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Amy’s Kitchen Boycott Ends

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SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif., June 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Food Empowerment Project (F.E.P.), a vegan food justice organization, is pleased to announce that the protracted boycott of Amy’s Kitchen products called by the company’s workers and F.E.P. has ended. The boycott, which began in January 2022, was called to improve workplace safety, increase wages, and provide better health insurance.

“Working to improve working conditions and increase wages for all Amy’s Kitchen workers has had a great impact,” said Cecilia Luna Ojeda, an Amy’s employee for 20 years. “With the help and support of Food Empowerment Project, we’ve seen safety improvements, and we hope these changes will remain and keep improving. Thank you to Food Empowerment Project for their patience, commitment, and dedication to the workers since the beginning of the campaign. And thank you to Amy’s Kitchen for listening to us.”

During the boycott hundreds of consumers, including vegan and food justice advocates, labor organizations, and grocery cooperatives, lent their voices to those of Amy’s line workers to demand better treatment and conditions.

After eight months of discussions between Amy’s Kitchen food line workers in Santa Rosa, California, representatives of F.E.P., and executives at Amy’s Kitchen, agreements were made to not only improve the working conditions for the food line workers in Santa Rosa, but the company also acknowledged those who were abruptly let go at the now-closed Amy’s Kitchen facility in San José.

“Over the past eight months of collaboration with the Food Empowerment Project, Amy’s is pleased with the learnings and progress we’ve made together,” said Paul Schiefer, President of Amy’s Kitchen, Inc. “This collaboration has facilitated productive discussions about how we can better meet our workers’ needs and enhance our communication. We look forward to continuing this positive dialogue and making meaningful improvements for our workforce.”

F.E.P. will remain in contact with the workers at Amy’s to ensure the permanence of these decisions and their treatment, and in a year, F.E.P. will revisit to see if the wages of the workers have increased and to see if employees will be receiving a cost-of-living increase.

In addition, Amy’s Kitchen has agreed to increase the number of vegan foods produced.

“We have such a deep admiration for the line workers at Amy’s Kitchen who spoke their truth to the executives at the company and never wavered and who constantly advocated for their fellow workers who were not at the table,” said lauren Ornelas, F.E.P. founder and general programs collective member. “This journey has once again taught us the power of the workers and community when we stand together to make our food system more just and compassionate as we work toward a more sustainable food system for all.”

Click here for a more detailed release. 

About Food Empowerment Project

Food Empowerment Project (http://www.foodispower.org), founded in 2007, seeks to create a more just and sustainable world by recognizing the power of one’s food choices. In all of its work, Food Empowerment Project seeks specifically to empower those with the fewest resources. Its advocacy areas include fair conditions for farm workers; the availability of healthy foods in Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities; and the protection of animals. A vegan food justice organization, Food Empowerment Project also works to expose negligent corporations, such as those that push unhealthy foods into low-income areas, those that perpetuate food deserts (or food apartheid areas), and those that sell chocolate derived from the worst forms of child labor. Food Empowerment Project is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

For more information:
Alejandra Tolley (408) 963-8096
Alejandra@foodispower.org

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/amys-kitchen-boycott-ends-302171011.html

SOURCE Food Empowerment Project

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Celerant Hosts 21st Annual Conference in West Palm Beach for Retail Clients

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Celerant to host 21st annual client conference, showcasing new retail innovations and strategic partnerships.

ISELIN, N.J., May 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Celerant Technology, an industry leader in retail software, eCommerce, and digital marketing solutions, is proud to announce its 21st Annual Client Conference next week in West Palm Beach, Florida. This premier event brings together retailers, technology partners, and Celerant team members from across the country for several days of learning, networking, and major announcements focused on innovation and growth.

Throughout the conference, Celerant will highlight partnerships that help retailers streamline operations, drive sales, and improve the customer experience. Partners in attendance include AudioEye (ADA website compliance), Avalara (sales tax automation), OtterText (text message marketing), ANT USA (open-to-buy merchandise planning), Credova (buy now/pay later solutions), and leading payment processors such as Fortis, Shift4, Worldpay, and AltruPay.

“Each year, our client conference is an incredible opportunity to bring our retailers together with our team and technology partners to collaborate, learn, and grow,” said Michele Salerno, Chief Growth Officer at Celerant. “This year is particularly special, with some of the biggest announcements in our company’s history, true game-changers for our software platform and clients’ businesses.”

