Since 2018, we’ve dedicated the entire month of September (aka “Givember”) to collecting one essential item. In every division, E-Teamers, vendors and our clients collect the items and they are then taken to local charities and non-profit organizations that serve the homeless. This year, the Ernest Brand Council (EBC) Alumni, our volunteer team that plans Givember every year, talked to some of our charity partners to uncover the items most in need. This year it was towels and washcloths.

While most of us take the ability to grab a towel for granted, it’s not a given for everyone. For the millions of people struggling with homelessness across the US, clean towels are a luxury that’s hard to come by. This simple household item represents more than something to dry off with at the end of a long day. It means comfort, warmth, and dignity. By sharing a basic necessity with the people who need it most, we can give them a much-needed chance at normalcy, while making them feel seen and valued.

“When we hand over the donated items to the charities we work with, they always accept the goods with open arms. It’s very heartwarming. That’s the way the world should be.”

—Ray Woods, Client Logistics Manager, Raleigh

Each year, we set a goal for how many of the item we can collect, then we get the message out to every division and our Ernest family gets to work. Knowing that towels aren’t cheap, our target this year was 6,000. Thanks to everyone pitching in at every division, we blew that out of the water, collecting nearly 12,000 towels—almost double our goal! Watch the video to see the impact.

We encourage different E-Teamers to deliver the items collected to our local charity partners each year. It’s a great way for them to see the importance of Givember and the impact they are making. Detroit Director of Client Relations Christian Failla noted, “It was great to see how Zaman empowers individuals and families in our community to go from crisis to sustainability. Getting to support their mission was such a blessing.” Sophia Hernandez, a Client Coordinator in our Salt Lake City division, adds, “My first Givember drop-off was such a sweet experience! Seeing how even small contributions can make a big impact made my heart smile.”

“Thanks to partners like Ernest, we’re able to assist people and treat them with compassion and dignity. They donated hundreds of towels that we could distribute to the homeless of our community.”

—Angela Stetsenko, Community Relations Manager, Union Gospel Mission, Sacramento

Massive thanks to everyone who donated, including E-Teamers from across the country and the vendors who also contributed. And of course, our heartfelt gratitude to all the organizations we work with that are doing good work every single day. Mama Minnie would be proud.

To help our Ernest family understand the true impact of breast cancer, Becky Dunn, Merchandiser in our Las Vegas division, is once again sharing her story and encouraging everyone to be aware and get involved.

Taking charge of her healing journey

Both Becky and her twin sister Kathy were diagnosed with breast cancer within a year of each other. For anyone facing this diagnosis, Becky emphasizes the importance of creating a support network. Her family, sister, and other women who had experienced treatment were her lifeline.

These women helped her make the very personal decision of opting for a double mastectomy and choosing not to pursue reconstructive surgery. Despite feeling pressure from her male doctors, “I talked about wanting to go flat,” Becky says, “which is an option doctors don’t bring up a lot. They assume women only want implants, but don’t explain how complicated that surgery is compared to no reconstruction.” Her sister Kathy had the option of DIEP flap surgery, but Becky wasn’t a candidate for that.

Becky turned to her online support group for help in making the extremely personal decision about reconstruction, and was immediately put in contact with other survivors who were more than happy to offer their own experiences. “I’m now that person who can share my story and offer support,” Becky says. She now talks about her surgery experience so more people can be better informed about all the options.

Her message to anyone facing a diagnosis? Find your support group. Stay curious and do the research so you know what to expect. Find a doctor who’s willing to listen to you, not just talk at you. And advocate for yourself — don’t be afraid to ask for a second (or third) opinion. It’s your health, and your choice.

Grateful for her Ernest family

In addition to her husband, who was “an amazing partner through all of it,” the rest of her family and friends, and her online community, Becky was blown away by the support she received from her Ernest family in Las Vegas.

“I was especially touched by the support from my co-workers,” she says. “Throughout my treatment and recovery, they treated me normally, even when I lost my hair and felt like I looked like a science experiment gone wrong. And on Pink Day when Ernest wears pink, seeing everyone, even the warehouse, wearing pink, that meant so much to me.”

We want to say a huge thank you to Becky for sharing her story, and to everyone in the Las Vegas division for showing up when she needed you. That’s the Ernest Way.

The next time she saw Ethan, he handed her a letter addressed to the “boss of Ernest,” which laid out his product plan for a Dudley squishy toy, along with a sticker and a mini comic book about his adventures to be included in the package.

Naomi took the letter to work, thinking our fearless leader, Tim, would get a kick out of it. Upon reading it, he turned to her and said, “Why haven’t you brought him to meet Dudley yet?”

