News

Every year when we celebrate and honor the life of Dr. King, our focus is on civil rights. But how much do we know about civil rights? What are our civil rights? Who gave them to us? Let’s look into civil rights in order to better understand the incredible gift that Dr. King’s life and passion was to us.

And let’s also look at the reality of what came before. What is Jim Crow? Why did we need laws outlining the rights of US citizens – civil rights (also correctly referred to as human rights.)

Civil Rights

To get things started we asked Google what civil rights are:

“Civil rights are legal rights that protect people from discrimination and ensure equal citizenship. They are guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution and federal laws, such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.”

We went to HHS dot gov [LINK] for the answer on civil rights in healthcare and social services:

“The HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) enforces civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, age, religion, and sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity) by certain health care and human services entities: state and local social and health services agencies, hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, insurers who are participating in the maketplaces and receiving premium tax credits, and other entities receiving federal financial assistance from HHS.”

Human beings have a right to nondiscriminatory healthcare and social services from the government and HHS makes that clear. We can thank Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King for his leadership role in bringing this into reality. His battle was on behalf of a people whose ancestors had been enslaved and who had been discriminated against as 2^nd class citizens or worse.

Life Before Civil Rights

What came before was Jim Crow. Here’s how Google defines Jim Crow.

“Jim Crow was a derogatory term for the system of legalized racial segregation in the United States that lasted from the post-Civil War era until 1968. Origin: The term comes from a fictional Black character in minstrel shows in the 1830s and 1800s. The character was portrayed by white performers in blackface makeup and was treated with disdain.”

It’s hard to imagine being subjected to such hatred and disrespect, and yet this is what Dr. King and the leaders who joined with him were up against. Jim Crow laws mandated separate facilities. This included schools, transportation, restrooms, café and restaurant dining. There was a law passed in 1896 called “Plessy v. Ferguson” that established the “separate but equal” doctrine… i.e. Jim Crow laws. Obviously there was no ‘equal’ in separate but equal.

At civil rights dot org [LINK] we see what happened when President Kennedy stepped into the picture.

“After the Birmingham police reacted to a peaceful desegregation demonstration in May 1963 by using fire hoses and unleashing police dogs to break up thousands of demonstrators, President Kennedy introduced the Civil Rights Act in a June 12 speech. “Are we to say to the world, and much more importantly, to each other, that this is the land of the free except for the Negroes?” he said.”

Honoring Dr. King

When we look at Dr. King’s very great gifts to our culture, we see that he, a Christian minister, led marches for the right to vote, labor rights, desegregation as well as other marches for civil rights. From Wikipedia we read the following: “He oversaw the 1955 Montgomery bus boycott and later became the first president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). As president of the SCLC, he led the unsuccessful Albany Movement in Albany, Georgia, and helped organize some of the nonviolent 1963 protests in Birmingham, Alabama.”

Dr. King delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech during the 1963 March on Washington. Many of us have seen him on video at the Lincoln Memorial, delivering that inspiring message to America. Following that march he helped to organize two of the marches from Selma to Montgomery.

We know that Dr. King was jailed for his activities several times and he was made a target of the FBI. Deservedly, Dr. King won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. He continued on with objection to the Vietnam war and his desire to end poverty. His life was ended in 1968 by an assassin’s bullet.

Human Progress Achieved

Finally, once again from the Civil Rights website we read the following: “The House passed the bill on February 10, 1964 after 70 days of public hearings and testimony from more than 275 witnesses, but a 57-day filibuster prevented the Senate from voting. Finally, on June 10, 1964, the Senate voted to end the filibuster and passed the bill a week later. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is the most sweeping civil rights legislation Congress has ever passed and paved the way for the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the Fair Housing Act of 1968 and the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990, among other key laws.”

Thank You Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Through your heart and your courage we the people have become better human beings… and that is a victory for all.

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AMS Fulfillment is a Certified B Corporation, dedicated to People and Planet before Profit. We work to B the Change we wish to see in the world.

So many businesses, particularly in Apparel, are in scramble mode as a result of recent regulatory changes with Mexico, effectively closing down the practice of inbounding containers of product that are intended to go across the border to capitalize on the eCommerce de minimis loophole (no tariffs on transactions below $800). Brands are also aware that the US is likely to close the eCommerce loophole via changes to existing Section 321 de minimis laws. With the current and pending changes, it’s clear that the practice of inbounding goods to Mexico is likely coming to an end.

The Mexican government’s Tax Administration Service (SAT) imposed 19 percent tariffs on all imported merchandise shipped via couriers from countries without an international trade agreement with Mexico, such as China. The imposed 19% tax came shortly after Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum escalated tariffs on finished clothing products, including jackets, dresses and shirts amongst other apparel items which will now have tariffs reach as high as 35 percent.

On top of all of this, Sheinbaum’s decree restricts duty-free finished apparel items from entering the country if it was intended to be re-exported to the U.S. through Mexico’s IMMEX import program.

The new measures are going into effect just weeks before Donald Trump assumes office. American lawmakers have sought to reform Section 321 de minimis legislation that is now being leveraged by numerous eCommerce apparel companies, where foreign shipments worth $800 or less are able to enter the U.S. market duty free. US businesses, CBP and politicians have been critical of the current loophole via Section 321 due to it being anticompetitive for many US-based e-commerce businesses, and that it could be exploited for drug trafficking into the U.S.

