagine the public relations bonanza from a successful program.
I believe it takes the kind of instinct and intuitive talent that a Chicago-based Public Affairs Communicator can offer in terms of strategy and implementation of a multi-pronged project such as this. The campaign would require information sharing and discussions with Macy's marketing team, state representatives, city officials and pertinent social service organizations to gain perspective. Meanwhile, the support of Mayor Daley, Chicago environmental advocate organizations, educators and more would be crucial. Consider tapping the University of Chicago Center for Development, Economics and Poverty Reduction along with Rainbow Push Coalition for their input and suggestions.
Macy’s compassion and leadership is already evident and appreciated. This proposed pilot project would be the icing on the cake: it's fun; it's creative; it's upbeat and it's vibrant. Actual implementation would make Macy's a model for genuine and practical sustainable development.
BY ANN PIASECKI, M.A.
Public Affairs Specialist
Email: Apiasecki2000@aol.com
Your television commercial announcing Macy’s commitment to restocking our country’s empty food pantries—the life source in today’s economy for millions of unemployed—captured my heart. It’s a wonderful outreach campaign that stoked my passion for Public Affairs Communications and Outreach.
If time and patience allows, I seek to share a broader perspective for building a partnership between Macy’s, Rainbow Push Coalition, the University of Chicago and Chicago Public Schools. Based on a desire to promote sustainable economic development, environmentally safe practices, educational enrichment and entrepreneurial opportunities, I pose a series of authentic and genuine collaborations.
Consider a low-cost, highly visible campaign that cements Macy's "helping store" image as much as Santa Claus did in the 1947 Classic, "Miracle on 34th Street."
The Macy’s State Street store is only a few miles from the Hyde Park neighborhood, which is bordered by Lake Michigan and the Loop; this combination makes Hyde Park the perfect location for incorporating a Macy's-led education outreach project--especially if Chicago gets the nod to host the 2016 Olympics.
As one of Chicago’s most culturally and economically diverse neighborhoods, the opportunities for affective and effective partnership building are endless. The recipe for success, however, comes in understanding the social, political, economic and cultural forces that mark the community. Here, wealth and poverty live side-by-side; property values rise and fall within a matter of blocks.
The community lays claim to the home of President Barack Obama and the world famous University of Chicago. Its people and urban strife was captured in the ’50s, ’60s,’70s and ’80s by the iconic commentator Studs Terkel; and breathed life into Lorraine Hansberry’s, “A Raisin in the Sun.”
And despite the infusion of artistic, political, philosophical and scientific ideas that permeate the atmosphere, the neighborhood endures its share of crushing poverty and the chronic social implications that derive from that reality. For that reason alone the block-long headquarters of Rainbow Push Coalition, the church home of the Rev. Jesse Jackson, stands proud—a gentrified beacon of light in spite of its need for architectural tuck-pointing and bona fide growth of its business partnership programs.
As for Macy’s involvement, imagine a team of Chicago Public high school students enrolled in fashion design courses, working to reshape and redesign old clothes left in drop boxes at the downtown and suburban stores. A class of artisans could utilize the leftover scraps to fashion fabric purses or 2016 Olympic flags, quilts and more. Meanwhile, other students could unleash their ingenuity and creativity to recycle discarded costume jewelry, stringing together unique necklaces, creating rings and earring sets. These are just a few of the products that could be marketed as specialty goods within the Macy’s department store.
Capitalize further on the outreach project by collaborating with small business ventures to man specialty carts filled with student creations commemorating the 2016 Olympics, and site them in the Loop and just outside the Macy entrance to the Chicago Pedway. Student paintings, sculptures and photos (maybe featuring the historic State Street clock at Macy’s) would enhance the project as well.
Ultimately a healthy profit percentage could be dedicated to the schools to help fill in financial gaps, such as the after school tutoring programs that fell victim to state budget cuts. Student participants would benefit by delving into a variety of hands-on retail elements, including planning, marketing, sales and design. Perhaps Macy’s could arrange for presentations in which the students would glean insights about the fashion industry, target marketing, the art of creating store displays and the like.
A full-scale campaign, of course, would necessitate a series of news stories, human interest features, business articles, traditional media interviews, social media, Web site enhancements and online sales. Imagine the public relations bonanza from a successful program.
I believe it takes the kind of instinct and intuitive talent that a Chicago-based Public Affairs Communicator can offer in terms of strategy and implementation of a multi-pronged project such as this. The campaign would require information sharing and discussions with Macy's marketing team, state representatives, city officials and pertinent social service organizations to gain perspective. Meanwhile, the support of Mayor Daley, Chicago environmental advocate organizations, educators and more would be crucial. Consider tapping the University of Chicago Center for Development, Economics and Poverty Reduction along with Rainbow Push Coalition for their input and suggestions.
