(800) 931-4267

The AMS Fulfillment logo.
Let's Connect
Let’s Connect

News

Read All About It! AMS News and Local Updates

Series: What B Corporations do for the world #17

B Corporation - AMS FulfillmentThis week we continue our B corporation series by recognizing two commemorative months… Black History Month in February and B Corporation Month coming up in March. In this blog we are happy to introduce five Black-owned B Corporations. These businesses were featured at the B Corporation website along with a number of other exciting businesses.

AMS is pleased to feature the following:

The first is Sweet Livity. Their website states: “Sweet Livity delivers wellness and business coaching to support individuals and groups serving vulnerable communities to do their jobs to the fullest, with improved well-being, sustainability and results.” Click HERE to visit sweetlivity.com.

The second business is Kinetic Communities Consulting. Their website states: “Kinetic Communities Consulting is your local New York Energy Conservation Specialist.” They work with energy and affordable housing industry partners, to connect, educate, and simplify energy efficiency opportunities for under-represented communities. Click HERE to visit their website.

Next is the Fit4Dance Company. This company offers classes in a Brooklyn studio and online classes too. Their website states: “Fit4Dance is dedicated to bringing quality and affordable dance and fitness instruction to communities that need it the most. We offer a comfortable space where women can have fun, learn to dance, improve their fitness and health, meet new people, explore other cultures, and freely express themselves.” Click HERE to visit their website.

Goodee World comes up next. This company offers unique gifts, furniture and home décor from diverse brands and creators. The website says: “A GOODEE stamp of approval means that every item we offer is transparently sourced, ethically made, and designed to last. Our brand partners report to us on their materials, supply chain, labor standards, ecological footprint, and business practices.” Click HERE to visit their website.

The next business is Velmont & Company with RECIRC Packaging. They are the world’s first Black-owned sustainable packaging B Corporation. Their website states: “RECIRC reduces contaminated recycling, promotes refill and reusability, and for the first time ever gives consumers their monies worth by accessing the “last drop”. The RECIRC team works with Cal Poly Pomona’s Engineering Department for research and development. Click HERE to visit RECIRC.

We hope you enjoy visiting the websites and shopping with these innovative, exciting and fun B Corporations.

Read More

Thank You! AMS Employees of the Month January 2021

Employee appreciation - AMS FulfillmentCongratulations to the AMS Fulfillment Employees of the Month for January 2021! We are proud to honor the following members of our corporate family! Thank you LAYAL K., DUSTIN H., LESLIE D., LINDA E., and ROXANA M.

In the fulfillment industry, employees directly serve the company’s clients, making their efforts vital to the growth and success of the business. We know their value, and we respect and invest in our employees.

Each month employees within AMS’ Santa Clarita, CA (Valencia) facilities nominate a co-worker who has provided outstanding service to the team and the clients. The nominations demonstrate that the individual being recognized has gone above and beyond, and deserves Special Thanks!

Thank you for your exemplary performance during the month of January!

LAYAL K., Account Manager (03/2018)
HQ Administration, 29010 Commerce Center Drive, Valencia, CA 91355

I Nominate Layal for Employee of the Month because she is an amazing person both in an out of the workplace. Layal is the type of employee who clocks in early, stays late, makes sure the job gets done and gives 100% effort into everything she does. She is never afraid to get out of her comfort zone and leads by example. Layal helps our team members every chance she can and has an amazing knack for In order, Excel, Warehouse Services, WAMS, and overall systems. Layal’s writing is top notch and she always works well with our clients keeping them informed and up to date on everything that’s going on. Most of all, she is a sweet heart that has a gentle demeanor and is kind to everyone.

DUSTIN H., Receiving Clerk (07/2020)
HQ Warehouse, 29010 Commerce Center Drive

I Nominate Dustin for January Employee of the Month because he always has a positive attitude. He continues to expand his understanding of systems and process; he offers to help, train and share his knowledge with his fellow coworkers. Dustin often works extended and weekend shifts to help keep the receiving department current and organized. He keeps an open mind and is willing to take on any task asked of him. HQ is very lucky to have an employee like Dustin!

