I Am Rich’s

Name: Steven Jezioro

Title: Internal Audit Manager, Finance

Years with Rich’s: Two and a half

Location: Rich’s World Headquarters, Buffalo, New York

Favorite Rich’s product: Farm Rich Breaded Mozzarella Sticks

Why did you first decide to become a volunteer or otherwise get involved in community service? I decided to become a volunteer when I realized I can make a difference. I feel it’s important to help those who are less fortunate, especially where you live. Volunteering a few hours a month can have a huge impact on someone in our community.

What generally has been the nature of your volunteer contributions and commitment to “Bettering Your Community”? I volunteer with two different organizations: the Food Bank of Western New York and Second Chance Sheltering Network Inc. Currently, I sit on the board of directors and act as the assistant treasurer for the Food Bank and I volunteer at the organization’s fundraising events, such as Walk Off Hunger. I also volunteer my time with Second Chance Sheltering Network, which is a local all-volunteer, no-kill animal shelter. You may be familiar with this organization if you have ever adopted a kitten or cat from a local PetSmart store. I clean out the cat cages and socialize with the animals while they are awaiting adoption.

How has being a Rich’s associate influenced or contributed to the success of your volunteer activities? Rich’s has been both a tremendous influencer and a supporter of my volunteer endeavors. The company value that says we will “Better Our Communities” has motivated me to give back to my community any way I can. The support I receive directly from Rich’s, along with the flexibility we’re given for these activities, has allowed me to make time in my schedule to get involved.

I Am Rich’s

Name: Aaron Tichenor

Title: Customer Service – Foodservice Division

Years with Rich’s: 2

Location: WHQ

Favorite Rich’s product: 15552 – Chocolate Soufflé Sweet Middles

Favorite hobby: Coaching basketball or playing golf

Proudest moment at Rich’s: Helping organize and run the “Rich’s Olympic Games” last summer.

I Am Rich’s

Name: Tammie Flynn

Title: Food Technologist II, Research and Development, TCCS (Toppings, Icings and Culinary Solutions)

Years with Rich’s: 21

Location: Rich’s World Headquarters, Buffalo, New York

Favorite Rich’s product: My favorite product line is Rich’s colored Bettercreme whipped icing. I helped develop the colors many years ago, and sometimes I like to think about how many happy celebrations these products have been part of! I love that I can give cake decorators a rainbow of colors for decorating cakes that customers will take home and use to celebrate special occasions.

Favorite hobby: Collecting penguins.

Proudest moment at Rich’s: My proudest moment has to be a recent project I worked on. I created a new, green whipped topping that one of our customers used for a popular limited-time offer. It’s the best feeling when you can see what you’ve created in the marketplace, and this one was even more special because I was able to go to the restaurant and see every table in there with our product on it!

I Am Rich’s

Name: Amy Shipshock

Title: Zone Culinarian

Years with Rich’s: 4 years this coming July

Location: Field (home base is in Woodbury, Minnesota)

Favorite Rich’s product: I really love all of our sweet portfolios (I guess that shows the pastry chef in me). Especially our Toppings, Creams and Culinary Solutions category there are endless possibilities!

Favorite hobby: My husband and I love to travel!

Proudest moment at Rich’s: Doing desserts for photo shoots and seeing my creations everywhere!

I Am Rich’s

Name: Jennifer VanHoff

Title: Invoicing Specialist

Years with Rich’s: 9

Location: Rich’s World Headquarters, Buffalo, New York

Favorite Rich’s product: White Bread Dough, because when I was a kid, my mother made monkey bread with it on Saturday mornings. So, it’s a very special childhood memory.

Why did you first decide to become a volunteer or otherwise get involved in community service? I have always been the type of individual who pays it forward. Even when I was a temp here at Rich’s, I was doing Meals on Wheels. I believe I am truly blessed. My life events have made me the person I am today and there will always be someone whose existence I feel I can help make better.

