Last fall, we challenged Milliken associates to take part in our annual Corporate Impact Campaign, a campaign designed to offer meaningful ways to support our local Spartanburg community through four Strategic Community Impact Organizations. All four organizations have missions aligning with Milliken & Company’s core values of vibrant culture, health and safety, and quality education, and each associate could direct donations to the organization he or she identified with most.
We’re humbled how our associates responded to the call in a big way – giving more than $250,000, which then was matched by the Milliken Foundation for a grand total exceeding $500,000. That total is the highest amount collected by Milliken’s annual philanthropic campaign in more than a decade.
Time and again, our associates amaze us with their willingness to ‘do good’ – in the workplace and in the community. The success of our 2016 annual campaign is no different, and it is with pride we share how our associates’ charitable efforts are impacting the community as we speak.
Northside Development Group
Funds from Milliken associates are being invested in the creation of the Butterfly Creek and linear park, as part of the Northside’s transformation. These funds are helping to ‘daylight,’ or reopen and improve, a creek that has been paved over and covered with vegetation for decades. Part of the ‘daylighting’ process will include creating a linear park adjacent to the current Harvest Park, as well as adding a greenway to complement the redeveloping area.
Partners for Active Living
Milliken’s funds are helping Partners for Active Living implement amenities offered as part of the Pine Street Park on the Mary Black Foundation Rail Trail. These include a tree house park, mountain biking trails, NFL Play 60 obstacle/adventure playground, and Rail Trail restroom facilities.
Spartanburg Academic Movement
With Milliken’s commitment, Spartanburg Academic Movement (SAM) assembled a comprehensive data array, enabling educators to look at a full picture of county-wide achievement among students and to focus efforts on research and development opportunities. This information led to the creation of six collaborative action networks: kindergarten readiness, third grade reading, eight grade math, high school graduation, post-secondary enrollment, and post-secondary persistence and completion.
United Way of the Piedmont
A longtime Milliken partner, United Way of the Piedmont invested Milliken associate donations in the Financial Stability Task Force. This task force supports efforts to break the cycle of poverty by ensuring families have the skills and assets needed for long-term success and self-sufficiency. The mission is to move 2,000 families in 2,000 days to self-sufficiency. During the first year, with Milliken’s support, United Way worked on two main barriers to self-sufficiency: Affordable Housing and Coaching/Mentoring for adults.
Through our steadfast commitment to being good stewards of our community, we are proud to see our ‘do good’ spirit doing good right here at home. Our associates’ generosity inspired us throughout 2016, and we look forward to seeing what that generosity enables in our next annual campaign for 2017.
