ELC Salutes U.S. Veterans, Employees Write Letters of Thanks to Military Members Overseas

Today and every day The Estée Lauder Companies (ELC) salutes veterans and military members for service to their country.

On this day, ELC shines a light on veterans at ELC, who bring unique skill sets and make significant contributions to the company.

ELC Is Proud of Its Employees Who Are Veterans

The Veterans Employee Resource Group (ERG) at ELC reflects the strong value of service, commitment, and community that veterans represent. The Veterans ERG members continue to set an example of service and selflessness by volunteering in support of local organizations, serving as role models in their communities, and engaging in mentoring new ELC employees who are veterans.

Third Annual Red, White, and Blue Notes Initiative

For the third year, ELC has launched its Red, White, and Blue Notes initiative, which encourages U.S. employees to send letters to active military members overseas in time for the holidays.

The company-wide program is sponsored by Chairman Emeritus Leonard A. Lauder, a veteran of the U.S. Navy, in partnership with the Veterans ERG at ELC and the nonprofit A Million Thanks.

Mr. Lauder is known for writing letters of thanks—Blue Notes—to colleagues, friends, and family.

“Sending a message to someone lets them know they are remembered, respected, and missed,” said Mr. Lauder, a veteran of the U.S. Navy. “I’ll never forget the letters I received from friends and family while serving overseas. Those letters kept me focused and were a lifeline for me and so many. Write a letter and let them know you care.”

From October 26 through November 30, ELC encourages employees, as well as friends and family, to send letters of thanks to active military members overseas in time for the holidays. There are two ways to submit letters:

• Submit your letter using this form
• You can join the company in sending handwritten letters and drawings directly to A Million Thanks at:
  A Million Thanks
  17853 Santiago Blvd, #107-355
  Villa Park, CA 92861

Here are a few tips for writing your letter:

• Address the letter with salutations such as, “Dear Service Member,” “Dear Soldier,” or “Dear Hero”
• Express thanks for their service
• Keep the tone of the letter positive and uplifting
• Encourage your family to participate – drawings and notes from children are highly encouraged and welcomed!
• *Note: If you provide your first name and/or last name, this information will only be used to inform the active and veteran military members of the letter author

In the Words of ELC Employees

Several ELC employees who are veterans or members of veteran families, shared stories of the impact a letter can make:

“Being deployed around the world, receiving letters no matter how short—even a post card—made me feel connected. By nature, the job of a solder is thankless. Writing to members of the military makes a difference and can have a large impact on the morale of our service members. While on duty in the field, I often had little or no contact with home. Reading and rereading letters from home gave me the connection that I had lost when deployed.”

Lawrence Mangine, Vice President, Manufacturing, Quality Assurance, Engineering & Environmental Health & Safety, Information Technology, The Estée Lauder Companies

“While deployed I had several buddies receive news from home of their new-born babies. Personally, I was updated on my youngest brother’s collegiate baseball career. My wife is a middle-school teacher, and I even received letters from her class. Didn’t matter who wrote to me, it was exciting to re-connect to life back home, which helped to reinforce my decision to join the Marine Corps and serve my country during wartime. Today, my family continues to repay the sentiment and sends letters to deployed troops. My wife continues to include the exercise in her lessons, and her students will certainly be sending letters and drawings again this year.” 

Andrew Bainbridge, Executive Director, North America Value Chain, Environmental Health & Safety, The Estee Lauder Companies

“My dad was a Marine overseas. He didn’t talk about the military much unless someone asked, but he has said any mail he got was appreciated. My mom, on the other hand, wrote to soldiers she didn’t even know because her sister’s buddy was in the military and told her that some guys overseas never received anything. The sisters even sent cookies and popcorn. My mom wrote my dad after they met as well. They still have some of their letters, actually. They will celebrate their 50th anniversary next year.” 

Sara Simpson, Senior CR Representative, New Business, Aveda

“My uncle, who served in Vietnam, still remembers in detail every single care package he received, and he saved all of his letters. A dear friend of mine, who was stationed in Afghanistan, sent me a “Thank You” after he got his care packages. That particular box had extra letters from friends and family. He wrote “…You have no idea how much this means to me and the guys. It is a real lifeline. It’s the only thing that keeps us going. Please, PLEASE keep writing back!”

Molly Lepera, Administrative Assistant, Aveda

Community Impact Grant Announced

In commemoration of Veterans Day, ELC’s Veterans ERG is proud to reiterate support for Hope For The Warriors, a recipient of The Estée Lauder Companies’ 2020 Community Impact Grant. The grant was created in 2014 to give the company’s ERGs the unique opportunity to direct corporate philanthropic contributions and commit volunteer hours to the nonprofits that they care about and that are aligned to ELC’s values.

• Hope For The Warriors is a charitable organization dedicated to helping military veterans and their families succeed at home through comprehensive programs focused on transition, health and wellness, peer engagement and connections to community resources.