Hope in Action: 2024 Red Tab Foundation Impact Report

2024 was a tough year for Levi’s® senior stylist Siti Fadillah. A single mother of a daughter with epilepsy, Siti found herself needing a helping hand as she was juggling household bills with her daughter’s medical treatments and prescriptions.

“When my daughter had to go through both a heart scan and a brain scan at once, and with so many things to pay off, I just couldn’t do it all,” Siti shared.

That’s when she turned to the Red Tab Foundation (RTF). For over four decades, RTF has offered support, financial security and hope to the Levi Strauss & Co. community, assisting with more than 33,000 hardships since the foundation’s inception. Thanks to the foundation’s help, Siti was able to pay off her bills.

“It took me a lot of courage to apply to the Red Tab Foundation for help, but I’m so glad that I did,” she said. “Knowing that there are people out there who want to give what they have to help people like me, it means a lot. I just know now that I’m not alone.”

Siti is just one of the many grantees who received financial support from RTF last year and whose story is highlighted in the foundation’s 2024 Impact Report.

In fiscal year 2024 alone, the foundation gave out $2.8 million in support and responded to nearly 2,000 hardships. From purchasing schoolbooks for manufacturing employees to providing individualized support for housing crises, RTF ensured LS&Co. communities around the world were supported through hardships of all kinds. They also expanded access to their proactive matched savings program, which has helped more than 3,600 employees save $1.3 million of their own dollars for emergencies since 2015 through the Red Tab Savers program.

“The Red Tab Foundation is one of the most tangible ways that we can support employees at LS&Co..” said Jenny Rodriguez, RTF’s executive director. “We provide them a lifeline of support when personal crises occur and act as a source of their hope in action. This work is funded in majority by employees at the company and is truly a community effort.”

From supporting during large-scale natural disasters to helping with small-scale medical emergencies, RTF has been — and continues to be — a critical financial safety net for LS&Co. employees and retirees. Find more stories like Siti’s and learn about the Red Tab Foundation’s impact over the past year in their 2024 Impact Report.

Building Savings, Building Habits: Brandon’s Red Tab Savers Success

[The post below was originally published on the Quber Money Talks blog]

Meet Brandon, the Assistant Store Manager at Levi’s in Little Rock, AR, and a savings success story at the age of 30. His journey with QUBER, the personal savings app that hosts Red Tab Foundation’s matched savings program, began over a year ago when he joined the company-sponsored Red Tab Savers Challenge. Since then, Brandon has transformed his approach to finances, successfully saving over $1,000 and completing various challenges with QUBER. Join us in exploring Brandon's story, a testament to how small, consistent efforts can lead to significant financial wins.

[QUBER] Hi Brandon! How did you find QUBER? How long have you been using it to save money?

I found QUBER through the company sponsored Red Tab Savers Challenge a little over a year ago, and I’ve continued to use it ever since! 

Before QUBER, how did you handle sudden expenses or plan for things you wanted?

In the past, if I had a sudden expense I would have charged it to a credit card. Now using QUBER, I’ve saved over $1,000! It’s still in the vault actually, but will most certainly come in handy when an unexpected expense does occur! 

What did you save for using QUBER? What goals did you reach? What are you most proud of?

I’ve completed a couple of different challenges with QUBER. I saved $600 for Holiday Gifts, another was a $300 Rainy Day Fund. The challenge I’m currently saving towards is the Just for Me fund. I’m honestly most proud of myself for actually being able to save money for the first time in a while. Prior to QUBER I was not contributing to any sort of savings account, other than my 401k.

Does QUBER help you save more now and how do you continue to push yourself to save even more?

QUBER has helped me to save more money now than ever before. The challenges are fun, and the Save to Win ballots are a great incentive for app users. 

How do you manage your money for bills and regular expenses?

I stay within my self-made budget and diligently track my spending through bi-weekly audits of my accounts and finances. 

If you could go back, what money advice would you give your younger self?

If I could go back in time, I’d tell my younger self “You don’t need it! Save for your future self.” 

What was your aha moment with saving money?

My aha moment for saving money actually occurred recently when I had to have a tire replaced on my Hyundai Sonata. That Rainy Day Fund was literally just that. I was on my way to work, and my low air pressure signal came on. I assumed it was just the cooler weather and continued driving. Once I arrived at the store, my tire was completely flat. Luckily, my co-workers, Travis, Mireya, and Axel all came in clutch with support. They helped me get enough air in my tire to make it to down the highway to the tire shop and gave me rides back and forth while my car was being serviced. I ended up having to get two tires replaced that day, and my QUBER savings fund paid for that. 

What will you save for next year and how will you stay on track?

In 2024, I plan to stick with my current budget/routine. I will likely continue to save through QUBER in the new year as well. I’m excited to see what new challenges they role out. 

Any advice for someone starting with QUBER or feeling unsure about saving money?

My advice for saving is to start small. You honestly won’t even miss $20/paycheck, but in 6 months you’ll have saved $240. Once you start, you’ll soon realize how rewarding it can truly be! 

Brandon's journey with QUBER is a testament to the transformative power of intentional saving. From handling unexpected expenses to achieving personal milestones, he has redefined his financial habits. As Brandon looks ahead to 2024, he plans to continue with his new-found budgeting and saving routine. His advice to start small echoes the simplicity of QUBER's approach, making financial wellness accessible to all. Brandon's story is a reminder that every saving journey begins with a single step, and with QUBER, that step can lead to a more financially empowered future.

