NAMI is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of American’s that are affected by mental illness. The organization advocates for access to services, treatment, support and research and is steadfast in its commitment to raising awareness and building a community of hope for all of those that are in need. Visit NAMI Nebraska’s website for more information.

I began volunteering to be able to spread the word and create awareness of mental illness. Volunteering for the fire department along with my wife working for the Sarpy County Sheriff’s Department has exposed me to people who have been affected by mental illness in one way or another. This instilled in me a want to participate in and become involved with NAMI. It is often a disorder that is missed and many people can benefit from the services that NAMI has to offer.

Each year, C&A recruits employees, family, and friends to participate in the Nebraska NAMI Walk, held in June. Countless amounts of volunteer time go into organizing and putting together different NAMI fundraising events for our company. C&A’s NAMI Committee holds bi-weekly meetings to discuss fundraising efforts and ways to create enjoyable activities for employees to participate in. A few examples of our fundraising events include; breakfasts, cupcake wars, jeans days, and barbecue hosted by a nationally known BBQ team located here in Omaha (one of the team members also happens to work for C&A!). Thanks to the generosity of our employees and others, our company team is on target to meet our goal of raising $5,000!

The need for volunteering is greater now than ever throughout the Omaha community and the nation. I would highly encourage anyone who has spare time to step up to the plate and volunteer for the many different organizations that desperately could use your help to keep their operations up and running.

The 2012 NAMIWalks Nebraska will be held Saturday, June 9th at Turner Park in Midtown Crossing, Omaha. Learn more about how you can walk with the C&A Team and support this great cause!
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Lee Kortus has been with C&A Industries for five years. He currently serves as a Team Lead in the Cardiopulmonary division of Aureus Medical Group, an affiliate of C&A. Lee and his wife, Michaela, have been married for almost three years and will be celebrating their daughter’s 1st birthday in June. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family and friends, as well as visiting the zoo and children’s museum. Lee volunteers with the LaVista, Nebraska Volunteer Fire Department.

Twenty-two employees from across C&A participated in a fierce Cupcake Wars competition to determine who could create the best tasting and best looking cupcake confection. Entries were judged on presentation, originality, and taste on a scale from 1 to 10 with the three top highest scorers receiving prizes.

Congrats to (1st) Keisha in Aureus Allied Health (“It’s 5 o’clock Somewhere Margaritas”); (2nd) Jennifer in Marketing (“Over the Rainbow”); (3rd) Rebecca in Aureus Nursing (“Chocolate Chip Surprise”)!

In conjunction with the competition, more than 400 cupcakes, donated by C&A employees and local bakeries, CuppyCakes and TaylorCakes, were sold within our Omaha offices and generated funds for the upcoming 2012 NAMIWalk.

C&A is the Presenting Sponsor for the annual walk, to be held Saturday, June 9th at Turner Park in Omaha. The event is the major fundraiser for the Nebraska chapter of NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness).

Want to walk with the C&A team? Click here to sign up!

This is the fourth year in a row that C&A has received Best Places to Work distinction in the category of companies with more than 200 employees. And let me tell you, it feels great. I’m not one to get all “braggy”, but four years? That says something. And to celebrate our “4-Peat” (do people even say ‘4-peat’), senior management distributed cookies while they thanked each of us individually for being a part of the company’s success.

One of the best things about being on the “Best” list is knowing that my co-workers were involved in the process. So, it’s not like an outside entity was judging our company with only surface-level knowledge about what it’s like to work here, but rather our own team members took part in a confidential survey and were able to be candid about C&A as an employer. I don’t know about you, but generally I like sharing my opinions so when I’m asked, I’m happy to participate.

I’ve always felt good about telling my friends and acquaintances where I work. And I’ve referred friends, too – one of them starts his new job here next week. When I mention C&A, some recognize our big building off the Dodge Expressway in West Omaha. Others have seen our name associated with various community events. And of course others know of C&A as one of the Best Places to Work. Me? I just know that I love coming to work each day, that I feel valued, and that what I do means something.

The other perks of working here – great Wellness program, summer events, family outings, first rate training, and lunches with our CEO? Those are nice, too.

Omaha’s annual Best Places to Work initiative is sponsored by the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce and Baird Holm.
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Mary Carrick is a Sr. Communications Specialist with C&A, Industries. In her role, she’s responsible for crafting spot-on copy for internal and external audiences, coordinating public relations efforts, co-producing videos, and various other special projects. Outside of her career at C&A, she’s a professional singer, an actress, and a mom.