“I couldn’t believe it!” Naomi says. She spoke to her sister and within a day, the marketing department went into action and an office visit was orchestrated. When Ethan, his brother, and two friends arrived, Naomi thought it would just be a quick meet and greet with Dudley and a cute photo opportunity. But Dudley and his faithful staff had other plans. After all, this is his house.

The boys found a whole reception waiting for them, complete with games, drinks, and—you guessed it—donuts, not to mention Dudley himself. The kids got to play, eat, and meet their sweet idol, with Ethan declaring, “I’m not a fan of Dudley. I’m a MEGA fan!”

Next, they donned safety vests and went for a tour of “Dudley’s house,” a.k.a. the warehouse. Highlights for Ethan included meeting Dudley and getting to pitch some of his ideas for the next company picnic. (Seriously, this kid is going places.)

Ethan was so blown away by the whole experience, he didn’t want to leave. “It was a big deal for a little boy,” Naomi says. While the Marketing team is currently looking into getting Ethan’s Dudley squishy toy idea made, Mr. Du-not himself is busy booking the next stops on his goodwill tour. To find out where he’s headed, be sure to check out the Dudley’s Playhouse fan site and have a go at our Dudley Dash game while you’re there. It’s a tasty little adventure.

Thanks for sharing your bright idea with us, Ethan! We can’t wait to see what you dream up next.

Filmed in INCREDIVISION.

No, it’s not TV. It’s not just some streaming service. And it’s much more amazing than an entertainment platform. It’s Ernest+, or e+ for short. Now, audiences from around the globe can tune in to watch the most mind-blowing miracles ever recorded on film. And the best part, ladies and gentlemen? These stories are not just works of fiction. They combine your vision with our vision to make something real. Something that shatters the status quo. Something never before seen by humankind. We call it INCREDIVISION.

Action-packed adventures that leave you on the edge of your seat!

For fans of thrills and chills, look no further than e+. You’ll find our hit film series The E-Team, featuring Cornflake, Porterhouse and Johnny Vegas as they fight the evils of sub-par solutions.  You’ll also enjoy The Ernest Challenge, where our own President Tim Wilson subjects himself to the same perils that packaging is prone to. You’ll be amazed at the skydiving, motorcycle-fire-hoop jumping and rodeo riding, plus shocking run-ins with an amorous Sasquatch and even King Kong himself. 

Technological marvels that challenge the imagination!

If you’re more of a Popular Science type, tune into our Cardboard Chaos film series. Here, we’ve taken a paper-based product the world has deemed utilitarian and changed the minds of all the contrarians. By creating a skateboard, a Fender Stratocaster, a Wurlitzer organ and more, we’ve pushed the boundaries of what cardboard can do to the stratosphere—and beyond! Or if you’re a music fan, be sure to check out Cardboard Sessions, where we invite the world’s most amazing musicians to rock-and-roll on our paper instruments.

You’ll laugh! You’ll cry! You’ll save money on shipping!

In our Blazing Tales series, get ready to witness our shocking solutions come to life in the real world. See our clients from all across the country who are fearlessly leading the charge, backed by the expertise that Ernest brings. Whether it’s shipping chicken coops cost-effectively, stopping toilet paper heists in California casinos, or keeping perishables fresh in transcontinental journeys, it’s all right here. And don’t forget: there’s something for everyone on e+, from History to Culture to our very own origin story with founder Ernest Wilson and his brother, Charles (who, by the way, still comes to work at 100 years of age!)

As soon as Ona Ventour, Client Coordinator in our Detroit division, learned he was on his way, she started making plans for giving her almost five-year-old daughter and Dudley super-fan, Ava, the great news. On the morning of the big day, Ava was excited to grab her Dudley plushie and head to work with mom.

Ava has always enjoyed the “spinny chairs” at mom’s office, but this time she got to take a full tour.  When she arrived, the first thing that caught her eye was the welcome sign at the front desk. Using her newly minted reading skills, she excitedly told her mom, “It says Ava on the screen!” She also quickly picked out Dudley’s picture on the office walls. She asked her mom, “Does he live here?  Or does he work with you all?”

She knew when she got to the conference room that was decorated for her visit with Dudley that she was in for a treat! And it was all high fives and fist bumps when Dudley entered the room. The two took a tour through the warehouse. They played with balloons. And Ava showed him some of her moves from ballet class.  She even let him hold her cherished Dudley plushie (a very meta moment for our Du-Not).