Attendees will also have the opportunity to network directly with Celerant’s development, training, support, and leadership teams, building deeper connections that help maximize the value of their retail solutions.

Key highlights of the conference will include:

A teaser of Celerant’s new point of sale screen redesign, offering a more modern and intuitive workflow- representing the first step toward a broader system-wide UI/UX modernization planned for the platformAn early preview of Celerant’s AI-powered Talk-to-SQL chatbot, an exciting new feature still in development that will allow retailers to query their databases using natural languageHands-on training sessions focused on Celerant’s newest software features and enhancements within Stratus EnterpriseNetworking opportunities with Celerant’s developers, trainers, support staff, and fellow retailersTechnology partner presentations provide strategies to drive revenue, improve compliance, and enhance the overall retail experience

“This is a pivotal moment for Celerant,” said Ian Goldman, CEO of Celerant Technology. “This past year, we celebrated our 25th anniversary and recently announced our acquisition and expansion into the UK. These milestones are not just about our growth- they’re about strengthening our ability to serve our retailers and drive innovation for the future. Next week, we’re excited to bring our clients up to speed on everything we have in the works.”

For more information about Celerant’s retail solutions and details about the 21st Annual Client Conference, visit www.celerant.com/conference.

About Celerant Technology
Celerant Technology is an innovative retail software provider enabling retailers to expand their businesses past their physical storefronts’ and into the online world. Rated as the #1 retail software provider year after year by the RIS LeaderBoard, Celerant supports retailers with an all-in-one system; point of sale, inventory management, promotions and loyalty rewards, eCommerce, mobile apps, vendor integrations, marketplace integrations, integrated email marketing and more. For retailers looking for ongoing educational content to help expand your business through technology, subscribe to Celerant’s Retail Roundup blog: www.celerant.com/retailroundup.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/celerant-hosts-21st-annual-conference-in-west-palm-beach-for-retail-clients-302444556.html

SOURCE Celerant Technology

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Beyond the Screen: Bath & Body Works Shines a Spotlight on the Power of Scent

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Brand Campaign’s Continued Expansion Invites Consumers to ‘Come Back to Your Senses’ and Highlights the Power of Fragrance

COLUMBUS, Ohio, May 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Bath & Body Works, the global leader in personal care and home fragrance, is on a mission to reconnect consumers with what it believes is the most important sense: smell.

Through continued expansion of the brand’s “Come Back To Your Senses” creative platform, the campaign illustrates the power fragrance has in connecting consumers to their emotions, memories and moods. After all, the sense of smell can be a powerful, yet often underappreciated, tool for enriching daily life.  

“While today’s consumers live in a largely digital world where sight and sound reign supreme, the reality is our sense of smell can connect us to our most vibrant life experiences – from the feeling of being on the beach, a cherished family memory, or your signature scent that makes you feel like you,” said Jamie Sohosky, chief marketing officer at Bath & Body Works. “Bath & Body Works believes passionately in the important role fragrance plays in our daily lives, and through Come Back To Your Senses, we are on a mission to ensure no one ever takes their sense of scent for granted again.”

“You’ve dreamed about teleportation? . . . Well, it’s already here”
New with Come Back To Your Senses is Bath & Body Works’ latest advertising spot, featuring Emmy Award Nominee Jessica Williams from the AppleTV+ hit comedy “Shrinking.” Taking a page from the tech-industry’s fabled innovation keynotes, the advertisement demonstrates scent as a powerful new device by evoking memories and transporting Williams to different places and times – a keynote, a lavender field, her teenage bedroom and in the bath.

“I love the juxtaposition of high- and low-tech inherent in this campaign,” remarked Williams. “We live in such a digitally-focused, fast-paced environment, so I personally appreciate the message of taking a moment to stop and come back to your senses—all through the power of fragrance. And when it comes to fragrance, no one gets it like Bath & Body Works.”

The brand will also be connecting scent and sound this summer— bringing the power of fragrance to music festival goers via Bath & Body Works’ Scent x Sound Labs.  At the upcoming Just Like Heaven and Sand in My Boots festivals, attendees will experience an immersive, multi-sensory experience where fragrance and music converge to create a unique scent-memory connection. With more experiential integrations planned this year, Bath & Body Works will be celebrating all the ways scent and fragrance can help consumers live more fully.