Brandon, thank you for generously sharing your inspiring journey and we look forward to hearing about your future financial success!

To our valued readers, let Brandon's journey serve as a motivating force to take control of your finances. As he has outlined, it doesn't have to be instant, sweeping changes; rather, his success is rooted in the significance of modest, persistent actions. We celebrate his success of allocating a small sum towards saving, monitoring his expenses, and being mindful about his spending - each incremental step contributing to his financial well-being. Remember, it's the cumulative impact of these small measures that propels you toward a more empowered and secure financial future.

We are excited about the latest trend called Loud Budgeting – where people share stories about getting better with money. Just like Brandon, your story matters too. Share how you're doing on your money journey – the ups, the downs, and the wins. Let's make a community where everyone feels strong about taking charge of their hard-earned money.

RTF Delivers Record $3.3 Million in Assistance

Today, the Red Tab Foundation (RTF) — a nonprofit that assists the Levi Strauss & Co. community with financial hardships — launched their 2023 Impact Report. The report is filled with stories and numbers outlining the incredible difference the foundation has made in so many lives, and it makes one theme abundantly clear: it was a record-breaking year for RTF.

This past year the foundation granted an unprecedented $3.3 million in support. That’s a 50% increase year-over-year and more than RTF has ever given out in a single year in its 41 years of operation. RTF assisted with over 3,000 emergencies in the face of exceptional levels of inflation, natural disasters and economic instability across the globe.

The record-breaking stats don’t stop there. RTF relaunched their Red Tab Savers program with more than 1,200 Savers participating, the most ever. The foundation also fundraised $2.9 million dollars — the most RTF has ever raised in a single year.

“The Red Tab Foundation is the middleman between the hundreds of compassionate donors in this community and those who need help the most,” said Jenny Calvert Rodriguez, the foundation’s executive director. “We’re a catalyst for your kindness. We’re incredibly proud of the impact we could make this past year and are focused on the work ahead to continue expanding the way we support our grantees as they build financial health and resilience.”

The report also includes RTF grantee stories, highlighting the countless life-changing interventions full of positive emotional impact. One of these stories is that of stylist Sarah Kuever in Connecticut, who reached out to RTF when she needed assistance for her cataplexy and narcolepsy.

“My conditions have a debilitating effect on my daily life. RTF never failed to help me in my journey; I was supported in every way possible,” said Sarah. “I needed assistance with treatment, and I now have a service dog who keeps me alert by nudging me if it senses a cataplexy attack coming and reminds me about my medication. RTF changed my life for the better.”

Learn more about the Red Tab Foundation and its lasting impacts on the LS&Co. community in the RTF 2023 Impact Report.

RTF Beats $1M Challenge

The $1M Pay It Forward Challenge has come to a close after crushing it’s fundraising target, thanks to the generosity of the LS&Co. community. Over 1,100 employees across the globe stepped up to pitch in, raising $680,000 from employees for the Red Tab Foundation (RTF).

LS&Co.’s top leaders matched employee contributions dollar for dollar, including a $500,000 match from Chip Bergh and Pete Haas and an additional $125,000 from President Michelle Gass. A number of the ELT issued matches as well and overall, their donations grew by 20%.

In total, nearly $1.5 million was raised — thanks to your contributions, our leaders’ matches, sample sale proceeds and recurring payroll donors — when need is at an all-time high. This is the most RTF has ever raised in a single fundraising campaign. It’s a huge accomplishment that demonstrates the values of the LS&Co. community and shows that we’re stronger together in challenging times.

One of the highlights outside of the big numbers, was how employees got creative in the ways they raised funds for RTF across the world:  

• Bart Sights and the crew at Eureka created an experience for five lucky winners to create their own one-of-a-kind pair of jeans. 

• Sample sales were held in San Francisco, New York, Paris and Brussels raising over $160K.

• More employees than ever before pledged via recurring payroll donations, accounting for almost $400K of the total. 

• The Canada corporate office hosted a pancake breakfast fundraiser with RTF trivia, led by Bukky Adedeji.

• Europe kept their values (and logo) close to their hearts, with a t-shirt fundraiser  led by Mathieu Mahmoun.

• Grand LATAM hosted a Tacos & Talk with RTF Case Manager Albert Hernandez to learn more about RTF and how to support this work.

Thanks for your generosity, kindness and responsiveness to the needs of our very own community. There are so many elements that make this company special — from our values to how we show up for one another — that allow a foundation like RTF to thrive. You can learn more about RTF’s work in their Impact Report for 2022.

2022 Impact Report

Life happens. Red Tab Foundation responds.

In the last year, the Red Tab Foundation (RTF) helped 1,880 LS&Co. employees and retirees through their hardships.

That’s 1,880:

… big sighs of relief

… happy dances

… cries of joy.

RTF is launching its fiscal year Impact Report and announcing that it granted $2.2 million in support to the LS&Co. community for hardships both big and small, as they responded to more than double pre-pandemic levels of need. While major crises may come and go, the simple everyday hardships that can happen to any of us will persist. Thanks to the generosity of employees, so will this safety net. Over the past 41 years, this community-funded organization has served as a key resource in times of need, granting $28.7 million to ensure that the basic needs of the LS&Co. community are met at all levels, from the manufacturing floor to corporate offices.