Macy’s compassion and leadership is already evident and appreciated. This proposed pilot project would be the icing on the cake: it's fun; it's creative; it's upbeat and it's vibrant. Actual implementation would make Macy's a model for genuine and practical sustainable development.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Artificial floating island sweeps waterways
Environmental innovation gobbles up pollution
By Ann Piasecki, M.A.
Public Affairs Specialist
For Public Affairs/Communications Expertise
Send Email to: Apiasecki2000@aol.com
BARRINGTON, ILL.--A secluded island paradise away from the hustle and bustle of the city is attractive to waterfowl and people alike. The difference is in the amenities. On the island of Aruba, night clubs and sandy beaches attract crowds like flies to light. On a set of isolated islands in an 8-foot deep pond in a preserve in Barrington, Ill., ducks, geese and a growing variety of migratory birds find the freshly plotted man-made land mass alluring.
In the northwest suburbs of Chicago, 10 islands ranging in size from 25-to 250-square feet have been installed. In essence, they have bypassed evolutionary process in regard to land mass development, and they also work to clean the waterways. These manufactured land masses trap polluting nitrates, ammonia and phosphates, which posed a particular problem for the survival of a 3-acre pond within the Barrington-based Citizens For Conservation (CSF) preserve. The prairie preserve is located at the foot of an upscale housing development, and chemical runoff from lawn fertilizer was polluting the fragile pond, complained CFC President Thomas Crosh. Over a two-year period, 2006-2007, CFC introduced the artificial land masses. And, according to Crosh, they’ve proven effective in cleaning up the pond, which is part of the Flint Creek Watershed system that spreads out over Lake and McHenry counties in Illinois.
Crosh was so enthralled by the results witnessed in Barrington that he acts as an ad hoc ambassador of the project. In a Sept. 15, 2009, telephone interview, he pointed out the long-term benefits of these manufactured wetlands. Known within the scientific community as BioHavens®, these manufactured wetlands are designed to function with minimum maintenance. They’re solar powered and made of plastic, which last for nearly a thousand years. The potential for large-scale projects continue to evolve as the powers that be in government acknowledge a responsibility for actively cleaning up the world’s waterways.
Practical Aspects
In practice, the filtering system works because it consist of a buoyant combination of recycled plastic and foam that makes up the island base; it’s then fortified with an enriched potting soil mixture and woven within the fabricated botanical surface. Set loose for only a few short weeks under the sun’s nurturing rays, and the floating man-made mass becomes a bona fide wetland.
This revved up process of vegetative growth is the brainchild of Bruce Kania, who is an inventor with a passion for nature as well as the founder of Floating Island International (FII) LLC in Shepherd, Mont. On the cusp of 21st century environmental innovation, the Montana project demonstrates how a profusion of flora can mature almost at the speed of light. The result is a cost-efficient way to manufacture a fabricated island designed for rapid fire environmental transformation. Kania’s goal is a multifaceted one, including collaboration with wildlife by offering the features of a natural wetland habitat, purifying waterways and launching environmental/business partnerships with governmental agencies, aquatic distributors and university researchers.
Since 2006 FII has established several nationwide distributorships and launched more than 3,000 islands around the globe. Fabricated islands have proven themselves successful in filtering out pollutants from a sewage plant holding pond in Daughin County, Penn. to a highly polluted coastal region in Singapore.
Anne Kania, spokesperson for FII, in a telephone interview noted that the fabricated islands are modeled to mirror as close as possible the planet’s natural wetlands. “We base ours on natural habitats. They mimic floating peat bogs,” a type of wetland that brews the stuff of life. Its mushy terrain nurtures creation above and below the water. On top a potent supply of peat attracts microbes and provides a home for windblown seeds that sprout into a variety of thick-leaved shrubs, plants, grasses and trees. Waterfowl and insects make their home on the spongy habitat as well. On the underside is a diverse haven of organic matter that works as a natural filtering system and the more regal roots from the plants above sink down into the water where they thrive on the rich source of floating nutrients. The dangling, tentacle-like roots invite fish to feed off their excess.
Lab research has proved that the artificial bog, which the Kanias define as a Floating Treatment Wetland (FTW), is capable of neutralizing major water pollutants, such as phosphates and nitrates along with suspended and dissolved heavy metals. So far the company has launched islands in the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand and Australia, as well as the United States. Meanwhile Montana’s Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, the United States Department of the Interior and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have been receptive to Kania’s project as it concerns watershed clean up.
Since the artificial islands are put together like modular puzzles, the eventual dimensions, including size and thickness, are never an issue; it’s never too heavy, she said. In fact, an FTW installation in Montana served as the site of the Kania’s wedding ceremony and reception, which was attended by 50 people and featured a gazebo.
The FTWs can be as hardy as necessary and constructed with a glass bottom feature for viewing and research purposes, she said. The possibilities and applications of BioHavens® or adapted configurations are endless, according to Anne.
Ultimately, she said, these accelerated versions of natural models are intended as a way to give back to humanity by helping to heal the environment, she said.
