33. Always Remember That We’re A Family.

Our relationships go deeper than simply being associates at work. We genuinely care for and about each other. Whether it’s a kind word during a tough stretch, a friendly smile each morning, or a helping hand in stressful times, show your compassion.

Marc's Message:

Since 1933, we have implemented hundreds of initiatives and programs. They were all based on good ideas and good intentions. Many have lasted, some have not. When I think about the best of the best, the common theme always seems to center on something related to and concern for our Famous Family.

In 2008, we started our Famous Family Fund. In fact, the logo above that our Marketing Team designed represents the continuous, meaningful, and everlasting bond that our associates (past, present, and future) have with one another. A strong chain held together by common beliefs, decency to help one another when required, and the soft hands and warm heart of tender loving care.

During the process of this thing called life, difficult times can emerge, and having a back stop to catch you and help you and your family is often the best prescription we can offer. Our Famous Family Fund serves two purposes. The first has a hardship component. If an associate (and their family) are having a financial crisis, often through no fault of their own due to a medical condition, or another family situation, financial assistance is available to you through generous donations from our Famous Family Fund. We have an incredible thoughtful and caring committee: Vicki Feola, Lisa Stacks, Elio Andreatta, and Karen Dinehart confidentially assess each unique situation and work with the associate to get them the help they need. This is a fringe benefit that needs to be taxed, so we bonus up the dollar amount; so the taxes are paid by Famous to spare our associates the additional tax burden. The help we provide can include, but is not limited to: utilities, food, rent, and car repairs, to name a few. And if people do not feel comfortable asking for help, other associates can ask the committee anonymously to reach out to the associate in need.

The second aspect to the Famous Family Fund is a book scholarship program where dollars are available to associates or their family members for a portion of their college textbooks. We believe in education and applying the knowledge we learn, so assisting with some dollars for books is another way we can give back to the next generation of lifelong learners.

Our Famous family has always been about compassion, teamwork and being there for one another. In fact, associates can easily donate (by payroll deduction) as little as $1 per pay period (every dollar helps). If you wish to donate, please contact Lisa Stacks (payroll manager), anyone in HR, or see the form on our intranet under the Famous Family Fund page. I’m pleased to say that since the inception of the Famous Family Fund, we have donated just under $100,000 to our associates.

We hope you feel proud to be an important part of our Famous Family and also in knowing that as the company does well, Famous can continue to contribute funds to help our Famous family members when necessary.