LESLIE D., Returns Clerk (06/2020)
LIV: 28545 Livingston Avenue

I would like to nominate Leslie for Employee of the Month because she is an amazing team player. She goes above and beyond to get her work done and to help those around her. Leslie has set an awesome example for the rest of our team and she is willing to take on any task and new challenges to help get our returns done!

LINDA E., Shipping Clerk (07/2011)
WIL: 28936 Avenue Williams

I would like to nominate Linda for January Employee of the Month because she has a perfect attendance record and is always punctual. She is very responsible with any work assignment. She takes care of multiple shipping stations and can ship for all clients at our Avenue Williams warehouse. She also is a team player and loves to help out in other AMS buildings.

ROXANA M., Data Entry Returns Clerk (05/2011)
WIT: 28624 Witherspoon Parkway

I would like to nominate Roxana for January Employee of the Month because she is always ready and willing to help with whatever needs to be done. She stays on task and gets the work done efficiently. She is a pleasure to have as part of the Witherspoon team.

___

Our ‘Employee of the Month’ recognition is meant to convey extra appreciation to individuals in the AMS Fulfillment Family! Whatever role they play, our employees are the reason for our success. Congratulations to this month’s honorees and Thank You!

Read More

Congratulations! Operations Director & Software Development Manager

Operations Director - AMS FulfillmentEric Wiseman, Operations Director: Building

Eric Wiseman started his career at AMS Fulfillment on September 2nd, 2003 at an entry level position. Over his almost 18 years with AMS he worked in all departments, learning each part of the business. His new role as Operations Director: Building is a big step in a long career at AMS.

About his new role Eric says, “I am really excited about taking on my own building and the responsibilities that follow. I feel like all my time here learning from many different leaders in our company has prepared me for the next part of my journey here.”

When he’s not working at AMS he enjoys spending time on his ranch with his wife, three daughters and all of his 21 animals including horses, goats, dogs, rabbits and chickens as well as some others.

Software Development - AMS FulfillmentShannon Crader, Software Development Manager

Shannon Crader began working with AMS back in 2000, when she worked at Morse Data Corporation writing the InOrder software. Through the years, she supported AMS as a vendor and as a consultant. She became an employee of AMS in the fall of 2017 working in IT as a software developer. In the summer of 2020 Shannon accepted the position of Software Development Manager.

Shannon spoke about her new position as follows: “I have enjoyed the challenge and personal growth that have come about as a result of my new position here at AMS. I am eager to work with the team; developing new tools for AMS and promoting efficiencies to help make everyone’s lives easier.”

Read More

How We Celebrate Romance in a Diverse World

In a January blog we looked at how people around the world celebrate a new year. Surprisingly, it’s not always January 1st. Now what about the love and romance holiday we just enjoyed – Valentines Day – are there celebrations of this day around the world? It turns out that there are quite a few celebrations, but not always on February 14th as in the US.

The origin of Valentine’s Day is not clear. Most attribute it to the sacrifice of St. Valentine during the third century. The story says that the Emperor Claudius II decided that unmarried men without wives and families made better soldiers, so he outlawed marriage. A Priest named Valentine knew this decree was unjust and he continued to perform marriages in secret. He was put to death for it! There are other stories about the origin of the celebration as well, but this one is mentioned most often.

Where does the child with the arrows – Cupid – come from? That image is from Greek mythology, and he represents Eros, the God of love. According to that story, Eros was an immortal who played with the emotions of Gods and men. He would use golden arrows to incite passion and arrows made of lead for the opposite emotion.

There are quite a few celebrations of romantic love around the world, and we’ll focus on five of the ones we find most interesting.

Wales

Would you like to receive a handcrafted wooden spoon from your love? That’s how the celebration takes place in Wales. Their Valentines Day is on January 25th, and it’s called the “day of San Dwynwen.” The wooden spoon gifts have been given since the 16th century, so it’s well established for them, unique for us.

France

Paris is certainly associated with romance, so it’s no surprise that France stands out when it comes to Valentines Day. There’s a story that the first-ever Valentine’s Day card was originated in France, when Charles, the Duke of Orleans, sent love letters to his wife from the prison in 1415. Also, there is a village in France named “Valentine” (Saint-Valentin) where romance is super celebrated between 12th and 14th of February. In this village the yards, trees, and homes are decorated with love cards and roses.