To arrange for a guided view of the floating islands, contact Crosh at:
Citizens For Conservation, (847) 382-7283, 459 W IL Route 22, Barrington, IL
Check out Kania’s Web site at: http://www.floatingislandinternational.com/index.php
Piasecki’s original article, published in Fall 2008 in the Wheaton Franciscans’ Mother Earth Sister Peace magazine, was updated in September 2009.
By Ann Piasecki, M.A.
Public Affairs Specialist
For Public Affairs/Communications Expertise
Send Email to: Apiasecki2000@aol.com
BARRINGTON, ILL.--A secluded island paradise away from the hustle and bustle of the city is attractive to waterfowl and people alike. The difference is in the amenities. On the island of Aruba, night clubs and sandy beaches attract crowds like flies to light. On a set of isolated islands in an 8-foot deep pond in a preserve in Barrington, Ill., ducks, geese and a growing variety of migratory birds find the freshly plotted man-made land mass alluring.
In the northwest suburbs of Chicago, 10 islands ranging in size from 25-to 250-square feet have been installed. In essence, they have bypassed evolutionary process in regard to land mass development, and they also work to clean the waterways. These manufactured land masses trap polluting nitrates, ammonia and phosphates, which posed a particular problem for the survival of a 3-acre pond within the Barrington-based Citizens For Conservation (CSF) preserve. The prairie preserve is located at the foot of an upscale housing development, and chemical runoff from lawn fertilizer was polluting the fragile pond, complained CFC President Thomas Crosh. Over a two-year period, 2006-2007, CFC introduced the artificial land masses. And, according to Crosh, they’ve proven effective in cleaning up the pond, which is part of the Flint Creek Watershed system that spreads out over Lake and McHenry counties in Illinois.
Crosh was so enthralled by the results witnessed in Barrington that he acts as an ad hoc ambassador of the project. In a Sept. 15, 2009, telephone interview, he pointed out the long-term benefits of these manufactured wetlands. Known within the scientific community as BioHavens®, these manufactured wetlands are designed to function with minimum maintenance. They’re solar powered and made of plastic, which last for nearly a thousand years. The potential for large-scale projects continue to evolve as the powers that be in government acknowledge a responsibility for actively cleaning up the world’s waterways.
Practical Aspects
In practice, the filtering system works because it consist of a buoyant combination of recycled plastic and foam that makes up the island base; it’s then fortified with an enriched potting soil mixture and woven within the fabricated botanical surface. Set loose for only a few short weeks under the sun’s nurturing rays, and the floating man-made mass becomes a bona fide wetland.
This revved up process of vegetative growth is the brainchild of Bruce Kania, who is an inventor with a passion for nature as well as the founder of Floating Island International (FII) LLC in Shepherd, Mont. On the cusp of 21st century environmental innovation, the Montana project demonstrates how a profusion of flora can mature almost at the speed of light. The result is a cost-efficient way to manufacture a fabricated island designed for rapid fire environmental transformation. Kania’s goal is a multifaceted one, including collaboration with wildlife by offering the features of a natural wetland habitat, purifying waterways and launching environmental/business partnerships with governmental agencies, aquatic distributors and university researchers.
Since 2006 FII has established several nationwide distributorships and launched more than 3,000 islands around the globe. Fabricated islands have proven themselves successful in filtering out pollutants from a sewage plant holding pond in Daughin County, Penn. to a highly polluted coastal region in Singapore.
Anne Kania, spokesperson for FII, in a telephone interview noted that the fabricated islands are modeled to mirror as close as possible the planet’s natural wetlands. “We base ours on natural habitats. They mimic floating peat bogs,” a type of wetland that brews the stuff of life. Its mushy terrain nurtures creation above and below the water. On top a potent supply of peat attracts microbes and provides a home for windblown seeds that sprout into a variety of thick-leaved shrubs, plants, grasses and trees. Waterfowl and insects make their home on the spongy habitat as well. On the underside is a diverse haven of organic matter that works as a natural filtering system and the more regal roots from the plants above sink down into the water where they thrive on the rich source of floating nutrients. The dangling, tentacle-like roots invite fish to feed off their excess.
Lab research has proved that the artificial bog, which the Kanias define as a Floating Treatment Wetland (FTW), is capable of neutralizing major water pollutants, such as phosphates and nitrates along with suspended and dissolved heavy metals. So far the company has launched islands in the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand and Australia, as well as the United States. Meanwhile Montana’s Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, the United States Department of the Interior and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have been receptive to Kania’s project as it concerns watershed clean up.
Since the artificial islands are put together like modular puzzles, the eventual dimensions, including size and thickness, are never an issue; it’s never too heavy, she said. In fact, an FTW installation in Montana served as the site of the Kania’s wedding ceremony and reception, which was attended by 50 people and featured a gazebo.
The FTWs can be as hardy as necessary and constructed with a glass bottom feature for viewing and research purposes, she said. The possibilities and applications of BioHavens® or adapted configurations are endless, according to Anne.