Among their grantees is Inna Kazakova, a stylist at the Levi’s® Wroclaw Outlet in Poland. When the war broke out in Ukraine, both of Inna’s parents lost their jobs and she found herself supporting them on her LS&Co. income. Soon after, her manager told her about RTF and encouraged her to apply for support.

“The money I sent my father helped him buy much-needed medicines for my family, including my grandmother, in a city now under occupation. Part also went to buy a cheap car, as she travels to help people in the occupied territories. As for my mother, when she left Ukraine, she took nothing but the cat and some documents. My grant also helped purchase her clothes, shoes and everything she needed to get settled with me in Poland,” Inna told us. One of the most important elements of RTF’s work is that, so often, this assistance is used to bolster not just individuals but entire communities.

Inna’s experience is a true example of how RTF can be used to respond to almost any crisis of the day. The foundation is a confidential place to ask for help and offers cash grants to LS&Co. employees, retirees and their immediate families facing financial hardships that put their basic needs at risk. RTF’s strength lies in how its giving is flexible, personal and most importantly, responsive.

These grants are funded in majority by employees, and last year, this community donated the most ever in their history — $2.1 million — every dollar of which helped deliver financial security to those who need it most.

Head to their 2022 Impact Report today to learn more about what RTF does and to hear from their grantees about the difference this community’s dollars made.

Red Tab Foundation Helps Employees Build Savings

The Red Tab Foundation brought back a new and improved version of its popular Savers program this summer to help employees build their savings. With Savers, RTF matches every dollar that participants save, and over the past seven years, the program has helped employees save over $1 million of their own dollars. This year’s cohort is the biggest ever in the history of the program, engaging 14% of eligible frontline employees in the U.S., while the majority of similar programs at other companies engage only 1 to 3% of employees.

“When employees feel more financially secure, they feel more productive, more focused and more engaged at work,” said Levi’s® Store Manager Debbra Ward.

To make learning to save easier than ever, this year the program underwent a relaunch in the U.S. RTF has been working closely with Blackrock’s Emergency Savings Initiative to rebuild the program with industry insights about savings behavior. Improvements include an additional yearlong Save to Win challenge and an app with automatic deposits and rewards each month, administered by QUBER, which has been our longtime partner on this program in Canada.

“I was able to save some money to pay off my credit card debts. It’s amazing, I only put up $240, but I got $500 back!” said Juvilyn Douglas, an order fulfillment employee in our Canada distribution center who was a QUBER super user in 2020. “There are so many challenges you can do in the QUBER app to save up some money, and I’m still using it to this day. It’s so good to work for a company that helps you out. These little things make a big difference.”

We’re proud to continue helping LS&Co. frontline employees create strong financial futures for themselves.

Pay It Forward: $1 per $1 Donation Match to RTF until 3/25

One of the most unique things about LS&Co. is that we created the first-ever hardship fund 40 years ago. Meant to support employees and retirees, the Red Tab Foundation (RTF) offers emergency cash grants and proactive programs to support those facing financial hardship. They’ve helped over 25,000 families with emergencies both minor (from utility disconnection to roof repair) and major (from natural disasters to political instability in Ukraine). RTF grants are funded in part by employees just like you, and every dollar donated goes directly to a colleague in need. RTF is the way that we can show kindness for each other.

For the next three weeks, you can pay your kindness forward during RTF’s spring fundraising campaign and help us raise $400,000 by March 25. If we hit our goal, your donation will be matched 1:1 by Chip Bergh and Pete Haas for a total of $800,000 going to help those who need it most!

How to Get Involved

• Pay it forward with a donation to the Red Tab Foundation — and while you’re at it, spread kindness by sending a Heart Gram to a colleague you appreciate to encourage them to get involved

• Sign up to be a payroll donor (U.S.) or recurring donor (global)

Donate today

for a $1 per $1 match

Denise Cruz in Waterloo, NY, shared her story: “RTF helped me after my mom had been hospitalized on two separate occasions. Some of the medical supplies and other things she needed weren’t covered by insurance and cost a lot to maintain. I cannot express enough what a huge help it was from RTF to assist us. I am beyond grateful for the help and proud to be part of the Levi’s family! Thank you again to all the donors for their help.”

If you’d like to learn more about what RTF does, check out their Impact Report or follow along with them on Facebook and Instagram for updates.

40 Years of Kindness with The Red Tab Foundation

The Red Tab Foundation (RTF) is entering into its fifth decade of channeling employee kindness into hardship grants.

Widely considered the original hardship fund, RTF offers hardship assistance and preventive programs to LS&Co. employees, former employees and their families. For 40 years, we have delivered more than $26,500,000 in the form of 25,000 grants to those who needed it most.

The success of this past year in particular comes at a remarkable moment when the world continues to grapple with the global pandemic and environmental calamities have left many struggling. Taking an agile approach to the overlapping challenges people faced, the foundation quickly flexed, tweaking grant guidelines to maximize its overall impact. As a result, RTF more than doubled its pre-pandemic giving efforts, delivering $2.4 million in hardship support to more grantees than ever before. The foundation also reached a milestone with more than $1 million saved through the Red Tab Savers program, the first-of-its-kind proactive program in the employee hardship space. Those efforts are highlighted in the latest RTF Annual Report for fiscal year 2021, which launched today.