Program Freezes and AMS Support:

The bottom line with all of this is that Brands are now seeking US-based solutions for their supply chain logistics and Fulfillment. Some brands have been completely frozen by the actions taken in Mexico! AMS CAN HELP YOU! Give us a call and get your business back on track quickly. Our team is equipped to provide the necessary support to ensure a smooth transition and help you minimize downtime.

Call us today! (800) 931-4267

Source: (1) Supply Chain Drive (2) Yahoo News

What did we experience in 2024 that deserves another look? Well… let’s not talk about the price of butter… or coffee. We can skip that. Actually, we can skip quite a few things… especially politics. Let’s review the AMS Newsroom blogs and see what we felt was worth our attention!

2024 Predictions

Our first post was 2024 predictions! How did we do? Was it off base or out of the park? Here’s a quote from Martek dot org: “Humans aren’t going to be taken out of the customer experience entirely in 2024. Instead, look for AI-augmented systems to help make experience and service more efficient for marketers and agents. Organizations realize that for more challenging issues, customers want to have the ability to connect with a human.”

That’s the truth!! What a great relief when a human comes on the line! It was predicted we would experience more human contact – was it accurate… did we? Well, at AMS we truly value human to human communication. When a phone call is made to us, the visitor or client will not be subjected to a seemingly endless system without a human. We answer the phone! What about others? We have seen some improvement – after making our way through a government office menu we found the possibility for a real human voice, so maybe they’re catching on… people like to talk to people – not AI.

Let’s look at one more prediction, this one about the workforce: “The author states that technology will help alleviate worker shortages and improve retention. In addition to improving retention, experts believe technology will improve productivity and decision making of both existing employees and new talent with state-of-the-art tools. It is also predicted that the workforce will be freed up from repetitive tasks, allowing them to focus on more complex problems and decisions that require human interaction.”  Well, this one is a pretty accurate prediction. AMS increasingly makes use of technology and it does improve productivity and improve our employees’ work experience.

First there was Spring

What about some of our other blogs? We honored Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27 and on March 6^th we began a series on Women’s History. “Readers are well aware that in the US women had to fight for the right to vote and to own property. We will cover the Suffrage Movement in this first blog in our women’s history series. We will also cover the Women’s Movement of the sixties and seventies, where we saw women begin to be accepted as professionals – doctors, lawyers, accountants, business owners and so forth.” We have a very good balance at AMS with men and women in leadership, and it’s with gratitude that we can look back and see the country’s progress… yes, we’ve come a long way as a culture.

Harriett Tubman Day came up on March 10^th and March 19^th brought us the Spring Equinox! April is Earth Month, and with our focus on the environment, we let our readers know! “Every month is Earth Month at AMS Fulfillment. We never forget about doing what we can do to minimize any damage to the environment caused by operating our business. But since there is a commemoration going on in April, and April 22nd is Earth Day we are happy to join in and encourage others to honor our beautiful planet.”

Then there was Summer

At the end of May we looked into safety at AMS. We take employee safety very seriously and we have a very good record. “At AMS we always have and always will design our tasks to fit the worker. We also protect the health of our employees through comprehensive safety training with regard to ergonomics. Every employee is trained in the best methods of avoiding strain on the body, and this training is done following OSHA guidelines. AMS has an outstanding safety record with far fewer lost-time injuries than most of our competitors, and we also strive for continuous improvements in our training procedures. AMS is into Safety!!”

On we go to June and July. June 16^th was Father’s Day and of course a high point of the year for all of our extraordinary AMS Dads. “We want to offer an overflowing plate of respect and appreciation and gratitude to all of the fathers among the AMS employees and clients and friends. We thank you for your strength, your guidance, your sacrifice, your time, your influence and your love. We hope your Day is perfect, whether there are gifts or a big meal or a fun outing – we want it to be perfect.”

In June we celebrated Pride Month and Black Music Month and Juneteenth. Then on to July and the 4^th. “How to Celebrate: Fireworks, family reunions, concerts, barbecues, picnics, parades, baseball games, naps, sleeping in, hiking, camping, hanging out at home, going to the beach, dinner with friends, working and getting paid time and a half. Lots of choices for this holiday!”

The rest of July and August was fairly quiet. August is National Wellness Month, so of course we looked into how we’re caring for the health of our employees. We asked Samantha Hicks, ESG Program Manager, to give us some info on how we help the employees with stress management and she gave us the following info about AMS’ EAP Program. “An Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is a voluntary, confidential program that offers free mental health services to employees and their families. EAPs can help with a range of issues that affect mental and emotional well-being, including: Stress, Grief, Family problems, Psychological disorders, Alcohol and substance abuse, Depression, Anxiety, Work-life balance.” The EAP Program is just one of the ways we help our employees enjoy wellness.

And then came Fall

September came around with the Fall Equinox on the 22nd. When Fall comes, we start thinking about and gearing up for Peak Season. There is an interesting headline showing up on September 18th – AMS Prepares for our First 4-Pillar SMETA Audit. SMETA stands for Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit. It assesses a company’s ethical and sustainable business practices. The four pillars of a SMETA audit are: Labor Standards, Health and Safety, Environmental Assessment, and Business Ethics. “We want our clients to be able to evaluate AMS’ working conditions, aiming to promote collaboration, visibility, continuous improvement, and responsible sourcing practices. This is the reason for the SMETA audit.

“The audit findings are assessed against the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) Base Code and take into account legal requirements, international standards, and good practice. The SMETA audits rely on a certified third-party provider to conduct inspections at AMS premises, processes, documentation, and technical systems. Upon our completion of the audit, our clients will be able to tell their customers how AMS demonstrates its commitment to ethical sourcing, sustainable practices, and social responsibility. This can be important for building trust with customers, investors, and stakeholders who prioritize ethical considerations in their business relationships.”  AMS is a B Corporation, and that means ‘ethics’. It’s important to us to give our potential clients a choice to be proud of.

