Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

UniFirst Sends U.S. Soldiers Packages Containing Hard-to-Get Supplies

Jun 4, 2012 5:15 PM ET

UniFirst Senior Vice President Michael Croatti (right) and 15 company employees enrolled in the UniFirst Management Institute (UMI) packed food and toiletry items for a U.S. Marine Corp. unit in Afghanistan which had been attacked by a suicide bomber, resulting in the loss of their personal supplies. (UniFirst Photo). (PRNewsFoto/UniFirst Corporation)

WILMINGTON, Mass., June 4, 2012 / 3BL Media / PRNewswire/ -- A U.S. Marine Corps unit in Afghanistan will be receiving a seven-foot-high pallet of "care packages" courtesy of a "Thanks from Home" program created by a group of UniFirst employees working in partnership with MooreMart, a nonprofit organization in New Hampshire that provides much needed, hard-to-get supplies to U.S. soldiers serving in the Middle East.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120604/NE18098)

The packages contain snack foods, games, toiletries and clothing donated by employees of UniFirst Corporation, a leading supplier of uniforms and workwear to businesses throughout the U.S. and Canada. The marines receiving the packages are members of a quick reaction, expeditionary unit that was recently attacked by a suicide bomber, resulting in the loss of all personal supplies. Thankfully, no marines suffered injuries or casualties.

The "Thanks from Home" program was championed by UniFirst Senior Vice President Michael Croatti and 15 employees enrolled in the UniFirst Management Institute (UMI), a yearlong, training program that prepares participants for managerial positions within the company.

"While discussing leadership and operational skills in class, we noted how our military soldiers are prime examples of individuals possessing many of the key management attributes we look for at UniFirst," Croatti said. "And that discussion led to the creation of our 'Thanks from Home' program, which is just a small way of showing our soldiers we appreciate all they do."

Once announced to UniFirst's facilities nationwide, the program quickly gained widespread support throughout the company and, in short order, dozens of large boxes filled with various donations arrived at the company's corporate headquarters in Wilmington, Massachusetts. The members of the UMI class then sorted and packed 125 boxes of donated goods for the soldiers.

"Thanks to the outpouring of generosity from our employee Team Partners across the country, we received about 10 times the donations we could actually use for the MooreMart program," Croatti said. "We're sending the surplus goods to a New Hampshire National Guard Armory for distribution to other soldiers serving in the Middle East."

About UniFirst

UniFirst (NYSE: UNF), a North American leader in the supply and servicing of uniforms, workwear, and protective clothing, outfits more than 1.5 million workers each business day. UniFirst also offers Facility Service programs including floor mats, mops, and restroom products. For more information, contact UniFirst at (800) 455-7654 or visit http://www.unifirst.com.