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Company partners with nonprofit to benefit the military community

Founded in 2008, ACP provides returning veterans and eligible active duty military spouses with one-on-one mentoring and networking opportunities, said Sid Goodfriend, ACP’s founder and chairman. IM���� has made a $50,000 donation to ACP and hopes to help the nonprofit identify more than 50 company volunteers to serve as career mentors.

Goodfriend said the organization is currently working with more than 100 of America’s top companies, universities and hospitals to serve more than 4,000 veterans and eligible spouses. To date, more than 24,000 people have completed the ACP program. 

IM����’s Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resource Officer Craig LaTorre praised the impact ACP has made while partnering with top brands like Disney, Amazon, Coca-Cola, FedEx and John Deere. He said the organization’s work is precisely the type IM���� is eager to support. 

“Recognizing the efforts of all who have served, and continue to serve, in our armed forces is important,” LaTorre said while announcing the partnership on Veterans Day. “Our work with ACP begins in the same month we will launch of first employee resource group, the IM���� Military & Veterans Community. Our ONE IM���� team has a long history of assisting veterans; I am confident our people will again step forward to help those who have bravely served our country.”

According to ACP, all interested IM���� team members are eligible to volunteer as career mentors. Those selected will participate in a brief onboarding session and should be willing to commit at least one hour of service per month for at least one year. Most mentor/ protégé relationships are conducted virtually and include frequent communication by telephone, email and video conference.

ACP Senior Vice President Jana Toner said the program serves veterans of all ranks, meaning protégés may have served anywhere from several years to several decades. Program mentors do not need to have served in the military, she said. 

“We continually look for ways to develop our program to best suit the needs of our protégés as they pursue their career goals, and right now, the need lies in finding a diversity of mentors,” Toner said. “Our partnership is exciting – not just because of the mentors who will join our program, but because of the diversity of experience IM����’s people will bring to our protégés.” 

LaTorre said those who are interested in working with ACP will find additional service opportunities with the IM���� Military & Veterans Community. 

“We enjoy great freedom in our country and that is because of the sacrifices made by our dedicated service members,” he said. “Demonstrating our commitment to these individuals by offering assistance in manners consistent with our shared IM���� values is the best way we can thank them and their families.”