When we enter the Fall season we’re heading toward Halloween, Thanksgiving, and then comes Black Friday. Things get busy at AMS so our minds are focused on getting the job done.

Just to review, November is Native American Heritage month, and we recognized Veterans Day on November 11^th. Then we move into December and our much-loved holiday season. Here we find Bodhi Day, Christmas, Kwanzaa and Hanukkah! AMS is incredibly busy during these weeks, making sure everyone gets their gifts right on time and in perfect condition. And then… we stepped into 2025.

New Year

We hope you have enjoyed our memory journey through 2024. We’ve entered a new year, and it is once again a new opportunity to live up to a truly human standard.

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AMS Fulfillment is a Certified B Corporation, dedicated to People and Planet before Profit. We work to B the Change we wish to see in the world.

AMS is a B Corporation. As we begin 2025, let’s talk about what it means to be a ‘B’. First of all, the ‘B’ in B Corporation stands for ‘Benefit for all’. B Corporations are businesses that have been certified by B Lab, making a legal commitment to benefit all stakeholders. Who are the stakeholders? Who has a stake in AMS?

Definition

Before we talk about our stakeholders, let’s look at the google definition of ‘B Corporation’.

“A B Corporation, or Benefit Corporation, is a business that meets strict standards for social and environmental performance, transparency, and legal accountability: 

Social and environmental performance: B Corps promote corporate social responsibility, such as improving the environment, reducing economic inequality, and improving access to high-quality jobs. 

Transparency: B Corps are transparent about their business practices. 

Legal accountability: B Corps meet higher legal accountability standards than traditional businesses.”

Now that we have some small idea of what a B Corporation is, let’s talk about our stakeholders. We list them as: Employees, Community, Environment, Clients and Ourselves.

Employees

B Corporations impact employees by providing a sense of purpose and meaning in their work through a strong commitment to social and environmental responsibility, often leading to better employee engagement, satisfaction, and retention, as well as access to initiatives and programs focused on employee well-being and community involvement. Essentially, AMS aims to create a positive impact by prioritizing employee welfare and aligning their work with personal values.

Our commitment to employees is extensive – we want them safe in the workplace and we do a lot to make that a reality. We want them enjoying their workday, with health care available, enjoying free on-site educational opportunities, with supervisors who care and listen, fairly paid, experiencing no prejudice or discrimination in any form, and we want them rewarded, frequently, for their efforts on behalf of our Clients.

Some of the ways our commitment impacts employees are as follows:

Increased purpose and meaning: Employees feel more connected to their work knowing the company actively contributes to positive social and environmental change, enhancing job satisfaction and motivation.

Attracting top talent: B Corporation certification acts as a draw for individuals seeking careers with a strong ethical and sustainable focus, helping companies attract high-quality employees. During the past few years, we have heard and seen individuals mocked on social media as a “DE&I hire”. The implication is that the person has not been hired based on merit or qualifications, but to meet a race or gender quota. AMS practices DE&I but that does not mean we hire based on a race or gender quota. We hire qualified applicants based on their abilities to do the job. Regarding DE&I, we hire individuals with disabilities, we hire the homeless, single parents, and persons who have had difficulty being hired due to a criminal record. That’s what DE&I looks like at AMS.

Employee-centric policies: B Corporations often implement progressive workplace policies and employee wellness programs, promoting work-life balance and employee well-being.

Transparency and accountability: The B Impact Assessment process requires companies to regularly evaluate their practices, including those related to employee treatment, ensuring transparency and accountability.

Collaborative decision-making: B Corporations often encourage employee input and participation in decision-making processes, promoting a sense of ownership and engagement.

Community

Our hiring practices are one of the ways we make the community a stakeholder. We work with community organizations that help the disabled, the homeless, single parents, persons with a record, and through our hiring practices we do serve the community. AMS also partners with clients to help them with their product end cycle. We ensure that their product is not improperly disposed of and help to donate to communities in need.

Opportunities for impact: Employees can actively participate in company initiatives aimed at social and environmental impact, contributing to community projects or sustainability efforts. The AMS Activities Committee engages employees in voluntary activities such as fundraising for local communities in need and participation in clean-up efforts in the community. We are very proud of our employees who have organized the volunteer efforts in community projects.

Environment

For years we have been monitoring our use of resources and doing everything we can to reduce our use with regard to electricity, heating and cooling. AMS has eliminated the use of gasoline powered forklifts and installed energy-saving lighting in our warehouses. Due to the dedicated efforts AMS achieved Carbon Neutral status in 2023. We continued our efforts in 2024, and we will continue in the years to come.

Our recycling efforts are exceptional as well. In 2023 we recycled over one million pounds of cardboard and after much searching and effort we found a way to recycle stretch plastic. AMS employees have organized a ‘Green Team’ and their goal is to minimize and even eliminate our contribution to landfills.

Clients

It goes without saying that our valued clients are stakeholders – our employees understand that their labor is 100% for the clients. We look upon clients as partners and communicate with them on all matters. Our Client Services team is in frequent communication with the client representatives, and we value this communication. So, yes… our clients are stakeholders – always have been and always will be.

A Force for Good!

We are very dedicated to the B Corporation goals and proud to be a B Corporation. If readers would like to know more about B Corporations, please visit this [LINK] which takes you to the B Lab website. They say, “We won’t stop until all business is a force for good,” and we agree. AMS aims to be a force for good in the world!

