Unilever : Leading the fight against hunger in the US

Meet Tina, one of our 2021 Unilever Heroes. Every year, in the Heroes Awards, we recognise a handful of employees who have gone above and beyond their day job. Against the difficulties of the last 12 months, their stories are even more remarkable, bringing help and hope to communities around the world. We are deeply proud of them.

More than 38 million people in the US, including 12 million children, are food insecure - unable to afford enough food for everyone in the household all of the time. These are shocking statistics(Opens in a new window)to come from the world's second-wealthiest nation with a high GDP per capita. And food insecurity has many adverse impacts on human health and childhood development.

"The fight against hunger is more important today than ever and hits too close to home for so many of us. We saw that one in five people turned to the charitable food sector during the pandemic," says Tina Odom who works in Customer Development in Arkansas, US.

But Tina is not someone to stand back and watch poverty destroy lives. It is part of her mindset to take action. "I'm the sort of person who is always on the go, always moving," she says. "If I don't have a huge to-do list then something's wrong!"

Fight Hunger, Spark Change

As Shopper Marketing Team Lead, she is in regular contact with supermarket chain Walmart. When Walmart set up its Fight Hunger, Spark Change campaign in partnership with the hunger relief organisation Feeding America, Tina saw a role for Unilever.

Three Unilever brands, Hellmann's, Lipton and Knorr, agreed to make a 10 cent donation to Feeding America for every Unilever product purchased at Walmart. This donation programme was rolled out in 3,000 Walmart stores across America, with the donations remaining within the state where they were made. This meant the impact was felt right there in the community, a kind of support that local foodbanks have greatly appreciated.

The Fight Hunger, Spark Change campaign has seen big results and led to 9 million meals being directly donated by Unilever.

A number of foodbanks have written to Unilever to register their thanks. Tina is determined to continue growing our contribution to Feeding America and insists that it is very much a team effort. "I have the privilege to co-ordinate our efforts but it takes a team - it takes all of us - to pull it together," she says. "We strive to see how much bigger we can make it every year."

Partnering with Mercy Hospital

In the local town of Rogers in Arkansas, where the Unilever site is located, the company partners with Mercy Hospital. Healthcare staff at the hospital - like medics and nurses all around the world - have experienced tough times during the Covid pandemic, often eating, living and showering at the hospital.

To thank the medical staff for their selfless work during the pandemic, Tina led efforts to offer 800 meals to hospital workers and send hand-written 'thank you' notes to each healthcare worker,together with free ice cream. On another occasion, a Lipton tea bar was set up in the morning to provide staff with a cup of tea before work, and gift bags containing personal care items were on offer.

Unilever volunteers at Mercy Hospital during an event to provide healthcare workers with free meals

Unilever sourced the meals from a local caterer, who was feeling the downturn in business. Tina's approach was one of "let us help you, you help us", and it turned into a win-win for both sides.

Medics at Mercy Hospital queuing up to receive Unilever gift bags

U Rally - an initiative to boost employee morale

The U Rally team was formed at the Rogers site in 2020. The very real threat of Covid and the isolation of working from home had led to a general sense of dejection, and spirits needed to be rallied. "I jumped at the chance of leading the team," says Tina. "We came up with the name U Rally - we wanted to be the Unilever rally team and let people know that they were appreciated."

The team put together a series of virtual events in order to raise spirits. They included delivering meals to employees' homes - once again procured from the local caterer who was going through a difficult period - so that people could eat together virtually. "We rallied around food, we rallied around having some laughter," Tina recalls.

How does she find the time for all activities in addition to her day job? "When something is important to you, you will find the time," she insists. "It doesn't even feel like work - it becomes your passion."