To celebrate the completion of young people’s summer employment through Houston Hire Youth and the local launch of the ServiceWorks program, Volunteer Houston, Points of Light, the City of Houston and the Houston Independent School District are pleased to announce a ServiceWorks Skill-Building Bootcamp on August 6, 2016 from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm at Carnegie Vanguard High School.

This high-energy, immersive experience for 150+ Houston-area young adults between the ages of 16 – 24, will give participants an introduction to how service can be a next step on their pathway to college and career, while inspiring young people to become agents for change in their own communities.

We use only the minimum amount of packaging to ship our products, making sure we’re not sacrificing customer service or product protection (Don’t you hate when you order a sweater and it comes engulfed in plastic inside a box big enough for child to play in?). We work with UPS to figure out the best package size for each of our bags. We’ve also worked with their logistics folks on ways to lower our carbon footprint. In the process, we were introduced to two UPS sustainability programs – UPS Carbon Neutral Shipping and Certified Green Packaging – that are helping us ship more responsibly.

Sodexo, world leader in Quality of Life Services, has been recognized by the United Way with the 2016 Community Volunteer Excellence Award, Outstanding Corporate Group Category for the company’s work impacting the community. The Christian Service Center for Central Florida (CSC) nominated Sodexo for the award, highlighting the commitment from the company’s volunteers to not only support CSC programs, but for continually seeking opportunities to leverage and contribute their expertise in other areas.

Mariada has taught chemistry, biology and earth science since 1981, and currently works in Rome – where she also participated in an intensive Amgen Teach workshop earlier this year. Her objective was to learn how best to apply inquiry-based techniques to students between 16 and 18. "Amgen Teach enhanced my confidence and ability to use inquiry-based teaching," she shared.

On August 3, I was honored to watch as the 10 finalists of the Living Progress Challenge gathered on stage at the New Lab venue in New York, and pitched their prototypes for digital solutions to accelerate social good.

Performance with Purpose (PwP) is PepsiCo's sustainability vision focused on transforming our product portfolio to include more nutritious food and beverage options; protecting our planet and improving the way food is made by conserving water, shrinking our environmental footprint and promoting sustainable agriculture; and enriching the lives of people around the world through investments in skills training, community development and other important social programs.