We made it through 2024! This was quite a year, but in truth, every year has its challenges and rewards. We deeply appreciate our employees, our clients, our communities and our Earth!! On we go to a beautiful New Year.

In upcoming blogs we will review 2024 and enjoy the highlights. We will also look into the predictions for 2025.

History: When Does the New Year Begin!!

We hope our readers have some fun plans for New Year’s Eve! The question occurred… how long have we humans being celebrating the New Year? We found the answer in Brittanica [LINK] and it’s a bit surprising (and confusing).

“The earliest known record of a New Year festival dates from about 2000 bce in Mesopotamia, where in Babylonia the new year (Akitu) began with the new moon after the vernal equinox and in Assyria with the new moon nearest the autumn equinox (mid-September). For the Egyptians and Phoenicians, the year began with the autumn equinox (September 21), for ancient Persians it began on the vernal equinox (March 21), and for the early Greeks it began with the winter solstice (December 21). On the Roman republican calendar the year began on March 1, but after 153 bce the official date was January 1, which was continued in the Julian calendar of 46 bce.

“In early medieval times most of Christian Europe regarded March 25, the Feast of the Annunciation, as the beginning of the new year, although New Year’s Day was observed on December 25 in Anglo-Saxon England. William the Conqueror decreed that the year begin on January 1, but England later joined the rest of Christendom and adopted March 25. The Gregorian calendar, adopted in 1582 by the Roman Catholic Church, restored January 1 as New Year’s Day, and most European countries gradually followed suit: Scotland, in 1660; Germany and Denmark, about 1700; England, in 1752; and Russia, in 1918.”

January 1^st it is!!

Apparently there came to be some agreement on the Gregorian calendar and here we are… stepping off into 2025. Will it be a good year for AMS? Undoubtedly it will!!

That very special thing about AMS is that we are a B Corporation. What does that mean? It means that, unlike some others, we put the well-being of our employees, clients, community and our beautiful Earth right up there as #1. In other words… AMS will not exploit others or damage the earth for profit. AMS Fulfillment is a leader, in many ways, and we are grateful. Perhaps in 2025 we will see more businesses stepping up to the B Corporation standards. Let’s make it a beautiful year!

Happy New Year!

May the coming year be filled with… fulfillment… prosperity… and wonderful surprises!!

Hanukkah is a beautiful festival that commemorates a historical event, described as the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. Hanukkah is known as the Festival of Lights or the Feast of Dedication.

It is observed for eight nights and days and the dates are different each year. The dates are determined by the Hebrew calendar, and the festival can occur any time between November 28 and December 27. This year Hanukkah began on the evening of December 25th and it continues for eight days and nights until January 2nd.

The Festival Story

We went to Chabad.org [LINK] for more information on the story upon which the celebration is created.

“Hanukkah (Chanukah) is the Jewish eight-day, wintertime “festival of lights,” celebrated with a nightly menorah lighting, special prayers and fried foods. The Hebrew word Chanukah means “dedication,” and is thus named because it celebrates the rededication of the Holy Temple.

“In the second century BCE, the Holy Land was ruled by the Seleucids (Syrian-Greeks), who tried to force the people of Israel to accept Greek culture and beliefs instead of mitzvah observance and belief in G‑d. Against all odds, a small band of faithful but poorly armed Jews, led by Judah the Maccabee, defeated one of the mightiest armies on earth, drove the Greeks from the land, reclaimed the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and rededicated it to the service of G‑d.”

The Celebration

There is an inspiring story behind the Menorah, and we return to Chabad.org for that story:

“When they sought to light the Temple’s Menorah (the seven-branched candelabrum), they found only a single cruse of olive oil that had escaped contamination by the Greeks. Miraculously, they lit the menorah and the one-day supply of oil lasted for eight days, until new oil could be prepared under conditions of ritual purity.

“To commemorate and publicize these miracles, the sages instituted the festival of Chanukah.

“At the heart of the festival is the nightly menorah lighting. The menorah holds nine flames, one of which is the shamash (“attendant”), which is used to kindle the other eight lights. On the first night, we light just one flame. On the second night, an additional flame is lit. By the eighth night of Chanukah, all eight lights are kindled.

“Special blessings are recited, often to a traditional melody, before the menorah is lit, and traditional songs are sung afterward.

“A menorah is lit in every household (or even by each individual within the household) and placed in a doorway or window. The menorah is also lit in synagogues and other public places. In recent years, thousands of jumbo menorahs have cropped up in front of city halls and legislative buildings, and in malls and parks all over the world.”

Other Hanukkah Festivities

Some of the other festivities taking place during the eight-day celebration include singing celebratory songs, eating oil-based foods such as latkes and sufganiyot, and dairy foods, playing the game of dreidel, and having public menorah lightings. Hanukkah is described as having major cultural significance in North America and elsewhere. The following is from Wikipedia [LINK].

“Originally instituted as a feast “in the manner of Sukkot (Booths)”, it does not come with the corresponding obligations, and is therefore a relatively minor holiday in strictly religious terms. Nevertheless, Hanukkah has attained major cultural significance in North America and elsewhere, especially among secular Jews, due to often occurring around the same time as Christmas during the festive season.”

Happy Hanukkah to all celebrants!! May Love and Light fill your heart!

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AMS Fulfillment is a Certified B Corporation, dedicated to People and Planet before Profit. We work to B the Change we wish to see in the world.

This is the season in which we express our prayer for Peace and envision a world of human upliftment into the realization that we are One. We are the Human Family, brothers and sisters all.