China

How do the Chinese people celebrate love and marriage? In one area of southwest China there is a celebration called the “Sisters’ Meal,” which takes place on the 15th of March. During this festival women wear silver accessories and beautiful dresses. (See the image above.) These are considered by some to be the most gorgeous Valentine’s Day costumes among the world celebrations. Various dishes are cooked using colored rice that’s offered on silk fabric. Inside the rice dish will be an object – two chopsticks mean love and a clove of garlic means the love is over before it has begun. Kind of like Cupid’s golden or lead arrows!

South Korea

In South Korea, there is a celebration of love on the 14th of every month. The “day of roses” is celebrated in May, the “day of kisses” is celebrated in June, the “day of hugs is in December” and single people celebrate the “black day” in April by eating black noodles. Not a bad idea to celebrate love every month instead of once a year!!

Ghana

What about chocolate? Where can we find a celebration of that? In Ghana, Feb 14 is celebrated as the “National Chocolate Day.” The Ghana government decided to make it a holiday in 2007 in order to increase tourism in the country. Ghana is among the largest cocoa-producing countries in the world. On Feb 14, romance-minded couples can attend performances, music events, and enjoy special menus in the restaurants.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this glimpse of how our diverse world celebrates romance.

Read More

AMS’ safety record is no accident: Using UV Light During COVID

Warehouse Safety - AMS FulfillmentIn our previous blogs we have talked about the many ways that AMS is taking the necessary precautions to keep employees safe during the pandemic, In all of those months we have learned what works and how to make things work better; we have dealt with covid fatigue, we have gone through peak season, with temporary workers and lots of pressure. And we’re still learning.

AMS has recently increased their sanitizing process across all buildings. In a past blog we described what AMS was engaged in with regard to sanitizing:

  • We placed additional hand washing/sanitizing stations, pumps and wipes in our buildings for convenient and frequent hand hygiene.
  • We brought in a 3rd Party cleaning agency to first do a deep cleaning in each building, and then provide 2-3 people onsite at each building each day to provide incremental sanitizing and cleaning services.  In addition, after an employee tested positive for COVID-19, we engaged the cleaning agency to deep clean the facility again.
  • We developed a checklist for all high-risk common touch areas that must get sanitized a minimum of 4x per day by our dedicated employees, and we reallocated revenue generating employees to cleaning duties.

Now we can add to that list a recent improvement. AMS has stopped using steam cleaners and switched to spraying guns equipped with UV lights. The UV light is used in conjunction with a special mix that kills all viruses including COVID-19. We are sanitizing all areas three times per day.

AMS is continuously working to make employees safer and our dedication is helping them to not only be safe, but to feel more confident and secure in coming to work.

Read More

Series: What B Corporations do for the world #16

B Corporation - AMS FulfillmentIn our weekly B corps series we check in on what B Corporations are thinking about and talking about in their commitment to ‘B the Change’. This week we found an article entitled “Purposeful Transitions: Careers, Workplace Practices, and More”. The headline recalled to mind a very inspiring and purposeful transition at AMS when our CEO, Ken Wiseman, transitioned to the role of Chief Workforce Development Officer.

Ken played a vital role in AMS becoming a B Corporation. He was the driving force behind AMS’ commitment to hire individuals with disabilities, serving as Chair and Board Member on the SCV Mayor’s Committee for Employment of Individuals with Disabilities. At the same time he worked within the community to hire men and women who had been incarcerated, he worked with organizations supporting the hiring of individuals who are homeless, and single parents. As a result AMS today benefits from a very diverse workforce.

Through Ken’s efforts, AMS developed a relationship with SCV College of the Canyons and began offering free education and training on the AMS campus, so that the workforce could advance their skills and grow within the company. A crowning achievement in workforce development was AMS’ collaboration with the college in developing the first nationally certified Logistics Apprenticeship.

In 2019 Ken retired as CEO and moved to a more purposeful role. At the time he said, “My professional time will be more focused on the myriad of employment hiring and training programs we are doing with the County, State and various agencies to continue to provide employment opportunities to those struggling to enter or re-enter the workforce.”