“These accomplishments are not only ours, but yours. To meet the need, the LS&Co. community stepped up for each other with a 42% increase in donors. While RTF served as a catalyst, it has been employees, retirees and shareholders of the LS&Co. community that have funded this work and brought the company value of empathy to life in the middle of a global pandemic, providing a lifeline for those who needed a hand to lift them up,” said RTF Executive Director Jenny Calvert Rodriguez.

RTF has been able to improve lives with more than 1,800 grants given in the last year, like that of Kratina F., a distribution center employee in Nevada. “One day I received a phone call telling me that my brother has coronavirus and they’re waiting for his heart to stop…Devastating news. I had never planned for something like this.”

RTF was able to help with emergency medical travel that same week. “After being connected to the Red Tab Foundation, I was amazed at the response that I got from them. Their support helped me mentally, emotionally and financially,” Kratina said. “We were able to drive to California and rent a hotel room (we didn’t have anywhere to stay due to COVID-19), and safely returned home.”

Learn more about the Red Tab Foundation’s work over the past year and read more stories like Kratina’s in our 2021 Annual Report.

In Good Company: Tapping into the Good of LS&Co.

Ella Clausen

Danielle Samaniego, Unzipped Editor
Levi Strauss & Co.August 4, 2021

We are nothing without our people. The people who are driven each day to build upon the long legacy of Levi Strauss & Co. Since 1873, our jeans and those who contribute to their design and production have been an inspiration — and a symbol — for unwavering originality. We’re ‘In Good Company.’

Ella Clausen has a particularly unique role with Levi Strauss & Co. — as she puts it, it’s her job to tap into the kindness of the company.

As communications and grants coordinator for the Red Tab Foundation (RTF) — our in-house nonprofit organization that provides emergency financial assistance to employees and retirees in need — Ella is responsible for not only ensuring employees across the globe are literally getting support, but also telling the story of the foundation. And it’s a story she’s all too happy to share.

“As I see it, RTF is a catalyst for kindness between employees. We’re the connective tissue that channels this good energy from people who want to care for others in their community,” Ella said about the foundation that is funded largely by employee, as well as shareholder and retiree donations. And while not all donors are grantees, many often can be both. “We make that ask or facilitate that kindness between those who want to give and those who need help or some assistance.”

That work has never been more critical. COVID-19 shifted needs in ways that required RTF to be agile. When the pandemic was in full swing, the foundation quickly tweaked grant guidelines to address requests unique to the pandemic. Think of an employee needing to cover costs for new modes of transportation when public transit was no longer an option or someone grappling with higher childcare costs when kids could not go back to school.

Then there was the mother of two who faced one hard knock after another. The financial strain caused this employee to hit a breaking point where she was about to be evicted from her home. So, she reached out to RTF which was able to help with back pay for rent and groceries so that she could regain her financial footing. It’s stories like these that speak to Ella on a personal level.

“I grew up with a single mother who raised two of us on her own and just worked so hard as a nurse without a lot of help and without a safety net,” Ella recalled. “So, when I see that RTF is helping some of these single mothers… those stories really hit so close to home for me. I understand how tough it can be to raise a family on a single income. People’s financial lives are so fragile, especially these days. I’m so glad that we’re able to help people before their financial downturns can spiral out of control.”

Whether they know it or not, that help is available to all LS&Co. employees and retirees. Many can’t fathom the fact that the foundation is solely there as a safety net for anyone in our LS&Co. community. But that was precisely the goal of our founder, stock boy-turned-executive Jerry O’Shea, and 40 years later the foundation is going strong.

When she started back in March 2020 right before lockdowns were implemented, Ella said she had no idea how relevant her work would ultimately be. “I didn’t know that RTF would be such an integral part of the company’s response. We’ve doubled the amount of giving from before COVID-19. So, it was really serendipitous to join the organization at a time when our work was so needed and relevant.”

Of course, the pandemic also forced Ella to navigate her new job entirely remotely. Like many of us, she picked up a side hobby — learning to sew and make clothes, which puts her in good company to connect with those who do the same for LS&Co. someday. But her unconventional working environment never caused a chasm between her and the job at hand.

“I’ve just always wanted to make a positive impact,” she said. “And I love that the foundation so tangibly makes a huge difference for people. Getting to be a part of people’s lives and touch people individually — it’s what inspires me every day.”

Hear more from Ella on her role at https://youtu.be/-8JonrNw3Wg.

Employees Weather Winter Storms With Red Tab Foundation

Brene Duffield, Westlake Texas

This past winter, historic storms hit communities across the U.S., placing 154 million Americans under winter weather alerts in a single day across the country. Millions were left without electricity, heat or water while others dealt with storm damage.

Among them was Brene Duffield, a Levi Strauss & Co. employee in Westlake, Texas. Brene’s apartment building, like most in Texas, was not built with extreme winter weather in mind. Pipes froze as the temperatures dropped, and it wasn’t long before one burst and flooded her apartment.

