Submitted by: Schelley Roessler, General Manager My name is Schelley Roessler and I’m 38 years old. I’m a wife of 12 years and a proud mom of Callie, 10 and Camden, 9. In August 2010 my life was turned upside down for me and my family. I have always had health problems, but never did I think the worst of it would start at age 29. I had my daughter and son only 14 months apart. I had terrible pregnancies and my doctor thought that having children in a closer year span would help with my endometriosis after having children. However, …
Submitted by: Frankie Tijerina, Product Marketing Manager Life is short. A dog’s life is even shorter. Why not fill it with kindness? For those of you that know me, and my devout love for dogs, it’s probably no surprise that I would jump at the chance to volunteer at an animal shelter. I grew up around dogs and developed a deep passion for these incredible animals. It’s not unusual to see me running down the street to pet a dog. You know that ‘Me When I See Dogs’ meme? Yep – that’s me! And I have no shame. I’m completely …
Submitted by: Amira Mccall, Summer Intern The cost for Back-to-School supplies ranges close to $200.00 for high school and middle school students, and those supplies will hopefully make it through the first semester. Most teenagers and parents have plenty of things on their mind other than having enough money to buy school supplies, such as family, bills, and general life problems. Which makes it hard to start the school year off right. Donating school supplies will help take at least one worry away for these students. School supplies are needed all across the nation, starting in August and even year-round, …
Submitted By: Brandon Guffee, Lead Business Analyst January 5, 2018 was a normal Friday, much like any other. I was excited to get off work and start another great weekend. January 6, 2018 started out as typical Saturday. My wife and I loaded up our ATVs and headed out for some trail riding. This time we decided to check out a new trail, Rocky Ridge Ranch near Decatur, TX. After a few hours of riding, my wife and I decided we were not enjoying the trail, so we packed up and headed home. At some point between Decatur and Denton, …
Submitted by: Gwen Bulington, Director of Regulatory Operations “… has earned grateful appreciation for your own unselfish, faithful and devoted service. Your unfailing support and understanding helped to make possible your spouse’s lasting contribution to the Nation.” -General, United States Army Chief of Staff A quote from the Certificate of Appreciation that is proudly displayed in my home alongside my husband’s Certificate of Retirement memorializing twenty years of service in the United States Army. Words of which I could not have put together better myself. My husband served as a Cavalry Scout prior to and at the onset of the …
Submitted by: Jennifer Mitton, General Manager Autism is a developmental disability that affects how a person communicates with and relates to people. It also affects how they make sense of the things around them. It is a spectrum condition, which means, while all people with autism share certain difficulties, their condition will affect them in different ways. Autism doesn’t come with a manual. It comes with a parent who never gives up being the voice for their child. My son Robert was 6 years old when he was diagnosed with being on the spectrum. He is considered high functioning and …
Submitted by: Amy Kremitzki, General Manager My daughter, Abbygail Jean, blessed my life with her presence December 27th, 2002. Things were not “smooth” for her arrival. I was very ill and she was very early. My little bundle entered my life without oxygen for the first several precious seconds of her life and they are not sure how long she was without oxygen before she arrived. Doctors were also not sure to what extent this would affect her. She was initially diagnosed with Static Encephalopathy. Which means that the brain function is abnormal and it interferes with learning, development, and …
Submitted by: Theresa Doran, Sr. Director Enterprise PMO – Operations
April 12, 2019 marks an important day, National Donate Life Month. Organ donation is something I’d thought of in passing, but never truly stopped to understand the impact it makes on so many lives until I was faced with my sister’s illness. In 2008, my sister, Dina, was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease. Her immune system was mistakenly attacking her body affecting her liver and bile ducts. Over the years as her condition worsened, she tried every treatment plan possible including experimental treatments. To date, none of the treatment plans have been a successful. Today, Dina is in the end-stage …
Submitted by: Maggie Yarbrough, Social Media and PR Strategist Throughout the month of February, we held our first Company-wide Warm Winter Clothing Drive. The clothing donated consisted of new and gently used blankets, coats, sweatshirts, hats, gloves, mittens, boots, and scarves. Thanks to the generous support of our customers, communities, and team members – we collected 11,925 items of clothing, totaling $111,895, and impacting around 549 charities. Our team really came together to make this initiative a huge success! Stores across the country held separate winter clothing drives for many years, which is why we decided it was time to …
Submitted by: Jason Broce, Director of Human Resources and Colon Cancer Survivor Some say, “growing older is a privilege denied to many”. Like many quotes of wisdom, this is one that I have come to understand, yet never fully embraced until a couple of years ago. I’ve always been an advocate of my own health. As a boy, I remember watching my Dad running, lifting weights, and hanging from his biceps, and I wanted to be strong like him. Aside from a few years in college, I’ve always deliberately watched what I ate and maintained a regular exercise routine. With …