And that is what he has done. Even in 2020, with the world seemingly turned upside down, Ken’s efforts at maintaining a diverse workforce, and educating and training that workforce, have continued.

This week’s featured article talks about the challenges B Corps have faced for the past year, and covers how to be purposeful and ‘B the Change’ while making the transitions demanded of us.

Purposeful Transitions: Careers, Workplace Practices, and More

“The COVID-19 pandemic has touched each one of us in varying ways — human, economic, social — and to varying degrees. We’re staying distanced from our colleagues, but making virtual visits to their homes and families. We’re avoiding social gatherings, but are always connected by close-at-hand technology. We’re finding it hard to focus amid global turmoil, but still motivated to accomplish the tasks with meaning.

“Even amid divisive events, the past year has reminded us of our common humanity and collective power. As shared in this article by Anthea Kelsick and Ben Anderson of B Lab U.S. & Canada, realizing the global vision of an inclusive, equitable, and regenerative economic system will require Certified B Corporations to work together and demonstrate proof of stakeholder capitalism at scale.”

Read the full article HERE.

Read More

LA Ports Impacted by COVID-Related Labor Shortage

Shipping - AMS FulfillmentIn a previous blog, we spoke about the coronavirus vaccine. We stated that the list for distribution priority is as follows: Healthcare personnel; Workers in essential and critical industries; People at high risk for severe COVID-19 illness due to underlying medical conditions; People 65 years and older.

In a recent article published by KTLA, the question was asked… “Is it time for essential workers to be eligible for the covid vaccine?” The question is being asked due to a Port slowdown, with dockworkers not going to the job site due to infection, or being isolated after contact, or awaiting test results, or simply fear of exposure.

The article states, “According to the International Longshore Workers Union, 694 dockworkers have reported COVID-19 infections as of Jan. 17, a dozen have died and hundreds are taking virus-related leaves.”

A second news report in supplychaindigital.com went into even more detail with regard to the slowdown issues:

“Volume at the Port of Los Angeles is expected to be up an average of 88% YoY in the first two weeks of 2021 — a sign that swelling imports have yet to let up. However, the increase in import volumes has not been met with increased human resources, operating capacity or assets. Labor shortages due to the pandemic, chassis shortages in Southern California caused by increased “street dwell” times, and delayed vessel arrival contribute further to the ongoing congestion. In short, increased volume without increased capacity creates a bottleneck not easily resolved.” Read the full article HERE.

Speeding up the availability of the vaccine to essential workers might help to resolve some of the labor issues, but recent news reports reveal that we are still facing delays. According to a recent KTLA report, “On California’s current vaccine plan, health care workers and residents of long term care facilities are prioritized first, then those 65 and older, along with education and child care staff, emergency crews, and food and agriculture workers. Next up would be people working in transportation and logistics, critical manufacturing, industrial, commercial, residential and sheltering services, followed by the homeless and incarcerated.”

California’s Governor Newsome recently announced a pilot website, called MyTurn, that lets Californians sign up to get notified when they’re eligible for the vaccine. Click HERE for more information on the Governor’s plan.

AMS’ employees are essential workers, and they do face increased risk when coming to work. We have taken every step possible within the warehouse environment to protect our employees and our efforts have increased their confidence and safety.

AMS VP of Logistics, John Bevacqua, offered his viewpoint as follows: “It’s unfortunate that we seems to have delays in getting the COVID vaccine to our most vulnerable including the essential workers that are keeping what’s left of our economy up and running. We continue to see very high numbers of infections and many of those are the essential workers. Those working in the logistics, transportation and manufacturing sector should be coming up sometime this month provided the supply is adequate.

“The transportation industry is struggling as the ocean vessels are delayed getting into the ports. Costs have tripled for Ocean and over the road OTR transportation. Many freight forwarders are taking advantage of the situation by driving their rates above peak. I’m hoping to see some relief in the Port congestion, but probably not until end of first quarter. Meanwhile, while inventories holdings become lower and transportation costs continue to rise, we can expect shortages for certain products and consumers will begin to feel it with their wallets.”