Christmas 2024

Christians and non-Christians as well enjoy the Christmas holiday and its focus on Peace on Earth. The holiday begins on the eve of December 24^th and the day of celebration is the 25^th. Peace on Earth is no doubt the prayer of every one of us – let the wars end – let no one else die in war – let us care for one another – let us realize we are one family!

The Story

There are so many wonderful images in the Christmas story for our enjoyment. We have Mary and Joseph traveling and finding a very humble place to rest. We have the birth of the holy child, in a manger. We have angels filling the sky, making the announcement of his birth to the shepherds in the fields. We have wise men seeing the announcement of his birth in the stars and traveling to the child with gifts. All of these stories have been treasures in the imagination of little children at Christmastime, and they are beautiful and inspiring.

Christmas is both a religious holiday and a secular one. There are other Christmas stories in our culture with Santa Claus being the primary one. Santa and Mrs. Santa live at the North Pole, where they have lots of little helpers making toys to be delivered on Christmas eve, and placed under the Christmas tree. When the story was first told there was a reminder for the child to be good, otherwise the toy delivered by Santa could be a piece of coal! Add to the story a picture of Santa in a sleigh, pulled by reindeer, flying through the sky. Everyone knows Santa means Christmas and gifts under the tree!

Peace on Earth

How did Christmas come to be associated with the hope and dream of Peace on Earth? As a partial answer, we found this prayer online [LINK]. In the religion of Christianity, the bringer of peace is the holy child.

“We pray for the power to be gentle; the strength to be forgiving; the patience to be understanding; and the endurance to accept the consequences of holding on to what we believe to be right. May we put our trust in the power of good to overcome evil and the power of love to overcome hatred. We pray for the vision to see and the faith to believe in a world emancipated from violence, a new world where fear shall no longer lead persons to commit injustice, nor selfishness make them bring suffering to others. Help us to devote our whole life and thought and energy to the task of making peace, praying always for the inspiration and the power to fulfill the destiny for which we and all humans were created.” – Author Unknown

Personal Peace

For all of our employees and friends and readers we extend to you the prayer for personal peace on this night of Christmas Eve. If you lost a loved one during the year, if you’re dealing with sickness or other troubles, if your personal peace is affected this year, our prayer is that within your heart will be the knowing that we are One and we are Loved.

Let’s conclude with some quotes that showed up in a simple Google search for Christmas quotes:

“May you never be too grown up to search the skies on Christmas Eve.” — Unknown

“From home to home and heart to heart, from one place to another, the warmth and joy of Christmas brings us closer to each other.” — Emily Matthews

“As long as we love, there will always be Christmas.” — Lailah Gifty Akita

“When we recall Christmas past, we usually find that the simplest things, not the great occasions, give off the greatest glow of happiness.” — Bob Hope

“Gifts of time and love are surely the basic ingredients of a truly merry Christmas.” — Peg Bracken

“Christmas is most truly Christmas when we celebrate it by giving the light of love to those who need it most.” — Ruth Carter Stapleton

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AMS Fulfillment is a Certified B Corporation, dedicated to People and Planet before Profit. We work to B the Change we wish to see in the world.

Thank you for your exemplary performance during the month of November: KRISTINA S., STEFFON T., RITA H., SVYATOSLAV F., NICHOLAS P., CRISTY G., and KARINA FUNES L.

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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KRISTINA S., Operations Supervisor II (November 2006) Boulden

Client Services would like to nominate Krissy for Employee of the Month for her incredible dedication and performance. Krissy will go above and beyond for her clients. The care she puts into her accounts has been called out by one of our valued clients. During a client visit, Krissy blew their representative away with the care and knowledge she demonstrated. Krissy is truly a great leader. She is great to work with, dedicated, knowledgeable and very approachable! She plays such a pivotal role in the operations of our Boulden facility. She has shown great strength during peak and has been our go-to person! And for several other accounts, Krissy is very knowledgeable, approachable, and dedicated! Thank you, Krissy, for all the hard work! – Gabby F. & Rich G.

STEFFON T., Inventory Receiving Specialist I (November 2024) Churchman’s

Steffon started out as a temp employee but right out the gate wanted only to become an AMS employee. Steff put all his time and energy into becoming full-time with us and once becoming full-time he has just not stopped. Steffon brings in energy, determination, a GO-GET-EM attitude, and the kindheartedness you wish for in an employee. With a great attitude and personality, he is always willing to help other departments, taking the time to ask if help is needed. He has been an incredible asset during peak season putting in tons of OT and coming in early to get things done whether it’s putting away pallets on the dock or making boxes – he’ll do anything to help. Congratulations Steffon! Just keep being you!” – Robert T.

RITA H., Operations Associate III (November 2016) Headquarters WH

Rita is an outstanding person, and it is a pleasure working with her, especially when she occasionally comes and helps in the Returns Department. She has a ready-to-learn work ethic! She is always smiling and consistently maintains a professional and very polite demeanor, even under pressure. I have heard from other co-workers as well that she is a fast picker and packer and even makes sure all orders are correct and shipped out. She is extremely reliable and dependable and will work extra hours when needed. Thank you for your hard work and dedication. You deserve Employee of the Month Rita! – Teresa G.

SVYATOSLAV F., Operations Associate III (June 2020) Livingston

Though we have many individuals here at Liv who have stepped up and done great work during Peak, I nominate Slava because he plays a very key role in our department and that is to keep eight walls running smoothly, which is a very difficult task to do with limited training hours for the seasonal pickers. We hit record numbers this year and Slava was a big part of that! Slava was here every minute of each day, showing his dedication and commitment to doing the best job he could do for our ops. Your hard work was well recognized, and we give you a big thanks, Slav! – Saul M.