Ultimately, she said, these accelerated versions of natural models are intended as a way to give back to humanity by helping to heal the environment, she said.
To arrange for a guided view of the floating islands, contact Crosh at:
Citizens For Conservation, (847) 382-7283, 459 W IL Route 22, Barrington, IL
Check out Kania’s Web site at: http://www.floatingislandinternational.com/index.php
Piasecki’s original article, published in Fall 2008 in the Wheaton Franciscans’ Mother Earth Sister Peace magazine, was updated in September 2009.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Drug store outreach campaign looks to enhance reputation
By Ann Piasecki, M.A.
Public Affairs Specialist
This past summer Walgreens Corporation bulked up an existing Community Store Manager (CSM) program that is far more than a Band-Aid® approach to boost sales. It demonstrates a commitment to spread an authentic healing salve over the budget gaps of needy charities. The remedy calls for one CSM for every five stores in a district to take on additional responsibilities associated with outreach projects.
The opportunities for creative execution are boundless. Already one CSM has paired his enthusiasm for golf and store management skills by organizing a golf outing to benefit Easter Seals. A few well-placed ads in community newspapers and on radio stations along with in-store posters attracted enthusiasts enough to raise $50,000 for the organization that serves people with disabilities.
Under the direction of Mark Wagner, executive vice president of operations and community management, the program has become a feature that highlights Walgreens’ overall mission, which encompasses civic responsibility.
The intention of the CSM program is laudable, but it doesn’t have to eliminate the potential for profit. In this highly competitive market, customer loyalty and trust are the decisive factors in maintaining and increasing retail sales.
First, knowledge of the particular community—accessible health care, economic development, education, housing and transportation—is basic to successful relationship building. However, each region is left to deal with its own blend of positive and negative realities. As such, the characteristic traits of a good CSM should reflect an intuitive and sensitive nature so as to understand in broad strokes the societal implications that mark the immediate community. He/She should be ready to become a presence in pertinent civic organizations.
For example, in the Southwest suburbs of Chicago a savvy CSM would get the biggest bang for his/her buck by participating in the Will County Economic Development Commission. That relationship would open doors to the plans by municipal and county leaders, and serve to build a sense of camaraderie between Walgreens and community through work on joint service projects.
Meanwhile, Walgreens could take advantage of the multiple aspects of the Green Movement as they are realized in the particular region. Certainly an association with the Hickory Creek Watershed Committee, an open-to-the-public advisory organization that serves the Illinois communities of Mokena, New Lenox, Frankfort, Homer Glen, Joliet and Tinley Park., would fit the bill. The CSM would learn first-hand about the opportunities to diminish non-point pollution through the use of implementation tools that could be sold through Walgreens Online.
Combine that with insights about current environmental legislation coming down the pike at the state capital. Specifically speaking, composting—the way it’s done in Europe—has found tremendous support in the Illinois General Assembly. In light of the fact, selected Walgreens stores might consider hosting composting demonstrations put on by bona fide environmental organizations, and then feature these items along with other environmentally friendly products already available through Walgreens Online.
And when the time is ripe, Walgreens could generate a public relations bonanza by including a green rooftop or install solar windows on new or updated retail sites.
Certainly health fairs and community events, such as Relay for Life, would welcome a Walgreens exhibit/booth that offers free blood pressure testing and measures cholesterol levels and the like. In addition, build on the success of an already established relationship with the four-campus Lincoln-Way High School District by reaching out to include the elementary districts. For instance, at New Lenox School Dist. 122 junior high school students annually work on Web page design projects for local businesses. Why not authorize a region-specific Walgreens Web page, showing YouTube presentations of kids serving the community together with a Walgreens volunteer as well as the video of the composting demonstration, and, of course, advertising kid-friendly products sold in the stores and online.
The kudos that result from a grateful design class, other featured students, their parents and grandparents, are bound to generate not only an increase in store sales but also an allegiance to a store that thoughtfully invests in the community through educational support initiatives and more.
The CSM program has the potential to build on the notion of community mutuality—benefits for the community and profits for a retailer. It takes a seasoned public affairs specialist and experienced outreach professional to identify appropriate organizations for the purpose of maximizing the benefits that come from a relationship built on trust and caring. The cost of one additional corporate position to facilitate the CSM program would enhance profits and assist the community.
Public Affairs Specialist
This past summer Walgreens Corporation bulked up an existing Community Store Manager (CSM) program that is far more than a Band-Aid® approach to boost sales. It demonstrates a commitment to spread an authentic healing salve over the budget gaps of needy charities. The remedy calls for one CSM for every five stores in a district to take on additional responsibilities associated with outreach projects.
The opportunities for creative execution are boundless. Already one CSM has paired his enthusiasm for golf and store management skills by organizing a golf outing to benefit Easter Seals. A few well-placed ads in community newspapers and on radio stations along with in-store posters attracted enthusiasts enough to raise $50,000 for the organization that serves people with disabilities.