86% of consumers admit it’s easy to take their sense of smell for granted, yet 78% said it is important to their overall well-being*.
To further underscore the power of fragrance, Bath & Body Works commissioned its “Scent & Senses” survey of 1,500+ adult Americans aged 18-65 in partnership with independent market research firm Reputation Leaders to gain a deeper understanding of U.S. consumers’ relationship to, and awareness of scent.

The key insight of this April 2025 Scent & Senses survey? While consumers overwhelmingly agree that scent improves their lives, this vital element remains absent from digital experiences, with Americans ranking their sense of smell as the “least important” of their five senses while also – time and again – reporting how critically important it is. Survey respondents noted,

72% agree “fragrance makes their lives better”;Two out of three said fragrance is “essential to self-care” (65%); andHalf (50%) said “a day without the scents they love is like a day without sunshine.”

Does fragrance really have “transportive” powers? 
Nearly 4 in 5 Scent & Senses survey respondents reported feeling that fragrance has the power to transport them to another place or time (78%), while more than half (54%) say that scent has the effect of stopping them in their tracks, or “arresting time” all together.

Despite the adage that “a picture is worth a thousand words,” the Scent & Senses survey suggests nearly 3 in 4 Americans (70%) agree that a particular scent transports them back to a specific moment or memory more vividly than a photograph.

Can your nose help make a love connection?
According to the survey data, it might, with respondents saying that scent plays a strong role in their interpersonal relations:

Two out of three Americans (65%) believe they would identify their romantic partner by scent alone if blindfolded;Three-quarters (74%) admit they would be more likely to “make a move on someone” if that special someone smelled good; andAn unpleasant smelling home is a “turn off,” not a turn on, with 4 out of 5 saying an unpleasant odor in someone’s home would make them visit less.

That said, people often choose a particular fragrance for their own enjoyment—not necessarily to attract a mate. In fact, 58% of Gen Z report that they choose to wear a particular perfume because they like the scent, even if it might repel a potential love interest.

About the Campaign
Bath & Body Works’ Come Back To Your Senses advertising spot featuring Jessica Williams debuts on May 3, 2025, during coverage of the Kentucky Derby; in the immediate days that follow, will air during the NBA Conference Semi-Finals and Met Gala; and then will continue via various streaming services. The advertisement was created by G1, Publicis Groupe’s bespoke integrated team led by The Community.

As the global leader in fragrance for 35 years, Bath & Body Works has a fragrance and format to match any mood or emotion—and to truly Come Back To Your Senses, shoppers can explore the Bath & Body Works robust product collection in-stores nationwide or online at bathandbodyworks.com.

ABOUT BATH & BODY WORKS
Home of America’s Favorite Fragrances®, Bath & Body Works is a global leader in personal care and home fragrance, including top-selling collections for fine fragrance mist, body lotion and body cream, 3-wick candles, home fragrance diffusers and liquid hand soap. Powered by agility and innovation, the company’s predominantly U.S.-based supply chain enables the company to deliver quality, on-trend luxuries at affordable prices. Bath & Body Works serves and delights customers however and wherever they want to shop, from welcoming, in-store experiences at more than 1,890 company-operated Bath & Body Works locations in the U.S. and Canada and more than 525 international franchised locations to an online storefront at bathandbodyworks.com.

*SURVEY METHODOLOGY
The “Scent & Senses” survey, sponsored by Bath & Body Works, was fielded by independent research firm Reputation Leaders in April 2025, surveying 1,500+ adult Americans aged 18-65, sampled and weighted to be nationally representative.

MEDIA CONTACT
Emmy Beach
Bath & Body Works
Communications@bbw.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/beyond-the-screen-bath–body-works-shines-a-spotlight-on-the-power-of-scent-302444719.html

SOURCE Bath & Body Works

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A 2nd Chance Bail Bonds CEO Daniel Matalon Recognized by Jardine Spears Autism Foundation

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Daniel and Rae Matalon Receive Champion of Autism Award for Ongoing Support of the Foundation at Inaugural Gala

ATLANTA, May 2, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — A 2nd Chance Bail Bonds announced that Founder and CEO Daniel Matalon and his wife Rae received the Champion of Autism Award presented by the Jardine Spears Autism Foundation (JSAF) at their Inaugural Sneaker Gala in April.