Luckily Brene, who works in our Human Resources department, knew she had a unique resource to help her in a time of need: LS&Co.’s Red Tab Foundation (RTF), our hardship fund dedicated to helping employees and retirees.

“In my role, I’m used to providing support and resolution, so it felt great to be on the receiving end when I was really in need,” said Brene.

Brene wasn’t the only employee struggling in the face of this storm. Ten employees, including Brene, were in unlivable conditions due to storm damage or lack of heat, water and electricity, and even more needed support with groceries and shelter. RTF ultimately helped 200 families dealing with the worst impacts in the form of grocery support, emergency shelter and help with critical home repairs.

For many hourly employees, an unexpected expense, like repairing a burst pipe or days-long hotel stay, can lead to a snowball effect of financial hardships. And that can lead to high interest debt, past due bills that lead to disconnection of services, or forgoing important expenses like insurance. It’s not just hourly employees, either — 37% of Americans do not have enough savings to cover a $400 emergency expense.

That’s where funds like RTF can help. “Hardship funds can act as a vital tool in helping absorb some of the shock of an unexpected expense before it turns into something more. We’re able to act as a buffer between the clients we serve and the impacts of financial instability,” said Jenny Rodriguez, RTF’s executive director.

This assistance is invaluable to our employees and retirees who find themselves in these circumstances and goes beyond mere financial support. Hardship funds like RTF, which are primarily funded by fellow employees, help maintain employees’ financial health and demonstrate our belief in empathy in a very real way.

“RTF to me means family. It’s a place that I know I can depend on when things go wrong,” said Brene. “I’m so grateful for the people who continuously support people. The RTF team is amazing.”

Learn more about what RTF does in their 2020 Annual Report.

Celebrate Giving Tuesday with the Red Tab Foundation

This year more than any other, we have been humbled by the power of generosity to connect and heal in our community. Your generous support is what gives us heart and drives forward the work we do to support members of the LS&Co. family facing hardships, in particular those working on the frontlines of our community right now.

With Giving Tuesday around the corner and the spirit of generosity in the air, we hope that you will consider including RTF in your year-end giving.  COVID-19 has brought us closer to our values as a company and each one of us, has the opportunity to do something to help.  Here are some ways that you can support your fellow employees and retirees in need:

1.     Make a one-time donation here or sign up for recurring gifts through payroll deductions (US) or credit card donations (Global)

2.     Choose RTF as your Amazon Smile Charity of choice and use smile.amazon.com as you do your holiday shopping.

3.     Become a skilled volunteer or RTF Event Ambassador. Send us an email (redtabfoundation@levi.com) if you’d like to learn more.

4.     Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for all of our latest news.

And if you’d simply like to learn more about what we’ve been up to in addressing unprecedented levels of need, check out our 2020 Annual Report to see how we’re making an impact.

Most importantly, we hope that you stay healthy and safe and can share a word of gratitude (virtually or in person) with someone that you love this week.

A (Run) to Help Others

An enormous thank you to the 665 members of the global LS&Co. community who spent their Sunday afternoon on October 4 doing the exact same thing: getting active to support their fellow employees. 

The annual (Run) for Red Tab fundraiser has been going on for 14 years, but this was its first debut as a global, fully virtual event as we adapt to our current environment. People in 30 different countries and six continents were running, walking, swimming, biking and doing just about everything else together to ultimately raise $120,500.

Every dollar of your fundraising efforts will go directly to grants for those facing financial hardships right now in our community — from helping families dealing with flooding in Pakistan get back on their feet to emergency help for retail employees with reduced hours. 

See for yourself what we accomplished together.

Case Manager Spotlight: From Anti-Apartheid to BLM

Lavinia and the Archbishop Desmond Tutu

“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.” — Desmond Tutu

For Lavinia Crawford-browne, her activism began with an act of resistance. “We refused to have our son’s name submitted for enlistment into the white-only army supporting the white supremacist apartheid government in the ‘80s,” she said. “That began our journey in the movement.” 

Lavinia, a South African resident and currently a Red Tab Foundation Case Manager at our Epping Manufacturing facility, joined the anti-apartheid movement, bringing her all the way to the leader behind the fight — Nobel Peace Prize winner and human rights activist, Archbishop Desmond Tutu himself. She became his personal assistant, a job she would hold for more than two decades, supporting Tutu in his efforts to dismantle apartheid, South Africa’s system of institutionalized racial segregation that existed from 1948 until the early 1990s. 

Offering support to those in unstable financial situations while uplifting South Africans parallels the work she does today through the Red Tab Foundation, an emergency aid foundation for Levi Strauss & Co. employees that offers critical, life-saving interventions for our employees. This translates to putting new roofs on peoples’ homes in the rainy seasons, securing schoolbooks for employee’s children and relief in times of crisis.

Given Lavinia’s role in the human rights space and today’s reawakened crisis around racial injustice in the U.S., we sat down with Lavinia to talk about her human rights efforts and how the learnings in South Africa can apply to our situation in America today. 

How did you become engaged in the anti-apartheid movement to begin with? 

My husband and I joined the movement opposing apartheid in the 1980s. We were conscientized when our 16-year-old son was up for conscription into the South African army. This was a white-only army that was enlisted to support the white supremacist apartheid government. We refused to allow our son’s name to be submitted, and that began our journey. I had been a housewife raising our two kids but went back to work as personal assistant to the Anglican (Episcopal) Archbishop. Shortly after, Desmond Tutu succeeded him, and the rest became history.