Under the direction of Mark Wagner, executive vice president of operations and community management, the program has become a feature that highlights Walgreens’ overall mission, which encompasses civic responsibility.
The intention of the CSM program is laudable, but it doesn’t have to eliminate the potential for profit. In this highly competitive market, customer loyalty and trust are the decisive factors in maintaining and increasing retail sales.
First, knowledge of the particular community—accessible health care, economic development, education, housing and transportation—is basic to successful relationship building. However, each region is left to deal with its own blend of positive and negative realities. As such, the characteristic traits of a good CSM should reflect an intuitive and sensitive nature so as to understand in broad strokes the societal implications that mark the immediate community. He/She should be ready to become a presence in pertinent civic organizations.
For example, in the Southwest suburbs of Chicago a savvy CSM would get the biggest bang for his/her buck by participating in the Will County Economic Development Commission. That relationship would open doors to the plans by municipal and county leaders, and serve to build a sense of camaraderie between Walgreens and community through work on joint service projects.
Meanwhile, Walgreens could take advantage of the multiple aspects of the Green Movement as they are realized in the particular region. Certainly an association with the Hickory Creek Watershed Committee, an open-to-the-public advisory organization that serves the Illinois communities of Mokena, New Lenox, Frankfort, Homer Glen, Joliet and Tinley Park., would fit the bill. The CSM would learn first-hand about the opportunities to diminish non-point pollution through the use of implementation tools that could be sold through Walgreens Online.
Combine that with insights about current environmental legislation coming down the pike at the state capital. Specifically speaking, composting—the way it’s done in Europe—has found tremendous support in the Illinois General Assembly. In light of the fact, selected Walgreens stores might consider hosting composting demonstrations put on by bona fide environmental organizations, and then feature these items along with other environmentally friendly products already available through Walgreens Online.
And when the time is ripe, Walgreens could generate a public relations bonanza by including a green rooftop or install solar windows on new or updated retail sites.
Certainly health fairs and community events, such as Relay for Life, would welcome a Walgreens exhibit/booth that offers free blood pressure testing and measures cholesterol levels and the like. In addition, build on the success of an already established relationship with the four-campus Lincoln-Way High School District by reaching out to include the elementary districts. For instance, at New Lenox School Dist. 122 junior high school students annually work on Web page design projects for local businesses. Why not authorize a region-specific Walgreens Web page, showing YouTube presentations of kids serving the community together with a Walgreens volunteer as well as the video of the composting demonstration, and, of course, advertising kid-friendly products sold in the stores and online.
The kudos that result from a grateful design class, other featured students, their parents and grandparents, are bound to generate not only an increase in store sales but also an allegiance to a store that thoughtfully invests in the community through educational support initiatives and more.
The CSM program has the potential to build on the notion of community mutuality—benefits for the community and profits for a retailer. It takes a seasoned public affairs specialist and experienced outreach professional to identify appropriate organizations for the purpose of maximizing the benefits that come from a relationship built on trust and caring. The cost of one additional corporate position to facilitate the CSM program would enhance profits and assist the community.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Wastewater reclamation plan gains wave of respect
By Ann Piasecki, M.A.
Public Affairs/Communications Specialist
Proposal replenishes Lake Michigan; serves rural and urban economic interests
WHEATON, Ill.—When hydrologist Jack Sheaffer offers an explanation on waste water management he begins with a statement simple enough for a 5-year-old to understand. “All the water that ever was or ever will be has been here since the earth was formed.” A completed impact study of the Hammond Water Reuse Project is slated to demonstrate the societal, economic and environmental benefits of a no-discharge wastewater effluent management and reuse plan funded by a system of carbon credits and commodities trading enough to cover the $150 million outlay.
The practice of carbon trading is routinely relied upon in Europe to fund major infrastructure projects, he said. Already carbon credit experts and Chicago-based commodities investors are planted firmly in the overall project design.
In consideration of the serious implications of climate change and the growth in population, Sheaffer said water and natural nutrients are no longer elements to be wasted. The irrigation effluent not only meets U.S. EPA standards for nutrient release, it also satisfies public health regulations, which mandate regular testing. The project design does not allow for the intrusion of solid waste, Sheaffer stressed.
As Managing Director for the Center for Transformation of Waste Technology (the Center), Sheaffer has designed the kind of project that gets environmentalists, economists and engineers alike cheering for a no-waste, cost-savings, holistic approach to water conservation. His plan is unique because it reclaims pre-used water and uses it to generate wealth. Having gained support for a proof of concept investigation from Indiana’s Sanitary District of Hammond, Sheaffer’s process aims to halt the discharge of sewage effluent into Lake Michigan tributary streams and to reuse the nutrients—nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium, which are the ingredients contained in crop fertilizer. Built on a system of integrated designs that operate to produce revenues enough to cover construction costs along with the financial obligations associated with systems operations and maintenance, the Hammond Water Reuse Project offers an authentic solution for the multi-pronged aspects for sustainable development and environmental preservation.