NICHOLAS P., Director of Operations I (August 2024) New Holland

Although Nick is relatively new to AMS and continues to acclimate to his role, he has quickly emerged as an exceptional leader. His strong communication skills and innovative ideas have greatly benefited our Client Service Team. I appreciate his proactive approach to providing assistance and ensuring we stay on course. Nick has been an exceptional advocate for all departments within the building, and we have observed significant growth since he joined AMS. – Wendy M. & Alyssa F.

CRISTY G., Operations Manager I (April 2012) Williams

Cristy’s leadership has led the team to hit record numbers for one of our top accounts. She is a hard worker, has a “can do” attitude, and is a team player. Cristy goes above and beyond to help us ensure our clients’ goals are met and we are very lucky to have her as part of our team. Her positive attitude and willingness to jump in and help as needed make her a valuable asset. And on top of that, she is one of our Activities Reps who goes above and beyond to make the workplace a fun and positive place to be. Thank you for everything that you do, Cristy! – Esperanza E. & Sam H.

KARINA FUNES L., Operations Associate II (September 2024) Witherspoon

Karina started as a temp helping in returns and was just hired onto the team full-time in September. She has learned so much in her time here. She has been doing a great job helping during peak season in another department. She is fast and has become very knowledgeable in the system and processes that we have. She is always ready to work and has a very positive attitude. Thank you, Karina, for putting in a great effort every day. You are very much apricated. – Vanessa H.

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

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AMS Fulfillment is a Certified B Corporation, dedicated to People and Planet before Profit. We work to B the Change we wish to see in the world.

The longest night and shortest day have been observed and commemorated for a long, long time. Perhaps as long as Life has been on earth the longest night and shortest day have been observed.

Winter solstice marks the return of the sun, and perhaps for that reason there is feasting, and gifts are given. Go online and google winter solstice… this is what comes up:

“The winter solstice, also called the hibernal solstice, occurs when either of Earth’s poles reaches its maximum tilt away from the Sun. This happens twice yearly, once in each hemisphere.”

Date: Saturday, December 21, 2024

Also called: Midwinter; the Shortest Day; the Longest Night

Celebrations: Feasting

Observed by: Various cultures

Related to: Winter festivals

Significance: Beginning of lengthening days and shortening nights

Time Magazine [LINK] covers the subject well:

“These annual changes in sunlight as the Earth revolves around the sun have been well known to humans for centuries. Monuments such as Stonehenge in England and the Torreon at Peru’s Machu Picchu were designed in part to align with solstices.”

Let’s talk about how the earth’s journey around the sun gives us seasons and reasons to celebrate.

What is the solstice?

In our science classes we learned that the earth travels around the sun at an angle. The earth’s axis is tilted either toward the sun or away from the sun and that means that when the Northern hemisphere is experiencing the longest night, the Southern hemisphere is enjoying the longest day. The Time Magazine article describes it as follows:

“The solstices mark the times during the year when the Earth is at its most extreme tilt toward or away from the sun. This means the hemispheres are getting very different amounts of sunlight—and days and nights are at their most unequal.

During the Northern Hemisphere’s winter solstice, the upper half of the Earth is tilted away from the sun, creating the shortest day and longest night of the year. The winter solstice falls between December 20 and 23.”

Solstices kick off summer and winter. Equinoxes mark the start of spring and autumn.

How do People Celebrate?

The Brittanica website [LINK] lists seven celebrations from around the world.

*Dong Zhi: Dong Zhi, the “arrival of winter,” is an important festival in China. It is a time for family to get together and celebrate the year they have had. Based on the traditional Chinese celestial calendar, the holiday generally falls between the 21st and 23rd of December. It is thought to have started as an end-of-harvest festival, with workers returning from the fields and enjoying the fruits of their labors with family. Special foods, such as tang yuan (glutinous rice balls), are enjoyed.

*St. Lucia’s Day: St. Lucia’s Day is a festival of lights celebrated in Scandinavia around the time of the winter solstice. Although it is now meant to honor St. Lucia, a Christian martyr, it has been incorporated with earlier Norse solstice traditions, such as lighting fires to ward off spirits during the longest night. Girls dress up in white gowns with red sashes and wear wreaths of candles on their heads in honor of St. Lucia.

*Midwinter: Midwinter in Antarctica gets its share of solstice celebration, thanks to the researchers staying there over the long, dangerously cold season. While those of us in the Northern Hemisphere are enjoying the most daylight hours, in the Southern Hemisphere they are celebrating Midwinter. Festivities include special meals, films, and sometimes even handmade gifts.

*Saturnalia: The ancient Roman festival of Saturnalia is perhaps the most closely linked with the modern celebration of Christmas. This festival happened around the time of the winter solstice and celebrated the end of the planting season. There were games and feasts and gift-giving for several days, and social order was inverted—slaves did not work and were briefly treated as equals.

*Inti Raymi: The Inti Raymi solstice celebration comes in June rather than December. But for Peru it is a winter solstice, and this Incan celebration is in honor of the Sun god. Originally celebrated by the Inca before the arrival of Spanish conquistadors, the festivities included feasts and sacrifices of animals. The Spaniards banned the holiday, but it was revived (with mock sacrifices instead of real ones) in the 20th century and is still celebrated today.