AMS supports all efforts to protect the lives and health of essential workers, and we join with the Longshore Workers Union in urging the availability of vaccines for dockworkers.

Read More

A Proud Moment for Diversity and Inclusion

Young women of today can see a fairly wide-open landscape when looking at the work environment and professional life that awaits them as adults. If they look back as well as forward, they will celebrate the battles their grandmothers faced, fought and won on their behalf.

When today’s grandmothers were in their teens, the education and career choices were limited by a culture that only a few generations earlier had denied women a vote, or the right to own property. Today’s grandmothers didn’t see many women doctors or judges or professors or presidents – they didn’t even see female ministers of churches.

Young women who reached adulthood in the 1960’s and 70’s were encouraged onward by a revolutionary spirit called the ‘women’s movement’ or ‘women’s liberation’. At the same time another revolutionary movement was taking place. These decades saw the rise of ‘Black liberation’ or ‘Black nationalism’ coinciding with the civil rights movement.

Today’s young woman, as she chooses her career or life work, knows that she has the human right to equal opportunity and equal pay. Today’s Black Americans, whose ancestors suffered enslavement across Western world, know that they have the human right to equality in all areas of life. As we look back we see a great deal of progress in overcoming the injustices of the past, but our world today tells us that there is still a distance to go.

For the reason of fairness and human rights, B Corporations put a high priority on diversity and inclusion. At AMS we want a diverse workforce not only because of past injustices, but because we see and we enjoy the many benefits of diversity in our own company culture.

The 2020 election took us to a historical ‘liberation’ achievement that honors the struggle of both women of the past and Black freedom fighters. The achievements of Vice President Kamala Harris are celebrated by all who are committed to diversity and inclusion, no matter which political party we may support.

AMS joins with other B Corps to say… we are proud that the American culture has taken another step forward with regard to eliminating prejudice, discrimination and racism.

Read More

Series: What B Corporations do for the world #15

B Corporation logo - AMS FulfillmentIn our weekly B corps series we report on the ‘good for the world’ ideas that are being discussed by various B Corporations. As we know, now is the time when people come up with new year resolutions, and so it comes as no surprise that taking care of one’s personal health is on the mind of B Corps. But how do we do that amidst a pandemic?

The past year has seen so many changes that affected our health habits – persons who previously worked out in the gym could no longer do so; persons who previously would run or walk for fresh air and exercise found themselves restricted. For many, including those who are working from home, an active and healthy lifestyle became more difficult.

AMS warehouse employees are essential to the survival of the US economy and as a result they face exposure every day. In our Safety Blogs we have outlined all of the protections installed and required at AMS, and we are doing well at reducing exposure. Even with all of our protections, our employees have more reason than most to pay attention to personal health and building a strong immune system.

A healthy diet is extremely important and so is supplementing the diet with various nutrients and vitamins. And, although it’s not often discussed, stress can really be detrimental to the immune health. The CDC is offering some very good and comprehensive information on coping with stress, and that information is linked HERE.

The B Corporation articles that we are featuring this week offer tools and ideas on how to develop healthy personal habits in conjunction with ‘good for the world’ business health. We hope you enjoy this week’s articles.

Identify and Commit to Habits That Nourish Your Professional and Personal Lives
Gain Focus and Clarity for 2021 with This Holistic Planning Tool

As we head into 2021, some of the shock, change, and trauma of 2020 is behind us, but uncertainty, ambiguity, and challenge remain significant. Setting goals for how we want to work and live has never been more important, but in this current context, goal setting looks different. It’s more powerful to commit to habits that compose the professional and person you want to be than to pin down specific outcomes for the quarter or year.

And it’s important that these habits speak to both the professional and personal elements of our lives, which are more interconnected and interdependent than ever. To that end, consider what habits you want to build — and/or continue, or stop — throughout all the elements of your work and life this year.

Read the full article HERE.

Action for Good: How Pairing Exercise with B Corp Advocacy Helped Me Get Through 2020

Last summer, I challenged myself to educate family, friends and peers about Ontario’s Certified B Corporation movement. While I already do this in my volunteer role with B Local Ontario (BLO), I was eager to do more through my personal social media. So I took on a experiment to shine a light on Ontario’s 125 B Corps.