“We have to unlearn the traditional methods for treating sewage and use sewage instead to generate wealth,” said Sheaffer, a retired research professor at the University of Chicago and nationally acclaimed floodplain specialist.
Project implementation and job creation:
Implementation of the Center project begins by diverting 38 million gallons of already treated effluent from the Sanitary District of Hammond and moving through underground pipes that extend along abandoned railroad tracks to a storage reservoir. From there, the water would be pumped to irrigate 11,350 acres of cropland, parks/open space, designated parcels within the northwest Indiana flood control project, golf courses, property surrounding local airports and cemeteries.
“All in all, it’s a synergistic plan that generates jobs by creating small business opportunities, which provide for a sustainable rural economy,” said Sheaffer. A combination of enhanced crop production and expanded agri-business opportunities calls for the creation of an estimated 100 permanent jobs in the immediate region, he said.
Since 6,900-acres of the total project consist of active farms where corn is the primary crop, Sheaffer has estimated a 57 percent increase in yield due to the draught resistant reclaimed source of irrigation. The option exists for crops to be sold as animal feed or feedstock for use in a newly created ethanol processing plant. The water supply for the ethanol plant itself would come from the storage reservoirs rather than relying on Lake Michigan for its source of operational water.
A project-integrated ethanol plant would produce an estimated 1.49 million pounds of corn oil, which translates into one pound per bushel of feedstock along with 7 million gallons of ethanol. As for the leftovers—mainly protein residuals—they’re not wasted either. Protein residuals would become the basic diet for dairy cattle in a Confined Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO). A 500-head dairy operation in Lake County, Ind. has been identified as a project partner. The CAFO’s animal manure would be conveyed to an anaerobic digester, which then produces biogas to help power the ethanol plant. In addition, the residuals from the anaerobic digester can be further used as fertilizer on crops.
Environmental improvements to realize goals of 1972 Clean Water Act:
The Hammond Water Reuse Project would manage and reuse the daily release of 38 million gallons of wastewater effluent, which currently is being discharged into the Lake Michigan basin. Specifically, the project would eliminate the unnecessary delivery of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium to the lake. Sheaffer explained that the practice of irrigation allows for the natural cleaning of water. When land is irrigated with an almost mist-like process delivered weekly through center pivot rigs, the water percolates through the roots of prairie grasses and other plant systems before seeping back into Lake Michigan.
At the same time, the project is designed to serve as a model of clean water practices. Sheaffer’s plan has found support from USDA offices in Northwest Indiana, the Northwest Territory Resource, Conservation and Development Council, Farm Bureau, Northwest Indiana Regional Planning Commission and Northwest Indiana Focus along with municipal and county planners. The project puts into practice the goals identified in the 1972 Clean Water Act, which Sheaffer co-authored in his role as Chief science Advisor over the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. A crucial aspect of the federal act is the integration of organizations for best practices in the reduction of pollution, conservation of resources and increased revenue streams.
A member of the Northeastern Illinois Regional Water Supply Group and advisor for the planning organization’s 2040 preparations, Sheaffer is a strong advocate for authentic environmental solutions. “When you’re dealing with water, you have to consider storm water management (including the rate of the flow and the pollutants it carries).” With that information at hand, it makes sense, he said, “to link the hydrologic cycle with the nutrient cycle and the nutrient cycle with the carbon cycle.”
Practical social justice measures:
These implications, taken together with wastewater management, pose an environmentally sound strategy. “It’s as matter of applied stewardship as it concerns the earth. Protecting the earth’s resources is a social justice issue on a grand scale,” he said.
At the same time, project experts at the Center are in the process of arranging for further financial benefits for the region around Hammond, Ind. “As we recycle the nutrients in wastewater, we can gain carbon credits. As we arrange for the capture and storage of storm water runoff, we reduce non-point source pollution, such as storm water runoff.”
The Center is intent on implementing a plan that uses wastes to generate wealth and model safe practices. Full implementation of the project provides overall society with a windfall—improved crop productivity and a cleaner Lake Michigan. The intricacies of the project require a unique collaboration between urban and rural communities along with environmental and conservation entities. Eventually business and industrial partnerships are anticipated to take shape. The practicality of the project relies on a series of agreements between the sanitary district that treats the wastewater and the farmers who supply the food for the cities.
Equally important is the fact that the reuse of wastewater nutrients is a proven method for protecting water quality and preserving farmland. Wastewater reclamation cannot be accomplished without a partnership between environmental program initiatives, businesses, governmental agencies and private concerns. According to Sheaffer, “a tunnel vision” approach is no longer acceptable. The Center has identified its moral responsibility to seed and support economic opportunities that target sustained environmental improvements.
