Submitted by: Hanh Vo, Manager of Investor Relations & Financial Reporting
Last month, our world turned upside down. As the coronavirus (COVID-19) spread like wildfire throughout America, states began shutting down. Everyone was on lockdown; we still are. This worldwide pandemic has affected everyone in some way, whether it be losing a job, a loved one battling the disease, or finding essentials scarce on grocery store shelves. As the situation changed, so did the Centers for Disease Control’s recommendations. First, it was simply wash your hands, practice shielding coughs and sneezes, and clean and disinfect surfaces frequently to prevent the spread of illnesses like the coronavirus. As weeks progressed, the recommendations …
Do you remember riding a bike? Close your eyes and imagine it. Can you feel the wind in your face, the sunlight on your skin and the freedom of being on the open road or racing through a nature trail? You can mount a bike, put on a helmet, and hit the ground peddling, but some people can’t. Think about your grandmother who loved riding a bike as a child or a friend you know with a physical disability. Chances are, they can’t easily ride a bike. After watching a video of European volunteers cycling the elderly, disabled, and sick …
Submitted by: Maggie Yarbrough, Social Media and PR Strategist
October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, an annual campaign to increase awareness of the disease. Join us in the cause to help men and women by making yourself aware and sharing the potential symptoms, risk factors, and preventions! Signs and systems of breast cancer include: A breast lump or thickening that feels different from the surrounding tissue Change in the size, shape, or appearance of a breast Changes to the skin over the breast, such as dimpling A newly inverted nipple Peeling, scaling, crusting, or flaking of the pigmented area of skin surrounding the nipple or breast skin Redness or …
Submitted by: Bridget Moody, General Manager
*Content may be upsetting to some. Please read with caution. I opened a can of biscuits, all by myself!! Doesn’t sound like a big accomplishment, does it? To almost 8 million Americans, that simple task could have meant DAYS in the protection of a dark room on high alert. Seems crazy, right? My name is Bridget and I live with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). Here’s my story and what I want the world to know… I am a survivor. Make no mistakes, I spent 23 years as a victim living in disgrace, ashamed of what I had been through, …
Submitted by: Michael Burger, General Manager
Pride is defined by Dictionary.com as confidence and self-respect as expressed by members of a group, typically one that has been socially marginalized, on the basis of their shared identity, culture, and experience. Pride to me is a sense of freedom and expression, much like our constitutional right and first amendment: Freedom of Speech. It took me some time to understand the power of pride, being that I “came out” at the age of 16. However, after experiencing my first Pride Parade that same year, it really hit home. These people, my people, celebrating all day and night about Love. …
Submitted by: Leslie Bowmen, Sr. Director of Business Operations
Isn’t it interesting how there are moments in your life when everything around that time period is a blur, but a big event happens and 10 to 20 years later you can remember that day with such clarity as if it had happened yesterday?! This was one of those moments for me. I thought it was just going to be another Sunday afternoon followed by our usual Sunday family dinner. I often came back to my parent house on Sunday’s when I was in college to have a good meal and the comforts of home. This Sunday was going to …
Submitted by: Jada Gaines, Litigation Paralegal
Everyone’s scars tell a story, what do yours say about you? For those of you that know me, wearing kimonos and cardigans have become a part of my daily routine. To many, it is viewed as a fashion trend, but it serves a more important purpose to me. In an effort to protect my skin from the sun and certain building lights, these pieces of clothing are critical to my health. I would have never expected roughly four years after I lost a close friend to her fight against Lupus, that I would find myself admitted into a hospital with …
Submitted by: Nikki Burns, General Manager I had my first mammogram 2-14-18. I giggled to myself on the way there thinking that now I was officially old since I needed this done. It stopped being funny when I was called back for more images and told I needed a biopsy. 2 days after my biopsy, my results were in and I was asked to come to the doctor’s office. No one gets called to the office for good results. My boyfriend came with me. I didn’t ask him to come, he just told me he was going. He knows me …
Submitted by: Misty Spooner, General Manager *Content may be upsetting to some. Please read with caution. Domestic Violence used to be a topic that no one wanted to talk about or face. Thankfully, over the years it is now getting the attention it deserves. My story began when I started dating a guy whom I had previously dated in high school in October of 2004. Prior to dating him, I had lost my first husband to suicide and I was not emotionally stable or ready to be in another relationship, especially the kind I was about to find myself in. …
Submitted by: Misty Edwards, Senior Treasury Analyst On March 15, 2015, Misty Edwards, Senior Treasury Analyst for the TMX Finance Family of Companies, received news that would turn her and her family’s life upside down. She had to hear four of the scariest words no parent ever wants to hear – “Your son has cancer.” Misty had taken her son Cole to the doctor for what she thought was just a cold. However, the doctor immediately sent Cole for testing and that’s when everything changed. “Hearing that your 19-month old son has cancer was beyond anything I could have imagined. Then …
