It seems like a lot of big companies today talk the talk… and it’s no wonder when you think about how easy it is with all the Tweeting, posting to Facebook and blogging going on in our world. But how many companies really back up all the talk and actually walk the walk? Maybe it’s just me, but it’s hard to sort through all the corporate do-gooder chatter and figure out what’s real and then even harder to do something besides just listen to it.
I’m lucky that working at Pepsi I get to see firsthand that it’s not all smoke and mirrors and that I can get involved. The people here are seriously committed to making a difference by leveraging PepsiCo’s status as one of the biggest food and beverage companies in the world. I am proud to tell people where I work and proud that PepsiCo recognizes that all of us have the power to do real, local, everyday good and can start doing it now.
Even if I don’t have time everyday to clean up a park, plant a community garden or help kids learn a second language, I do have time to go to refresheverything.com each morning and vote to help the people who are doing these things get funding that enables them to continue. Relatively speaking, it’s a little thing – clicking some links, but it’s changing people’s lives for the better which makes me feel good.
The PepsiCo Dream Machine is another project that launched this year that’s easy to get excited about. Recently, a Dream Machine was installed in my office in Somers, which has made recycling on the go easier and takes doing good to a whole new level. Every time I scan my card and toss in my empties, I earn points that can be redeemed online for discounts and cool stuff or that I can donate to various charities. The benefits of the PepsiCo Dream Machine don’t end there. When I use the Dream Machine, I know that every bottle of water I drink not only won’t end up in a landfill, but that PepsiCo will donate some of the proceeds to the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities and that I can donate my points to the Humane Society to help the lovable dogs there who are in need of a home.
So I guess what I’m getting at is…yeah – there’s a lot of noise out there, but there’s a lot of really cool, good stuff in the noise. I’m happy I work at a company that seriously walks the walk…like those crazy power-walkers with the elbows flying – that’s how I think of PepsiCo!