What similarities or differences do you observe between the struggle to end apartheid and the movement to end racial injustice in America? 

What was exceptional about the South African struggle for freedom was the intensity with which the anti-apartheid movement spread across the world, particularly in the U.S., where there were parallels with the Civil Rights Movement. Individuals, such as Desmond Tutu, played a decisive role in galvanizing nations into action, especially young people. The support of the international community was a very important component in achieving our democracy. No other movement has gained such widespread international support, except possibly opposition to the Vietnam War. 

Sadly, there is little reciprocal support in South Africa for the Black Lives Matter movement. Our struggle against apartheid was a struggle for the rights of the oppressed but many viewed it as a struggle for freedom. Freedom is personal and this has not translated into support for human rights elsewhere. If you are concerned for human rights, it is intrinsic that you are concerned for the rights of others.

What learnings from your work with Tutu would you share with people in the U.S. right now?

The intention of the struggle against apartheid was to achieve a non-racial, non-sexist, democratic society. This is what Desmond Tutu envisaged and for which many of us hoped.

Basic to Desmond Tutu’s faith is the value of each human individual — he views each person as a child of God, a “God-carrier” and therefore worthy of utmost respect. This ties with the African notion of “ubuntu” — I exist because you exist, my humanity depends on your humanity — we can only be fully human together. It is a notion of wholeness and complementarity — a celebration of differences and viewing these as enriching, whether these be cultural, gender, sexual orientation, race, language or any other factor. 

Want to learn more about what Red Tab Foundation does for employees around the globe? Head to redtabfoundation.org or check out their latest Annual Report.

Tell us about one of the highlights of your human rights work. 

Opening the front door of the Archbishop’s residence to Nelson Mandela and his wife Winnie on the first night of Mandela’s release from prison. They were to stay overnight, and I was up half the night on the switchboard putting through calls of congratulations from Presidents and dignitaries from around the world. 

How does your background inform the work you do with the Red Tab Foundation? 

I hope I have learned something of empathy; that I can “be there” for each employee — to listen, be non-judgmental and build trust. I try to use my privilege as a tool to assist those without access to some of the advantages many of us take for granted. 

The Red Tab Foundation is unique. The grants we give are often a lifesaver for Epping employees. The LS&Co. values are truly amazing in a world where “profits at any price” is often seen to be the norm. The opportunity to be an agent of change in people’s lives through the Red Tab Foundation is, frankly, AWESOME. I can’t thank employees enough for their support of the foundation. I could tell you a hundred stories whereby you gave dignity and hope to a member of the LS&Co. family.

Our Feet on the Ground in Europe

This is Teddy Dworakowski. Teddy is based in Poland as a Case Manager for the Red Tab Foundation (RTF) to help provide emergency assistance for manufacturing employees in LS&Co.’s owned-and-operated manufacturing facility in Plock. The Plock facility employs more than 800 people, including his own wife for 11 years, before Teddy joined RTF four years ago. 

“I’ve always been very grateful for this work. It’s rewarding and satisfying to have work where the results that are so tangible — I see how we help people in Plock, I live amongst them,” Teddy said. 

Teddy doesn’t just support Plock employees, however. He is also a key part of how RTF facilitates cases to help employees undergoing emergencies throughout various parts of LSE, work that has been particularly impactful as RTF responded to a 300% increase in grant applications this spring due to COVID-19.

“We’ve had to move quickly to help people. I’ve managed around 20 cases across Italy, France, the U.K., Turkey and the Czech Republic,” he said. “My work is to follow up with requests for assistance, review those applications and ask the employee or retiree pointed questions about their situation to gather a full picture of what’s happening and why.”

In the past few months, Teddy has helped furloughed students pay their rents, offset funeral costs for families facing losses from the disease and helped with general living expenses for employees with lost hours. He has to navigate all the different safety nets available to employees by HR departments and governments that vary from country to country, providing employees a sense of hope in the midst of a global pandemic. There are also other challenges that come with new markets — like not speaking the same language. 

“I’ve been using Google Translate to communicate with people across the continent in Polish, English, Italian, Turkish and more,” Teddy explained. “Surprisingly the translation software has been pretty successful, and we’ve found stable middle ground between our language and cultural barriers.” 

Although this work is challenging at times, Teddy is proud of the way RTF has stepped up to support employees in need. “Even I have been surprised by how generous this foundation is,” he shared. “People are more important than criteria. After all, the criteria are meant to serve people, not the other way around.” 

The RTF team’s hard work hasn’t gone unnoticed, either. “It is rare these days to deal with such dedicated and efficient people. My children and I are smiling today thanks to Red Tab Foundation. I was already very proud to work for LS&Co. and now I am even more so,” one grantee from France said about the assistance she received.

RTF supports our community in all of the 30+ locations around the world where LS&Co. operates, from owned-and-operated factory workers to retail stylists to regional office employees. RTF assistance will also be available to anyone affected by workforce reductions for a year past the date of separation; employees can apply for assistance at any time at redtabfoundation.org. 

Learn about RTF’s work in their 2019 Annual Report, or find ways that you can help here.

