Giving back to those changing lives during Givember.

Addiction touches all of us in some way. Whether we’re fighting our own demons, helping our loved ones through difficult times, or supporting friends in their struggles, the impact is real. Healing Transitions in Raleigh, North Carolina is an organization that has made a huge impact within their community and for our Ernest family. Our former Ernest Brand Council chair and Raleigh Operations Manager Chad Maroun shares, “Healing Transitions primarily caters to those afflicted by alcoholism and addiction, providing a powerful detox and recovery program that includes free room and board. They do amazing work there as well as at programs like theirs around the country.” Having had a family member who lived at Healing Transitions for a time and participated in their program, he knows firsthand how important the work they do is.

That’s why when it came to choosing a charity to receive donations during Ernest’s Givember drive, Healing Transitions was top of the list for the Raleigh team. Giving back to our communities has been part of the Ernest Way since the very beginning, and was a huge inspiration for our ongoing Givember initiative. For the past six years, alumni members of the Ernest Brand Council (EBC), our company-wide, all-volunteer team of brand builders and stewards, have gotten together to choose an essential item to collect for local homeless shelters, to help out those less fortunate than ourselves. Then, we spend the entire month of September, or “Givember” as we call it, collecting donations. Each year, the program grows a little more — and so does the excitement on both the giving and receiving ends.

Over the past five years, all of the donations gathered in Raleigh have gone to the Healing Transitions shelter. Chad explains, “Having had a family member participate in the program, I am very grateful to be able to give back to them through this amazing Ernest effort. Healing Transitions played a huge part in his recovery, providing him with treatment options free of charge. We’re so proud of his success in treatment and his continued push for self-improvement and sobriety. I want to help them help as many people struggling with addiction as they can. What they do is life changing.”

Supporting an organization that has personally touched people on the team has been really meaningful. Chad explains, “When we deliver everything we’ve collected, we bring along some of our team members so they see all the good the program is doing and hear the stories from the residents themselves. It’s incredibly uplifting. Healing Transitions has given so much to our community and we all feel honored to be able to give back to them.”

“Our Givember program is becoming a legacy.”

—Chad Maroun, Raleigh Operations Manager

During Givember this year, we collected clean, new t-shirts, an everyday item that goes a long way in restoring dignity and self-worth for those in need. In addition to our employees across the company, we also received donations from suppliers, vendors, customers, and consultants. We had 19 suppliers and 12 customers participate. In Los Angeles, we got a huge donation from one clothing manufacturer alone. Chad says, “From when we first started until now, we’ve gotten a lot more participation. The word is spreading. Everyone is getting more involved and we’ve been able to give more to a program that has done so much for our community.”

With the help of everyone who donated this year, we exceeded our target of 8,500 shirts by thousands — collecting a whopping 11,154 t-shirts for local homeless shelters. “The fact is we take these things for granted every day, but for many people a new t-shirt is a big deal,” Chad says. “It really warms your heart to see that.”

Huge thanks to everyone who participated, and all those who have built this legacy of helping others. Ernest Wilson would be proud. And at 100 years old, Charles continues to share his passion for all our company does to give back. Even though we smashed our goal this year, we know that every year more and more people end up struggling with addiction and homelessness. Our efforts each Givember are more important than ever. Just one unfortunate series of events and any one of us could find ourselves living on the street. While we count our blessings, it’s important we never forget those who are struggling. It’s our responsibility to do everything we can to help.