I leveraged my favorite social media platform — Strava — to spread the word. With every exercise I recorded, I would feature an Ontario B Corp (name, blurb, and location), and cross-share the activity onto my Instagram stories. So far, I’m happy to say that I’ve been able to shed a meaningful spotlight on 15 B Corps for a wide range of people.

Read the full article HERE.

Read More

Questions and Answers on COVID-19 Vaccines

COVID vaccine logo - AMS FulfillmentWe’ve been waiting and it won’t be long… the COVID-19 vaccines are becoming available. A few weeks ago Pfizer requested emergency use authorization, followed by Moderna. The Food and Drug Administration has approved emergency use of the first COVID-19 vaccine and distribution has begun.

There is a great deal of information on the vaccines available online, and rather than reprint that information, we will provide links at the end of this article and offer a general overview of what our research has gleaned.

Because the initial supply is limited, the Centers for Disease Control is directing the first doses to certain high-risk health care personnel, as well as residents and patients in long-term care facilities. This means, in keeping with CDC recommendations, it is not being offered to the general public as yet.

The list for first distribution is as follows: Healthcare personnel; Workers in essential and critical industries; People at high risk for severe COVID-19 illness due to underlying medical conditions; People 65 years and older.

AMS Fulfillment has not yet heard if our essential workers are included in the early distribution, but we did find the following information in the online documents:

“Workers in essential and critical industries are considered part of America’s critical infrastructure, as defined by the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency. Current data show that many of these workers are at increased risk for getting COVID-19. Early vaccine access is critical not only to protect them but also to maintain the essential services they provide U.S. communities.”

We know that the vaccine is a new one (novel) and it is used to trigger an immune response. As a result, persons receiving the vaccine may have mild side effects. In Phase 3 clinical trials, the most common side effects reported were fatigue, headache, muscle pain and joint pain. These side effects occurred in under 10% of the test subjects and they have been reported to be short lived and happen within the first few days of receiving the vaccine.

Is there anyone who should avoid taking the vaccine? From what we have found, the current CDC recommendation is that if you ever had a severe allergic reaction to an injectable medical product, you shouldn’t get the vaccine. We have also read that there is no data on how the vaccine affects women who are pregnant or lactating, and as a result if you are pregnant or nursing an infant you are advised to wait and take the vaccine later.

We encourage everyone to get vaccinated when they become eligible because it is a key step in saving lives and ending the pandemic. We recognize this is a personal decision, and that people have questions about the vaccine. The following links lead to extensive information from the FDA and CDC. Many questions are answered in these documents and we encourage readers to look through the information and find the answers from the experts.

Find information from the FDA HERE.

Find information from the CDC HERE.

The CDC offers a fact sheet on the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.

Read More

AMS Learning Center adds ‘Wall of Justice’ Mural

Wall Mural - AMS FulfillmentKen Wiseman, AMS’ Chief Workforce Development Officer, offered some inspiring words on the mural installation “This ‘Wall of Justice Mural’ memorializes and reflects our pledge towards Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity. Pause to look at it now and again, as its images and words represent the best of AMS moving forward.”

Across the US, January 18th was designated as the day in which we honor the life of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It was 35 years ago, in 1986, that the first federal holiday honoring Dr. King was held, designated as the first Monday in January. On the MLK holiday, many Americans evaluate the progress we have made as a culture and as a system with regard to racism and discrimination.

At AMS, on MLK Day, employees gained approval to install a very special mural on the wall of the “Advance My Skills” learning center. The learning center was created and equipped several years ago for use in offering free college and trade school classes to all AMS employees, and is a space that employees consider their own.

The AMS Leadership Team made the following announcement: “In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Junior, we are pleased to announce the approval of the “Wall of Justice” mural, which will be put up in the Advanced Learning Center. We hope this mural helps all of us recall the commitment we have made towards Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity.”

