“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” — Winston Churchill

Lone Star's Culture of Giving

By Chris Jones

The holidays are often referred to as a "season of giving." It is safe to say that at Lone Star, we are more than a culture of caring. We truly exemplify a "culture of giving." Caring is a feeling. A good feeling! But giving is taking action on that feeling. And not just during the holidays. The people of Lone Star have a long history of taking action when and where the needs arise or worthy causes present themselves. Giving has become an essential element in our company ecosystem. For the December "holiday" edition of the Lone Star Review, we thought it would be interesting to explore our history of giving and some of the charities we support.

Military Charities

With so many employees having military backgrounds, it makes sense that we support a number of military charities. But how did we land on the charities we've chosen? Our chairman Steve Roemerman states, "The military charities we support have largely been selected by our subject matter experts (SMEs) over the years. They have provided great coaching for charities that are aligned with the needs of veterans and military families. They helped guide us to the Army Emergency Relief, the Air Force Aid Society, the Semper Fi Fund, and the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society." 

Soldier's Angels is a new charity for us this year. We wanted something employees could support with volunteer help, money, or both. 

Taylor Williams, HR Generalist, gives a little background on our relationship with Soldiers Angels. "This charity is one of the largest volunteer-centered organizations dedicated to supporting our troops, veterans, and families. The military veteran-focused non-profit was started in 2003 by a mother of a soldier deployed in Iraq. She and her friends organized and began sending care packages to his platoon, and then it blossomed from there. 

Their mission is: May no soldier go unloved, May no soldier walk alone, May no soldier be forgotten, Until they all come home.

This year with the Soldier's Angels Blanket Event, Lone Star employees made 36 no-sew blankets given to veterans currently in the VA hospitals. Lone Star ultimately made 36 blankets that will be distributed to veterans presently in VA hospitals." Lone Star employees didn't stop there. We also raised money for care packages to deployed service members and sent a $1200 check combining employee donations and LSA-matched funds.

Dallas Metro

Dallas Metro (https://youtu.be/rsAJ6fo5Iwg) is a non-military related organization we have supported for a number of years. They provide help centered on kids in under-served neighborhoods and schools in our region. Over the years, they have helped around 60,000 families in the Dallas area. About 20,000 kids in at-risk schools got better grades thanks to this charity, and about 5,000 high schoolers graduated thanks to the encouragement and support of Metro. 

This year has been very challenging for vulnerable kids and families, so demands for Metro's services have been great. They have helped address food security needs and social isolation issues, and we helped with that. We hosted a catered BBQ lunch, with proceeds going to Metro. They used those funds to buy two BBQ rigs, which they have taken to various neighborhoods, providing both food and open-air community gatherings. 

We also recently sent two foursomes to play in the Dallas Metro charity golf tournament. Every team was a winner at the outing. Which is a polite way of saying neither of our foursomes won the actual golf tournament. Or even came close.

Additionally, out of 100 plus employees at Lone Star, more than half donated their $20 Thanksgiving Perfect Feast vouchers to Dallas Metro to help feed inner-city families during the holiday season.  

When the Needs Arise

Not only do we honor these not-for-profits on a company level, but we also help our coworkers in need of a helping hand. HR Director Rita King talks about a colleague's hometown being hit by a tornado, and Lone Star employees loaded his truck with supplies, after which he and his son drove them up and distributed the supplies to some of the hardest-hit areas, which shows the level of care our people possess innately.

Talking with another of our employees demonstrates Lone Star's level of commitment to our community and each other. Sitting down with Jeff Waldrop, he told me about his wife Deb had surgery on her carotid artery. A few days after surgery, due to the increased blood flow to the brain, she suffered a stroke caused by a brain bleed. This left her with no function in the left side of her body.

During recovery, Jeff and Deb found the Adaptive Training Foundation (ATF), (https://www.adaptivetrainingfoundation.org/), which also works with wounded veterans. Lone Star caught wind of what was going on and engaged with the charity, which had not even been on the company's radar. Jeff goes on to say, "I heard that this charity was going to be featured for that years' Christmas party and thought it was just a coincidence. Then I found out it was solely because Deb was going to ATF!" Jeff also mentioned that a member of our executive team grabbed her pedicure go-bag and dropped in to give Deb a pedicure. This story is one of the many that shows how Lone Star employees take care of each other.

Our VP of Finance, Nancy Nelson, mentioned, "Every time I've seen a need brought before our coworkers; they have immediately jumped in to help. Some of the most fun times have been when folks get a little competitive on who can give the most!" Nancy adds, "Lone Star strives to help where the need is near and dear to the hearts of our people." Nancy cites several examples of charities important to employees, "We donated to the UT Southwestern Medical Center Heart Transplant Program in memory of one of our legacy shareholders. Then we donated to the Boss Club Foundation's Summer Internship program https://www.bossclubfoundation.org. We also donated to Tech Titans STEM Partnership fund www.techtitans.org/stem/." 

These are but a few examples of our giving and caring culture throughout the organization. Many of our employees also give generously of their time and talent to help others in need. Corporate outreaches are an outflow of our folk's big hearts. Here is a list of some of the charities Lone Star currently supports:

Army Emergency Relief was founded in 1942 by Secretary of War Henry Stimson and Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Marshall. Charged with relieving undue financial stress on the force, AER serves the Secretary and Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army's enduring priorities. Since 1942 AER has provided $2B to nearly 4 million soldiers, including $1B since 9/11. Through zero-interest loans, grants, and educational scholarships, AER ensures no Soldier faces financial hardship on their own.

Soldiers' Angels' mission is to provide aid, comfort, and resources to the military, veterans, and their families. Soldiers' Angels' vision is for military, wounded military, veterans, and their families to have access to needed community resources and support.

Air Force Aid Society is the official charity of the U.S. Air Force and has been meeting Airmen and their families' unique needs since 1942. AFAS works to support and enhance the USAF mission by providing emergency financial assistance, educational support, and community programs. Our mission is to support Airmen and enhance the Air Force mission by relieving emergency financial distress, helping Airmen's families achieve their educational goals, and improving their quality of life through proactive programs.

In 1988, Founders and Directors Clay and Barbara Wallace began operating five buses in a local church in Dallas. In 1993, with one converted moving truck, Clay, Barbara, and their team of volunteers began ministering to over a thousand children every week. As they encountered needs in the community, they developed programs to address those needs. A youth program, a church, a weekly found distribution program, summer camp, and holiday giveaways all formed due to spending time ministering to children. We are committed to the communities we serve. The children and their families depend on us to show up every single week. Every child we encounter deserves to have hope. Through the program of Dallas Metro, we bring hope and vision to the inner-city. 

Semper Fi & America's Fund is one of America's highest-rated charities. We are dedicated to providing urgently needed resources and support for combat wounded, critically ill, and catastrophically injured members of the U.S. Armed Forces and their families.