“Serving the communities where we work and live is a core value for A 2nd Chance and being part of their work and seeing the successes, including Jardine’s inspiring growth and development, is really a privilege.”

“It is with utmost gratitude that we express our thanks to Daniel and Rae Matalon for their unwavering support of the Jardine Spears Autism Foundation and its efforts to provide access to beneficial programs for children with Autism,” said Tyrone Spears, Co-founder of the Jardine Spears Autism Foundation. “Their commitment to the foundation, along with the active involvement of the A 2nd Chance Bail Bonds and A 2nd Chance Monitoring teams in our programs, is invaluable to our work and our events.”

The Champion of Autism Award was presented in recognition of the outstanding support provided by the Matalons and their companies to JSAF since its founding in 2017. In recognition of Autism Awareness Month, awards were presented to community leaders for their contributions during the eight years the foundation has provided support to children with Autism and their parents.

More than 400 supporters of JSAF attended the Inaugural Sneaker Ball where civic, business and law enforcement leaders celebrated the successes of the foundation, started in honor of Jardine Spears. The Foundation was started after Jardine’s parents recognized that various therapies and activities enhanced their son’s development and academic success and wanted to share their experience with other families. In addition to providing resources to parents looking to access meaningful interventions, JSAF is also actively raising Autism awareness within Metro Atlanta’s law enforcement community, including organizing specialized training programs for officers.

“We are beyond appreciative of this recognition from the Spears family and this important organization,” stated Daniel Matalon, Founder and CEO of A 2nd Chance. “Serving the communities where we work and live is a core value for A 2nd Chance and being part of their work and seeing the successes, including Jardine’s inspiring growth and development, is really a privilege.”

To learn more about the Jardine Spears Autism Foundation visit http://www.jsautism.org.

About the Jardine Spears Autism Foundation:
The Jardine Spears Autism Foundation focuses on the holistic development and growth of children on the spectrum. The individual development of each child is most important. The primary objective of JSAF is to ensure children have access to swimming, music, martial arts, therapeutic horseback riding, bicycling and supportive programs that help in the developmental aspects of autism. JSAF also provides an open and receptive space for parents to share experiences, dialogue, and provide access to information on evidence-based practices and interventions to decrease autism symptoms while increasing language, positive social and adaptive behavior by helping families access services.

About A 2nd Chance Bail Bonds:
A 2nd Chance Bail Bonds is a leading bail bond agency, providing 24/7 assistance across Metro Atlanta, and in the Birmingham, Alabama region. With a network of strategically placed offices, they specialize in facilitating swift releases from custody, understanding that legal situations demand immediate action. Since its founding in 2007 by Daniel Matalon, A 2nd Chance Bail Bonds has grown to be one of the largest and most reliable bail bond providers in the region. Committed to guiding clients through the bail bond process with clarity and compassion, A 2nd Chance offers support for a wide range of offenses. In addition to providing bail bond services, A 2nd Chance Bail Bonds CEO Daniel Matalon also hosts the “Back Your Blue” radio show, which highlights positive news regarding law enforcement and the justice system and showcases community programs that promote public safety. For more information, please visit http://www.a2ndchancebailbonds.com.

About A 2nd Chance Monitoring:
A 2nd Chance Monitoring, headquartered in Marietta, Georgia, delivers advanced electronic monitoring solutions to support the legal and court systems. provide cutting-edge monitoring devices and precise, exception-based reporting, ensuring accountability for pre-trial and probated individuals. As an affiliate of A 2nd Chance Bail Bonds, they leverage extensive experience in the legal sector to offer reliable and efficient monitoring services with a focus to provide tools and 24/7 service that promote compliance and enhance public safety. For further information, please visit http://www.a2ndchancemonitoring.com.

Media Contact

Malinda Lackey, Michael Mackenzie Communications, 404.445.1842, malindal@michaelmackenzie.com, www.michaelmackenzie.com

View original content:https://www.prweb.com/releases/a-2nd-chance-bail-bonds-ceo-daniel-matalon-recognized-by-jardine-spears-autism-foundation-302444776.html

SOURCE Jardine Spears Autism Foundation

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