*Yalda: The Persian festival Yalda, or Shab-e Yalda is a celebration of the winter solstice in Iran that started in ancient times. It marks the last day of the Persian month of Azar. Yalda is viewed traditionally as the victory of light over dark, and the birthday of the sun god Mithra. Families celebrate together with special foods like nuts and pomegranates and some stay awake all night long to welcome the morning sun.

*Soyal: Soyal is the winter solstice celebration of the Hopi Indians of northern Arizona. Ceremonies and rituals include purification, dancing, and sometimes gift-giving. At the time of the solstice, Hopi welcome the kachinas, protective spirits from the mountains. Prayer sticks are crafted and used for various blessings and other rituals.

Winter then Spring

We human beings are so incredibly wealthy with regard to our cultures, our historical experiences, our capacity to learn and know and our shared love for life and each other. Happy Solstice to All – we are grateful for the return of the sun’s light – on December 21st early in the morning, 4:19 AM EST – SMILE!!! – the return begins.

There are a whole lot of celebrations in December and we’re going to uplift them all!! We have the Winter Solstice coming on December 21^st at 4:19 AM. Kwanzaa begins on December 26^th and lasts until January 1^st, 2025. Christmas Eve is the 24^th of December and Christmas Day is the 25^th. Hanukkah begins on the evening of December 25^th and lasts until January 2^nd, 2025. This is the season of gratitude and love of life, and we appreciate every cultural celebration!

We will learn about Kwanzaa in this writing, and after that we will cover Solstice, Christmas and Hanukkah.

What is Kwanza

When we asked Google “what is Kwanzaa” we got the following answer: “Kwanzaa is an African-American holiday that was created in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga. Karenga, an African American and Pan-African activist, created Kwanzaa in response to the Watts Rebellion in Los Angeles in 1965. He wanted to create a holiday to bring the African American community together and to encourage pride in their culture.”

That certainly is a beautiful reason to create an event. The Kwanzaa intention is to bring families and communities together. Within the days of celebration there is a lot of inspiration and wisdom.

The Watts Rebellion

The Watts rebellion took place in August of 1965 in the Los Angeles suburb of Watts and it lasted for six days. It was triggered by an arrest, and it involved thousands of Black youth fighting the police. It resulted in 34 deaths, more than 1,000 injuries, nearly 4,000 arrests, and property damage in the amount of millions of dollars.

According to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture [LINK], “The Watts Rebellion is considered a key turning point in the African American Civil Rights movement. It inspired similar uprisings in cities across the nation and helped shape public understanding of race relations in the United States. In response to the rebellion, California leaders built a new state college near the communities impacted by the rebellion.”

Dr. Karenga’s Creation

Dr. Karenga created Kwanzaa as a seven-day celebration with each day celebrating one of seven principles. The Smithsonian website describes Dr. Karenga’s creation as follows:

“Created in 1966 by Maulana Ron Karenga, Kwanzaa is an African American and Pan-African holiday that celebrates history, values, family, community and culture. The ideas and concepts of Kwanzaa are expressed in the Swahili language, one of the most widely spoken languages in Africa. The seven principles which form its core were drawn from communitarian values found throughout the African continent.”

The Seven Day Celebration

We will introduce the principles and then look into them more closely. From the Smithsonian: “These principles are: Umoja (Unity), Kujichagulia (Self-Determination), Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility), Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics), Nia (Purpose), Kuumba (Creativity), and Imani (Faith). Kwanzaa gets its name from the Swahili phrase, “matunda ya kwanza” and is rooted in first fruit celebrations which are found in cultures throughout Africa both in ancient and modern times.”

Before we go over the principles, here is a little more about the celebration in general:

“During the week of Kwanzaa, families and communities come together to share a feast, to honor the ancestors, affirm the bonds between them, and to celebrate African and African American culture. Each day they light a candle to highlight the principle of that day and to breathe meaning into the principles with various activities, such as reciting the sayings or writings of great black thinkers and writers, reciting original poetry, African drumming, and sharing a meal of African diaspora-inspired foods.

“The table is decorated with the essential symbols of Kwanzaa, such as the Kinara (Candle Holder), Mkeka (Mat), Muhindi (corn to represent the children), Mazao (fruit to represent the harvest), and Zawadi (gifts). One might also see the colors of the Pan-African flag, red (the struggle), black (the people), and green (the future), represented throughout the space and in the clothing worn by participants. These colors were first proclaimed to be the colors for all people of the African diaspora by Marcus Garvey.”

The Seven Principles

On each day of Kwanzaa, the celebrants light a candle for that day’s principle on their candleholder (Kinara).

*Umoja (Unity): To strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race.

*Kujichagulia (Self-Determination): To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves and speak for ourselves.

*Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility): To build and maintain our community together and make our community’s problems our problems and to solve them together.

*Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics): To build and maintain our own stores, shops and other businesses and to profit from them together.

*Nia (Purpose): To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.

*Kuumba (Creativity): To do always as much as we can to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.

*Imani (Faith): To believe with all our hearts in our people and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.

Appreciation

The Seven Principals are incredibly inspiring and beautiful. Kwanzaa is most definitely a creation of love. Happy Kwanzaa to all who are participating in this beautiful seven-day celebration of life and community. Enjoy!!!

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AMS Fulfillment is a Certified B Corporation, dedicated to People and Planet before Profit. We work to B the Change we wish to see in the world.

As our readers likely know, AMS Fulfillment works with community organizations such as Desert Haven and First Step. These are organizations that develop, enhance, and promote the capabilities of persons with developmental disabilities and assist participants to develop marketable job skills and gain work stability and experience through specialized training at community-based work sites.

