Exceptional Community Service to be Honored at Legislative Conference

Two regional uniform and linen service operations and an industry supplier executive are Gold recipients of TRSA’s 2025 Community Service awards. They’ll be celebrated among other member accolades at the Annual Industry Awards Dinner on Feb. 5, 2025, at TRSA’s Legislative Conference in Washington, DC.

The gold-level winners include:

Nancy Church, Workwear Outfitters, Nashville, TN. The company’s human resources VP, she organizes initiatives including support of the Martha O’Bryan Center, which empowers children, youth and adults in poverty to transform their lives through work, education, employment and fellowship. The center serves more than 15,000 children, youth and adults every year, from every residential zip code in Nashville. The company has organized an annual charity golf tournament for the center, raising more than $1.3 million for the past 18 years. Other support for the center includes a volunteer outing as part of WWOF GIVES (Good-hearted Individuals Volunteering, Encouraging and Sharing) Service Week, preparing the Center for the upcoming school year.

Community Committee, Dempsey Uniform and Linen Supply, Dunmore, PA. The company’s “Can Hunger” event gathered more than 4,000 pounds of food for local shelters in 2023 alone. The Dempsey Day of Service with the Salvation Army saw 15 employees champion the cause to raise funds and awareness, and was recognized by the Salvation Army for the fifth straight year as the top fundraiser in the community. An Employee Sunshine Fund empowers the team to support each other when times get tough. These flagship programs are alongside support for the United Way, American Heart Association (AHA), Movember, Breast Cancer Awareness and other vital causes.

Wildman Business Group, Warsaw, IN. Staff volunteered more than 8,000 hours this year to local communities, averaging over 22 hours per employee, with more hours likely not accounted for. The company conducted its first annual Day of Service, with several local businesses seeking to partner with Wildman for the next one. Other efforts: Dream Management, in which the company connected a team member with Habitat for Humanity in building her home, where she cares for her elderly parents; and Sleep in Heavenly Peace, working with local companies to build bunk beds so that “no child sleeps on the floor.”

Silver level winners:

Bates Troy Inc., Binghamton, NY. Among many community activities supported: the AHA Heartwalk, since 2016, joined by healthcare customers. Since 2018, through Outreach Ministries of the Southern Tier, Bates Troy has contributed to Showers for Hope, a mobile trailer unit for homeless and others with limited access to showers. The company provides bath and hand towels and washcloths.

Chad Renegar, Novo Health Services, Rockmart, GA. The GM is an active volunteer at the Zaban Paradies Center, which provides shelter, basic necessities and counseling services to couples transitioning from homelessness to resettlement and independence. His involvement is deeply personal, as he often shares heartbreaking stories of the individuals he encounters.

Honorable mention winners:

Team Partners, UniFirst Corp., Wilmington, MA. A donation to the National Guard Relief Foundation matched funds raised during a charity auction organized by the Chase Elliott Foundation (NASCAR). The company has awarded to team partners and their children nearly $1 million through the Aldo and Ronald D. Croatti Scholarships. The annual memorial golf tournament named for Ron benefited five New England charities in 2024, having raised over $200,000 since its inception seven years ago.

Cintas Corp., Mason, OH. Cintas Cares supports a wide range of causes and organizations, encouraging employee-partners to engage in community service, participate in fundraising activities, and contribute to local and national charitable organizations. Beneficiaries have included the AHA, American Cancer Society, National Fallen Firefighters Foundation and Matthew 25: Ministries.

A1 American, Pacoima, CA. Through its partnership with UNICEF, the company facilitates health programs, educational support and emergency relief. Recognizing the importance of supporting Native American communities, A1 American gives back a percentage of sales to Indian Country customers. Proceeds are presented annually at the Indian Gaming Association tradeshow, demonstrating dedication to reinvesting in these communities.

The 15th Annual TRSA Legislative Conference and Industry Awards Dinner, Feb. 5-6, 2025, offers members the opportunity to influence the industry’s advocacy agenda and impact TRSA initiative. On Feb. 5, volunteer leaders gather in TRSA committees to share information regarding best-management practices, trends, innovations and issues impacting their professions, companies and customers. Preparation begins for visits the following day to Capitol Hill, where members raise awareness of the industry’s social, environmental and economic benefits and educate legislators about its need for fair and balanced regulation. Keynoters at the conference:

• Kaplan Mobray, a Wharton graduate who started in advertising, championed diversity at Deloitte and now serves as a consultant to multinational companies. Author of the 10Ks of Personal Branding, he’s recognized as one of the nation’s top business speakers for his leadership-development workshops, which he’s staged on five continents, helping individuals globally to build their brand, become better leaders and advance their careers.
• A.B. Stoddard, a columnist for the political news and opinion publication The Bulwark, and a contributor and guest host for SiriusXM’s POTUS channel. Since 2006 she has appeared as a nonpartisan political commentator on CNN, CNBC, MSNBC, Fox News Channel, Fox Business Channel and the BBC. Stoddard began covering the U.S. Congress in 1994 as a regional newspaper reporter, then covered the House for The Hill newspaper and the Senate for ABC News. Prior to The Bulwark, she was associate editor and columnist for the political news site and polling data aggregator RealClearPolitics.

Click here to register for the conference.