What generally has been the nature of your volunteer contributions and commitment to “Bettering Your Community”? Traditionally, I choose volunteer opportunities that touch my heart, and while most of them do that, a few really stand out. I really want to help bring a brightness to someone’s day or life. Meals on Wheels helps me do that for the individuals on our route – they call me by name and when I call them by name, they smile and know that I am there to see them. It makes it all worth it. Recently, I have become more involved with Niagara Hospice, the place that helped my grandmother and me get through her end-of-life transition. Now, from that cherished experience, I can help other families come out on the other side of a loss better for having been through it. I know it’s a hard experience, but I survived it and I’m better for having had Niagara Hospice on my side.

How has being a Rich’s associate influenced or contributed to the success of your volunteer activities? No matter who, no matter what, no matter where, Rich’s inspires me. It has provided me the outlet to give, the opportunity to better people’s lives, and the promise to treat our community like family.

The company also has instilled in me its mission to “do what’s right, no matter what.” I can say wholeheartedly that the Rich’s family cares about our community, they care about what’s right and they care about me. In addition, one of my favorite authors once said, “Just do right,” so thank you, Maya Angelou, for teaching me to be the best human being I can be.

Dr. Maya Angelou: “Just Do Right”

What advice or message would you share with others to encourage them to get more involved in community service? Be a rainbow in someone else’s cloud. Be a blessing to someone who needs a blessing. Lift up a fellow human being – we should all be lifting each other up. Our pasts are full of events of tearing down and it is never too late to give. Give a hand, give a kind word, even give a tear if someone needs to share their sadness. Just GIVE.

Here at Rich’s, I can point out an opportunity for us as a company to help and the need is recognized and help is given. I have teamed up with some amazing people here. They are now my family and, as a family, we are a pretty strong force. And with the Rich’s family behind us, we accomplish some really extraordinary, mountain-moving things and deliver wonderful gifts to our community. We, as a company, need to be “a rainbow in someone else’s cloud.”

I Am Rich’s

Name: Mike Tait

Title: Human Resources Manager

Years with Rich’s: 4

Location: Rich’s Murfreesboro Manufacturing Facility(Tennessee)

Favorite Rich’s product: SeaPak Shrimp

Favorite hobby: Enjoying every minute with my seven grandchildren and that’s all the hobby I can handle right now.

Proudest moment at Rich’s: Being hired. It took me a couple of months to realize this, because of the culture – it is very different, in a positive way, from the culture at other major companies where I’ve worked. It took a while to accept it was real. It is amazing what the Rich family has accomplished and how they continue to maintain a small family culture throughout the company. I’m proud to be part of the team.

I Am Rich’s

Name: Jorge Vazquez

Title: Warehouse Manager

Years with Rich’s: 10

Location: Rich’s Santa Ana (California) Manufacturing Facility

Favorite Rich’s product: Jon Donaire Cheesecake

Favorite hobby: Exploring new places with my family. See the picture of me at Jardines de Mexico (Garden of Mexico), which is about two hours south of Mexico City.

Proudest moment at Rich’s: Achieving 3,500 straight days without a lost time accident at the Santa Ana warehouse.

I Am Rich’s

Name:  Cheryl Sanko

Title:  Governance Manager, Product Category Teams, US/Canada Region

Years with Rich’s: 11

Location:  Rich’s World Headquarters, Buffalo, New York

Favorite Rich’s product:  Cookies (and I’ve been known to also enjoy an occasional f’real shake)

Why did you first decide to become a volunteer or otherwise get involved in community service?   It was because of my parents.  One was a nurse and the other was a teacher, so the very definition of their livelihoods was about serving others.  My five sisters and I grew up volunteering and donating.  It reached another level, however, after one sister was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and we devastatingly lost another to cancer, which was two years ago.  Like many people, having a personal connection to something really ignites a fire inside you to do more.

What generally has been the nature of your volunteer contributions and commitment to “Bettering Your Community”?  My husband and I have chosen to follow the discipline of tithing for our household, so that’s first; then we use our skills and talents from there.  For me, it’s mostly around planning and organizing events and fundraisers, like walks, parties, raffles and garage sales.  Organizing comes very easily to me; I can’t play an instrument or speak another language, but I can plan an event with one hand tied behind my back!

How has being a Rich’s associate influenced or contributed to the success of your volunteer activities? The fact that everyone here, all the way to the shareholders, authentically supports a spirit of giving and volunteering makes it even easier to think of innovative ways to give back.