Sheaffer said he looks forward to helping to provide clean water solutions for citizens around the globe and addressing issues specific to the “dead zones” in the Gulf of Mexico and in the oceans.
For information on the Hammond Water Reuse Project or the Center for the Transformation of Waste Technology, call (630) 456-8585. The Center's Web site is currently under construction.
Public Affairs/Communications Specialist
Proposal replenishes Lake Michigan; serves rural and urban economic interests
WHEATON, Ill.—When hydrologist Jack Sheaffer offers an explanation on waste water management he begins with a statement simple enough for a 5-year-old to understand. “All the water that ever was or ever will be has been here since the earth was formed.” A completed impact study of the Hammond Water Reuse Project is slated to demonstrate the societal, economic and environmental benefits of a no-discharge wastewater effluent management and reuse plan funded by a system of carbon credits and commodities trading enough to cover the $150 million outlay.
The practice of carbon trading is routinely relied upon in Europe to fund major infrastructure projects, he said. Already carbon credit experts and Chicago-based commodities investors are planted firmly in the overall project design.
In consideration of the serious implications of climate change and the growth in population, Sheaffer said water and natural nutrients are no longer elements to be wasted. The irrigation effluent not only meets U.S. EPA standards for nutrient release, it also satisfies public health regulations, which mandate regular testing. The project design does not allow for the intrusion of solid waste, Sheaffer stressed.
As Managing Director for the Center for Transformation of Waste Technology (the Center), Sheaffer has designed the kind of project that gets environmentalists, economists and engineers alike cheering for a no-waste, cost-savings, holistic approach to water conservation. His plan is unique because it reclaims pre-used water and uses it to generate wealth. Having gained support for a proof of concept investigation from Indiana’s Sanitary District of Hammond, Sheaffer’s process aims to halt the discharge of sewage effluent into Lake Michigan tributary streams and to reuse the nutrients—nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium, which are the ingredients contained in crop fertilizer. Built on a system of integrated designs that operate to produce revenues enough to cover construction costs along with the financial obligations associated with systems operations and maintenance, the Hammond Water Reuse Project offers an authentic solution for the multi-pronged aspects for sustainable development and environmental preservation.
“We have to unlearn the traditional methods for treating sewage and use sewage instead to generate wealth,” said Sheaffer, a retired research professor at the University of Chicago and nationally acclaimed floodplain specialist.
Project implementation and job creation:
Implementation of the Center project begins by diverting 38 million gallons of already treated effluent from the Sanitary District of Hammond and moving through underground pipes that extend along abandoned railroad tracks to a storage reservoir. From there, the water would be pumped to irrigate 11,350 acres of cropland, parks/open space, designated parcels within the northwest Indiana flood control project, golf courses, property surrounding local airports and cemeteries.
“All in all, it’s a synergistic plan that generates jobs by creating small business opportunities, which provide for a sustainable rural economy,” said Sheaffer. A combination of enhanced crop production and expanded agri-business opportunities calls for the creation of an estimated 100 permanent jobs in the immediate region, he said.
Since 6,900-acres of the total project consist of active farms where corn is the primary crop, Sheaffer has estimated a 57 percent increase in yield due to the draught resistant reclaimed source of irrigation. The option exists for crops to be sold as animal feed or feedstock for use in a newly created ethanol processing plant. The water supply for the ethanol plant itself would come from the storage reservoirs rather than relying on Lake Michigan for its source of operational water.
A project-integrated ethanol plant would produce an estimated 1.49 million pounds of corn oil, which translates into one pound per bushel of feedstock along with 7 million gallons of ethanol. As for the leftovers—mainly protein residuals—they’re not wasted either. Protein residuals would become the basic diet for dairy cattle in a Confined Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO). A 500-head dairy operation in Lake County, Ind. has been identified as a project partner. The CAFO’s animal manure would be conveyed to an anaerobic digester, which then produces biogas to help power the ethanol plant. In addition, the residuals from the anaerobic digester can be further used as fertilizer on crops.
Environmental improvements to realize goals of 1972 Clean Water Act:
The Hammond Water Reuse Project would manage and reuse the daily release of 38 million gallons of wastewater effluent, which currently is being discharged into the Lake Michigan basin. Specifically, the project would eliminate the unnecessary delivery of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium to the lake. Sheaffer explained that the practice of irrigation allows for the natural cleaning of water. When land is irrigated with an almost mist-like process delivered weekly through center pivot rigs, the water percolates through the roots of prairie grasses and other plant systems before seeping back into Lake Michigan.
At the same time, the project is designed to serve as a model of clean water practices. Sheaffer’s plan has found support from USDA offices in Northwest Indiana, the Northwest Territory Resource, Conservation and Development Council, Farm Bureau, Northwest Indiana Regional Planning Commission and Northwest Indiana Focus along with municipal and county planners. The project puts into practice the goals identified in the 1972 Clean Water Act, which Sheaffer co-authored in his role as Chief science Advisor over the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. A crucial aspect of the federal act is the integration of organizations for best practices in the reduction of pollution, conservation of resources and increased revenue streams.