6 Quick Qs With Our New Head of Red Tab Foundation

Jenny Calvert-Rodriguez

Get to know more about new leaders at LS&Co. through these Quick Qs. Meet Jenny Calvert-Rodriguez, the new Executive Director of the Red Tab Foundation which provides critical aid to Levi Strauss & Co. current and retired employees who are suffering through unexpected emergencies.

1. What are the biggest challenges you and your team face?

Right now, how to handle the unprecedented needs that employees have in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Red Tab Foundation’s core work is to provide a safety net for LS&Co. employees and retirees, and that safety net has never been more critical than it is now. Our team is busy, to say the least. More generally, though, with nearly 20,000 employees the world over, our biggest challenge is to understand and be sensitive to the diverse needs and realities of a dispersed global workforce. It’s important to us to build strong partnerships with our colleagues across 30+ countries where LS&Co. operates to understand what the needs are in these places, and how to build responsive programs.

2. What does success look like in your job?

That’s simple. I’ll know my job is done when every employee and retiree of LS&Co. knows exactly what the Red Tab Foundation is and can access the empathetic ear, financial assistance and resources they need, when they need it.

3. What was your first job?

I scooped ice cream at Coldstone Creamery. We had a rule in the store that if people tipped $5, we would sing a song or do a backflip or toe touch. I was a musical theater nerd in high school and a cheerleader, so this was fun for me. 

4. Do you have a favorite personal story about LS&Co. or one of our products?

Eleven-year-old Jenny thought my sister-in-law was the coolest person — she was a designer for Dockers® in the ‘90s and was so fashionable, living the city life when I was a teen in a Northern California suburb. She brought me to the Union Square (San Francisco) flagship store once on a special trip, and bought me this amazing, dark denim Levi’s® trucker jacket with flared sleeves. That jacket meant so much to me, and it was a staple piece of my wardrobe throughout my awkward middle-school years — so much so that as a gift later that year, my family made a custom Barbie that looked like me for Christmas, and that Barbie wore none other than that trucker jacket. It was amazing.

5. What is your go-to LS&Co. product today?

It’s gotta be the Wedgie Straight jean. I wear mine all of the time.

6. List five things that make you happy.

– Crossword puzzles
– Spontaneous dance parties with my toddler, Emily
– An afternoon gardening
– Vinho verde
– Traveling to places I’ve never been before

Supporting the Vulnerable During A Pandemic

Kelly Christian, sports marketing manager with Levi Strauss & Co., was looking for a way to give back in the face of the Coronavirus pandemic. She found that connection through an employee volunteering opportunity with the Red Tab Foundation (RTF), our in-house nonprofit that supports LS&Co. employees past and present facing emergencies. Volunteers are checking in on one of the most vulnerable populations affected by this pandemic – our retirees – offering RTF emergency assistance and the opportunity to simply connect at a time when many are feeling socially isolated as they minimize physical exposure with others. 

“People want to help, to do something, but we’re not nurses and doctors on the front lines,” Kelly said. “This is something I could do, to communicate with people, to be an extension of what the company as a whole is doing to help.”

The program is a part of RTF’s broader response to COVID-19. Since the outbreak, RTF has been responding to a 300 percent increase in employee emergency assistance grants in the past few weeks, and has open-sourced its Hardship Fund Playbook, designed to help other companies build up their own emergency support of employees.

The nearly 100 volunteers participating in the retiree outreach program have made calls across the country, offering help but also learning about the experiences of these former employees and building connections with the people who supported the company for decades. “It’s sweet and touching to feel connected to someone you’ve never met. We’re all connected under the umbrella of LS&Co. Aside from all of the craziness that’s going on right now, it reminds us of the power of human connection, relationships, and the kindness that exists in people,” Kelly said.

Many of LS&Co.’s retiree population spent their careers with the company, working for 30 or more years as manufacturing employees in production facilities that were once in Kentucky, Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee, and other locations. Given that many elderly may be struggling with social isolation at a time when their loved ones stay more physically distant, the hope is that the check-ins from LS&Co. family can provide some connection and a reminder of our gratitude for their service.

“It is a pleasure and honor to speak to these retirees – I’ve never been thanked so much for doing so little,” volunteer Bettina Sapien said. “Hearing a heavy southern accent say ‘thanks honey’, or a heartfelt ‘take care, honey,’ can really make my day, my week and probably my year.”

RTF is also critical for many retirees who struggle with access to basic services like eyeglasses, hearing aids, and dentures. RTF also funds home repairs and accessibility upgrades like ramps and walk-in showers.

“It’s essential during times of uncertainty that we support people within our communities. It’s all about the little things that we can do to help each other and lead with the heart,” John Booker, RTF Global Philanthropy Lead, said.

Red Tab Foundation Open Sources Its ‘Playbook’

Almost 40 years ago, Levi Strauss & Co. stock boy-turned-executive Jerry O’Shea drove the effort to create the Red Tab Foundation (RTF) in order to ensure that no LS&Co. employee or retiree would go without a financial safety net in times of need.

Supported by employees, company leaders and even the descendants of Levi Strauss himself, RTF has disbursed more than $26.5 million in hardship grants since its inception and has been widely recognized as a standard bearer for employee hardship funds.