At AMS we hire people with developmental (dis)Abilities, and we provide every employee equality in wages, health coverage and benefits. AMS’ best practice of salary benchmarking for our payrates using ERI which compiles the most robust salary, cost of living, and executive compensation survey data available, with updated market data for more than 1,100 industry sectors. ERI collects salary survey data from internal surveys, third-party salary surveys, and public sources to calculate geographic salary differentials and assist with compensation planning. As readers can see, it is important to us to offer fair wages to all of our employees.

Disability Employment News

At AMS we follow the news regarding disability employment, and we are pleased to see some changes on the horizon. According to liveaction dot org, the rule allowing employers to pay people with disabilities below minimum wage could end soon. The report is as follows:

“The United States Labor Department is considering axing a rule which allows people with disabilities to be paid less than minimum wage — a first step towards more equality for one of the country’s most persecuted groups.

“Reuters reports said the current rule, which exempts employees with disabilities from being paid the $7.25 minimum, is no longer necessary. Originally, the exemption was allegedly necessary to ensure people with disabilities had job opportunities. Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, employers have been allowed to apply for exemptions known as 14(c) certificates allowing them to pay their disabled employees less than minimum wage when “necessary to prevent the curtailment of opportunities for employment.”

“This has continued, despite the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990, making this change long overdue.

“A report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that over 100,000 employees were being paid less than minimum wage as of 2019; half are paid less than $3.50 per hour, and about 10% are paid less than $1 an hour, which disability rights groups have rightly pointed out is exploitative.”

Changes to Come

The Reuters report [LINK] gives us not only more information, but a way to help affect change.

“The U.S. Department of Labor said the decades-old exemption from the standard minimum wage, currently $7.25 an hour, was no longer needed to meet its original goal of expanding job opportunities for people with disabilities.

“DOL in the rule proposed on Tuesday said that legal and policy developments including the adoption of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990 had rendered the program unnecessary, and that it would stop issuing new certificates and phase out existing ones over the next three years.

“DOL will accept public comments on the proposal through Jan. 17, a few days before Democratic President Joe Biden leaves office and Republican President-elect Donald Trump is sworn in for a second term.”

We are very pleased to see these changes to come, and we look forward to the day when all individuals with disabilities are fairly compensated for their time and effort on the job.

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AMS Fulfillment is a Certified B Corporation, dedicated to People and Planet before Profit. We work to B the Change we wish to see in the world.

We’re entering a season wherein the collective spirit of the people is uplifted. We call it the holiday season. The nights have been long. Very soon the shortest day of the year will pass by and the sensation of new life, and hope, and renewed spirit comes into our world through love, peace, socialization and gift giving.

In this writing we are going to recognize a wonderful day within the holiday season enjoyed by Buddhists – the uplifting into enlightenment. Bodhi Day is recognized as the day that Siddhartha Gautama attained enlightenment, becoming a Buddha.

The following information is from a website called Bodhi Day [LINK].

“The word bodhi is a Sanskrit and Pali word that means “awakening” or “enlightenment”. Buddhists believe that Siddhartha Gautama achieved enlightenment by meditating under a Bodhi tree, or sacred fig tree, after giving up years of ascetic practices. The Bodhi Tree is located in Bodh Gaya, India, and is also known as the Mahabodhi Tree. 

“Bodhi Day is a time for Buddhists to renew their dedication to Buddhism and to reaffirm their commitment to enlightenment, compassion, and kindness.”

Bodhi Day History

The history of Bodhi Day is told on the National Today website as follows:

“Bodhi Day is observed to mark the moment that took place 2,500 years ago when Siddhartha Gautama achieved enlightenment and became the Buddha or ‘awakened one’. The story goes that, rejecting the luxurious lifestyle of a prince, Siddharta left the comforts of the palace at the age of 29 and went on a journey of deep introspection to seek meaning in life.

“He meditated in Bodh Gaya, a town in northeastern India, under a Peepal tree (a species of Banyan fig), now famously known as the Bodhi Tree, and resolved to continue meditating until he achieved ‘bodhi’ (‘enlightenment’). He attained bodhi at the age of 35, after 49 days of continuous meditation. He was now able to see how everyone and everything was connected, and therefore reached a state of enlightenment that would lead him to create the Four Noble Truths: Dukkha (unsatisfactoriness), Samudaya (arising), Nirodha (cessation), and Magga (path) in which the Eightfold Path is set out.

How Do People Celebrate?

Throughout the month there will be Bodhi tree plantings, and the planting ceremony usually will be accompanied by a tea ceremony. Also during the month people will burn incense and put up multi-colored lights.

On the day of December 8^th, Buddhists will meditate, study the universal truth or law (dharma) and chant sutras, which are Buddhist texts. It is very important to perform kind acts toward other beings.

December 8^th is the date of Bodhi Day in the Gregorian calendar. For the celebrants that follow the lunar calendar, January 7^th, 2025 is Bodhi Day. That is the case In China, South Korea and Vietnam. Bodhi Day is on December 8^th in Japan but it is not an official holiday. Only Buddhists, who make up about 34% of the country’s population, observe the day.

Celebrating the Holidays

To all who practice Buddhism, we wish you a wonderful Bodhi Day, with the deepest respect. May we all become enlightened to the reality that at Heart, we are One. To all of us, enjoying the season of giving, a new year, and the return of the light – happy holidays.

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AMS Fulfillment is a Certified B Corporation, dedicated to People and Planet before Profit. We work to B the Change we wish to see in the world.