A member of the Northeastern Illinois Regional Water Supply Group and advisor for the planning organization’s 2040 preparations, Sheaffer is a strong advocate for authentic environmental solutions. “When you’re dealing with water, you have to consider storm water management (including the rate of the flow and the pollutants it carries).” With that information at hand, it makes sense, he said, “to link the hydrologic cycle with the nutrient cycle and the nutrient cycle with the carbon cycle.”
Practical social justice measures:
These implications, taken together with wastewater management, pose an environmentally sound strategy. “It’s as matter of applied stewardship as it concerns the earth. Protecting the earth’s resources is a social justice issue on a grand scale,” he said.
At the same time, project experts at the Center are in the process of arranging for further financial benefits for the region around Hammond, Ind. “As we recycle the nutrients in wastewater, we can gain carbon credits. As we arrange for the capture and storage of storm water runoff, we reduce non-point source pollution, such as storm water runoff.”
The Center is intent on implementing a plan that uses wastes to generate wealth and model safe practices. Full implementation of the project provides overall society with a windfall—improved crop productivity and a cleaner Lake Michigan. The intricacies of the project require a unique collaboration between urban and rural communities along with environmental and conservation entities. Eventually business and industrial partnerships are anticipated to take shape. The practicality of the project relies on a series of agreements between the sanitary district that treats the wastewater and the farmers who supply the food for the cities.
Equally important is the fact that the reuse of wastewater nutrients is a proven method for protecting water quality and preserving farmland. Wastewater reclamation cannot be accomplished without a partnership between environmental program initiatives, businesses, governmental agencies and private concerns. According to Sheaffer, “a tunnel vision” approach is no longer acceptable. The Center has identified its moral responsibility to seed and support economic opportunities that target sustained environmental improvements.
Sheaffer said he looks forward to helping to provide clean water solutions for citizens around the globe and addressing issues specific to the “dead zones” in the Gulf of Mexico and in the oceans.
For information on the Hammond Water Reuse Project or the Center for the Transformation of Waste Technology, call (630) 456-8585. The Center's Web site is currently under construction.
Community Conscience-Welcome
Community Conscience
By: Ann Piasecki, M.A.
Public Affairs Communicator/Outreach Coordinator
Welcome to the Community Conscience blog. This column is dedicated to the promotion of authentic partnerships between businesses, schools, nonprofit organizations designed for the betterment of society as a whole--especially environmental and conservation initiatives--social service agencies, governmental entities, churches and the community at large. In this weekly column I intend to offer insights and perspectives on existing projects that demonstrate holistic and profitable ventures that benefit multiple groups at one time.
This column is not about destroying or dismantling the profit margins of existing corporations or businesses, nor is it about undermining individual/family financial opportunities. The key point to keep in mind is the word “ethics” and how it applies to corporate and administrative leaders as well as individual conduct with retailers, investments, tax responsibilities and tithing. This column is about financial equality for all community members.
At times I will also reveal my own intuitive innovations, which are informed by 20-plus years as a journalist/editor, teacher, communications director and outreach coordinator. While writing realized within broader creative communications strategies and organizational collaborations is my gift, my passion is to use that gift for the implementation of practical social justice programs that enable participants to thrive honestly.
I welcome comments about projects highlighted in this column. Furthermore, I value constructive criticism, detailing the obstacles that stand in the way. It is only through the thoughtful identification of obstacles that project points can be accommodated, tweaked or re-evaluated for a successful outcome.
By: Ann Piasecki, M.A.
Public Affairs Communicator/Outreach Coordinator
Welcome to the Community Conscience blog. This column is dedicated to the promotion of authentic partnerships between businesses, schools, nonprofit organizations designed for the betterment of society as a whole--especially environmental and conservation initiatives--social service agencies, governmental entities, churches and the community at large. In this weekly column I intend to offer insights and perspectives on existing projects that demonstrate holistic and profitable ventures that benefit multiple groups at one time.
This column is not about destroying or dismantling the profit margins of existing corporations or businesses, nor is it about undermining individual/family financial opportunities. The key point to keep in mind is the word “ethics” and how it applies to corporate and administrative leaders as well as individual conduct with retailers, investments, tax responsibilities and tithing. This column is about financial equality for all community members.
At times I will also reveal my own intuitive innovations, which are informed by 20-plus years as a journalist/editor, teacher, communications director and outreach coordinator. While writing realized within broader creative communications strategies and organizational collaborations is my gift, my passion is to use that gift for the implementation of practical social justice programs that enable participants to thrive honestly.
I welcome comments about projects highlighted in this column. Furthermore, I value constructive criticism, detailing the obstacles that stand in the way. It is only through the thoughtful identification of obstacles that project points can be accommodated, tweaked or re-evaluated for a successful outcome.
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