The commitment referred to is one made following the AMS March for Change, organized by AMS employees in response to the killing of George Floyd in early June. Following that shocking and painful event, there was a strong desire within the AMS family to do something to bring about change; to bring an end to the racism and race-based prejudice and discrimination so damaging to us all. In a speech to the marchers, Ken Wiseman, AMS’ former CEO and current Chief Workforce Development Officer, spoke about working harder, with a stronger commitment to create opportunities and shed our biases, both conscious and unconscious.

When employees returned to their work locations after the march, they had the commitment of AMS ownership, the executive team and everyone in attendance to achieve even greater diversity goals. Three months later a second meeting with employees was held in which Ken spoke about the ambitious initiatives that AMS has undertaken in order to keep the promises, including: an ongoing Diversity & Inclusion Breakfast, increased learning opportunities, role-playing with employees to confront bias, an up-skill matrix development program, registering career objectives, 90 minute lunch meetings, ‘Share Our Journey’ opportunities, and an Empathy, Respect, Trigger and Action plan.

The Wall of Justice mural contains images of marchers and the following quotes from the signs carried at the March for Change:

    • Some knew the value of education by having it. I knew it’s value by not having it. – Frederick Douglass
    • It is never too late to give up your prejudices. – Henry David Thoreau
    • Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. – Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
    • There was one of two things I had a right to: liberty or death. If I could not have one, I would have the other, for no man should take me alive. – Harriet Tubman
    • Our ability to reach unity in diversity will be the beauty and the test of our civilization. – Mahatma Bandhi
    • Men build too many walls and not enough bridges. – Joseph Fort Newton
    • Hating people because of their color is wrong. And it doesn’t matter which color does the hating. It’s just plain wrong. – Muhammad Ali
    • If the soul is left in darkness, sins will be committed. The guilty one is not he who commits the sin, but he who causes the darkness. – Victor Hugo
    • Harmony creates equality. -Jon Luvelli
Read More

AMS Joins the Meals-On-Wheels Love Run

Senior Concerns - AMS FulfillmentFew things matter more to a culture or community than caring for the senior citizens. This past year has been a time of great challenges for America’s seniors and we are thankful for organizations that have stepped up to meet those challenges. For AMS, Senior Concerns is an organization doing a great work in our community and we not only support them in their fundraising efforts, but we have been personally involved as volunteers as well.

Coming up soon, in February, Senior Concerns is holding a month long virtual event to raise funds in support of their Meals on Wheels program. It’s called the Love Run! In the past the Love Run was not a virtual event, but this year requires an adaptation… a virtual RUN! Participants can run or walk a half marathon, 10K, 5K or One Mile race from wherever they are, any time during the month of February, and then log their time and distance online. They’ll also be able to see how they stack up to the other Love Runners. Click HERE for Love Run info.

This year AMS will team up in the Love Run with David and the Catlin Family at the Gold Sponsor level. David Catlin, one of the founding owners of AMS, along with his wife Linda, has long been involved with Senior Concerns. David served on the Board and he and Linda have dedicated time and energy to the organization out of concern for the Seniors in need in our community.

Senior Concerns is now delivering more than 4,000 meals a week, and their efforts have never been more vital to the lives and well-being of homebound seniors. In addition to freshly prepared, nutritious meals, they are also delivering nonperishable household essentials – things like shelf stable food, hard to find cleaning products, paper goods and personal care items. And, perhaps even more importantly, the team of volunteers who deliver the meals is providing a social connection for homebound seniors.

Meals on Wheels is but one of many quality-of-life programs offered by Senior Concerns. It is a private, non-profit organization that has served the community since 1975. The organization serves with a focus on frail and special-need seniors, caregivers and families. All Senior programs are offered without regard for the ability to pay. Read more about the organization HERE.

Andrea Gallagher, President of Senior Concerns, had this to say about her hopes for the Love Run: “Our Meals on Wheels program has never been more needed than it is now, and our hope is that the virtual Love Run will be embraced by the community. We are grateful to the Catlin family and AMS Fulfillment for participating and for their ongoing support.”

We encourage all readers to join in the February Love Run, and help this outstanding organization continue to serve a vulnerable community. We have all been negatively impacted by COVID-19 this past year, but none more than our Seniors. Click HERE to join and run during the month of February. 

Read More