Giving is a remarkable thing and gosh, if feels good.

One of the great things about working at C&A is the giving spirit that permeates our workplace throughout the year.

Our most widespread effort is AurElves, an annual C&A tradition. During the month of December, teams and departments across the company, including our regional offices, worked together to fulfill needs, instill hope, spread cheer, and just lend a hand. Together, we reached hundreds of families, children, seniors, and men & women of all ages. It’s hard to find words to explain the spirit and energy present at C&A during this time, other than “extraordinary.”

One team held a holiday concert and purchased gifts for the residents of Maple Crest Nursing Home. Another donated thousands of diapers to Lydia House, one of our local shelters for women and children. Other departments sent cards to troops overseas; volunteered time at outreach centers, the Salvation Army Toyland, The Food Bank for the Heartland, and Open Door Mission; served meals; and purchased supplies for the Ronald McDonald House, Ted E. Bear Hollow, and Rainbow House. And, of course, many teams adopted families through organizations such as the Salvation Army, Angels Among Us, the Visiting Nurses Association, and WCA, among many other acts of kindness and generosity.

Now that we’re full throttle into 2012, I know there are activities on the horizon and more ways that C&A employees can make a difference outside of our workspaces, such as the NAMIWalks in June, which raises funds for the Nebraska chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, and other events. In fact, our NAMI Committee is already busy coming up with a slate of fun ideas that will get our co-workers involved and energized.

Stay tuned for these accounts. The year has just begun!

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Mary Carrick is a Sr. Communications Specialist with C&A, Industries. In her role, she’s responsible for crafting spot-on copy for internal and external audiences, coordinating public relations efforts, co-producing videos, and various other special projects. Outside of her career at C&A, she’s a professional singer, an actress, and a mom.

During the event, we also watched a video that highlighted the many ways C&A employees give back to the community. Working at a place that encourages this is an added bonus to being a member of the C&A team.
C&A employees have opportunities to give back year round but especially around the Holidays.

Some of the organizations that benefited from our employees contributions last year were: The Food Bank for the Heartland, Lydia House, Cooper Village, and Open Door Mission just to name a few. Seeing your co-workers giving back and creating strong ties in the community gives you some insight into what they are passionate about outside of work.

We recently kicked off our annual United Way Campaign and a company wide food drive benefiting the Food Bank of the Heartland. In the Human Resources and Benefits Departments we also typically help out with the Salvation Army’s intake for their Holiday programs as well as donating to Ted E. Bear Hollow.

Suffice to say, the giving spirit is alive here at C&A. And it’s great to be a part of it.

Being an artsy, music person, imagine how jazzed I was when I found out that C&A was a sponsor of Jazz on the Green, one of the hip and happening spots to enjoy some hot fun in the summertime. 

And – with glee – not only were we a sponsor, but C&A was going to make one of the dates a family affair, line up a reserved area on the lawn, and spring for dinner onsite.

I decided to bring my two year-old with me and make it a mother-son outing.  And the temps cooperated and dipped below 90.  Boy, this summer has been a scorcher. 

Employees, their families, and guests began arriving around 5:30 p.m., straight from work.  We enjoyed sandwiches and munchies on the lawn, mingled with each other, and took in the scene.

The featured entertainer, Steve Raybine and his band, began at 7:00.  You could really sense a cool vibe and the feeling of community out there on the lawn as newbies mixed with veteran attendees. 

Despite a light shower, the spirit certainly wasn’t dampened.  It was a fun place to be.  And great to know that C&A was a part of it. 

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Mary Carrick is a Sr. Communications Specialist with C&A, Industries.  In her role, she’s responsible for crafting spot-on copy for internal and external audiences, coordinating public relations efforts, co-producing videos, and various other special projects.  Outside of her career at C&A, she’s a professional singer, an actress, and a mom.

Over 20 people walked with the C&A team, raising nearly $5,300 for the cause!  And C&A was honored to be at the front of the line, leading the walk with our “Knock Out The Stigma” t-shirts.

A big thank you goes to the C&A employees who either participated in the event or contributed in some way to this great and very worthy cause. Overall, the NAMI Walk raised over $54,000! We are proud to have been a part of it.