As the coronavirus pandemic impacts communities and businesses around the globe, the foundation’s work has never been more critical. In addition to the work being done to support our own employees, RTF has also begun advising other companies seeking to set up their own hardship funds. In response, the foundation team has created an Employee Hardship Fund Playbook, open sourcing its learnings for others to utilize. “This is a way RTF can have an outsize impact in the corporate world, not just by providing assistance to our employees, but also through helping other companies provide assistance to theirs,” said RTF Executive Director Jenny Calvert Rodriguez.

Many companies are stepping up efforts to take care of employees however they can during this time of crisis. They are seeing what the foundation has long known – that hardship funds are a great mechanism to provide immediate relief to current or former employees who experience a disaster-related or personal financial hardship.

We’ve learned a lot over the past four decades. Key among our learnings is the simple fact that the types of hardships affecting employees right now in the face of this pandemic happen at a smaller scale all of the time. The Federal Reserve has reported that 40 percent of American families do not have sufficient savings to deal with a $400 emergency expense without borrowing or selling something. And that was before the mass job losses and crushing economic consequences that have come along with the pandemic. Emergency hardship grants can help ensure that employees and their families have the resources to weather unexpected events like the COVID-19 crisis, and its associated business and economic impacts.

The playbook provides both broad guidelines – like the need to put empathy first, be needs driven, responsive and understand your client population – and more granular guidance around subjects like organizational structure, how to field requests, and how to set up channels to reach potential applicants and disburse grants. One such passage offers insights on how best to tailor approaches to employee demographics: 

If your core employee demographic is Gen Z hourly retail employees, you’ll need to design your intake process to be mobile first. For an older employee or retiree base, a call center may be the first point of contact.

There are also real-life examples of how RTF has followed its own advice and flexed when needed:

Unexpected expenses or loss of income due to childcare needs were not a covered category for RTF – until schools across the globe started to shut down in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. So, we changed our guidelines.

The playbook is now available online to anyone who asks for it.

“We’re hoping that our experience can benefit other companies, and by extension, their employees, especially as we all continue to navigate this current situation,” Jenny said. “I can think of no better way to honor the original inspiration behind the Red Tab Foundation and to show our commitment to employees, particularly when it’s needed most.”

Join Jenny and RTF Global Philanthropy Lead John Booker for a webinar on Tuesday, April 21 to discuss the playbook’s contents, alongside hardship fund leaders from The Home Depot, HCA Healthcare and an expert from the Aspen Institute. Register now to join in the conversation.

Run for Red Tab SF is back. Join us on April 14th!

Join us on April 14 for the annual Run for Red Tab event at the Levi’s Presidio 10 – a fun, family-oriented walk or run along a 5K, 10K or 10-mile course through San Francisco’s scenic Presidio.

It’s a great chance to spend time with your colleagues, friends and family while raising money for the Red Tab Foundation. Following the race, we’ll celebrate together with breakfast and drinks while soaking in the spectacular views of the Golden Gate Bridge at Crissy Field

Registration is FREE for employees and virtual participants and 10 percent off for LS&Co. friends and family. 

Whether you’re running or just coming to spend time with friends, double your fun by raising funds individually or as a team - event registration is not required. Top fundraisers will win 6 months of free membership at the Bay Club. Start fundraising or make a donation today, to help us beat our goal of $25K! 

Questions? Email redtabfoundation@levi.com.

Run for Red Tab SF is back. Join us on April 22nd!

Walk or run 5K, 10K, or 10 miles at Levi’s Presidio 10 on Sunday, April 22ndand your LS&Co. community will cheer you on! Following the race, celebrate with breakfast and drinks with views of the Golden Gate Bridge at Crissy Field.

Registration is FREE for employees and 10% off for LS&Co. friends and family.

You can double your impact by fundraising individually or as a team – event registration is not required. Start fundraising now, the competition is fierce!

Employee registrants also have the chance to earn LiveWellth points and participate in a LS&Co. Presidio 10 Training & Fitness Program provided by Bay Club.

Racing for Red Tab in Singapore

Last month, more than 100 LS&Co. colleagues, friends, and family members participated in the Race for Red Tab in Singapore. The race is all about raising awareness — and funds — for the Red Tab Foundation. This year’s event involved teams competing in a 2-hour challenging adventure race. As you can see by the pictures, racers were up for the challenge!

Well, the results are in, and the team raised a whopping $36,900 — the most ever raised for Race for Red Tab event. Singapore employees showed their support with more than 83 percent making a donation. If you like to support the event, there’s still time! To make a contribution, click here.

So what drove such a stellar fundraising effort? It might be the intense competition among teams representing each regional cluster. Teams inspired each other and elevated the way we relate to our company.  The website saw a flurry of donations just before the race in a bid to be the top fundraising team. There were also a series of fundraising activities in the weeks leading up to the race, including a customized Trucker event and eCommerce sample sales.

When it came to race day, the competition was intense, with the ASEA team being awarded overall champions. The top individual fundraiser was the Regional Head of Security, raising $6,289 from 60 donors. What an effort!

We have been blown away by the generosity of colleagues across the region and the globe, as well as friends and families of the racers. Thank you to all of our fundraisers for spreading the word and asking for donations, and a big thanks to everyone who made a donation to Race for Red Tab.

It’s our collective compassion and shared values that will positively impact our employees and retirees. This is how we help each other.