When it was time for Ava to head off to school, she tried hard to convince her mom that she would be an asset to the office. “So, I have an idea,” she cajoled. “What if I just stayed with you? And Dudley?” But all sweet moments must come to an end and Ona had to bundle Ava off to school with some goodies and great Dudley memories.

That evening, Ava called her dad, her uncle, and then her two grandmas to tell them all about meeting her pastry hero. She shared, “I worked with mom today and we met Mr. Doug-e-ly. We ate food. They brought me all the gifts. They love me.” No wonder Ava is all-in on Ernest.  Sounds like she’s ready for that internship. And Dudley is ready to hit the road! Where will he be spotted next? We’re baking a Dudley fan club site for all the latest updates, so stay tuned.

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.

In honor of the creatures that bring us so much joy, we ran daily polls where E-Teamers shared fun facts about their pets, like how they landed on the perfect name (we’re looking at you, Lord Waffles). We also shared furry-friend trivia all week long. Did you know that a group of adult cats is called a Clowder? Or that dogs have three eyelids per eye? We even put some Ernest themed pet merch up in our swag store, so the whole family can show their Ernest pride.

Featured pet stories

We invited E-Teamers to submit their pet stories to be featured on our Ernest Insider intranet, and had so much fun getting to know our team’s little buddies. We even discovered some non-traditional pets in our midst, like Sacramento-based Elena Cobrian’s pet squirrel, named (wait for it) Squirrel, who plays like a cat and loves strawberries.

Two pet tales really inspired this whole celebration. First, meet 21-year-old Yellow Nape Amazon, Oscar. Las Vegas-based E-Teamer Sarah Budz has been his bird-mom since he was just four months old. Sarah “had no idea what she was getting into” when she adopted the baby parrot, but couldn’t imagine life without him. Oscar loves cuddles on the couch and talking up a storm whenever he hears the vacuum cleaner. This outside-the-box pairing sounds like a match made in heaven.

We were also moved by our founder Mr. Wilson’s even less traditional pet story. Growing up during the Depression, Mr. Wilson and his brother longed for a dog to keep them company. But having just lost their father, the family couldn’t afford another mouth to feed. So, their mother came up with a very special, and useful, alternative. She gave Mr. Wilson a dog-shaped nutcracker for his birthday. While it may not have been as cuddly as a puppy, it’s stayed with him for more than 90 years and brought him much joy—and also fed his penchant for walnuts.

The E-Team connection

Some pet stories stood out to us for their Ernest connection. Like Detroit E-Teamer Selena Korhnen’s dog Sasha, who ran out in front of her car, “soaking from the rain and very skinny,” when she was on her way to see a client—who kindly welcomed the rescue pup with treats before Selena took her home.

Phoenix-based Nelson Thomas also found his newest family member, a Norwegian Forest cat named Winslow, while on the job. Nelson was headed to Northern Arizona when he spotted a tiny kitten stranded in the middle of a busy freeway. After the kitty made a mad dash across traffic to get to him, she curled up and slept on his shoulder for the rest of the ride home.

Thanks to everyone who participated in Ernest Pet Week—and of course, a big shout out to all of our furry, feathered, scaled and other animal friends, who are also part of the Ernest family. We’d love to hear your pet stories, too. Share them with your Ernest Client Relations Manager. And to celebrate how much you love your BFF, why not buy them some fun merch? We’ve got a new store with pet fashions and accessories that would make pawfectly great gifts for the holidays!

In keeping with the Ernest Way, we call everyone who works here an E-Teamer—because they’re not just employees, they’re essential contributors to everything we do here. That’s also why the Ernest Brand Council, the all-volunteer, E-Teamer organization charged with keeping our culture alive and thriving, put an Ernest spin on things by renaming the event E-Teamer Appreciation Day. And what a day, it is! We go out of our way to make sure everyone who works here knows how much we value them and all they do for us and our clients.

“Ernest truly values everyone who works here and we really celebrate big across the company. It’s one of the things that makes Ernest a different kind of company, and a special place to work.”

—Jose Ibarra, EBC Chair 

As our family continues to grow, so do the celebrations. Each division comes up with their own way to shower their E-Teamers with love by hosting an event that includes coffee, breakfast, lunch, dessert, and games. Plus, the EBC gives every employee an E-Teamer Appreciation gift. This year it was a $30 swag store credit, which was a big hit. (We love seeing that Ernest swag all around the office!)

“We like to work hard and play hard. This was a great opportunity for the whole E-Team in each division to do something fun together. Everyone got really into it, and we’re already looking forward to the next one.”

—Jose Ibarra, EBC Chair 

The divisions did not disappoint when it came to creativity. Our crews in Sacramento and Portland both opted for a luau theme, while Houston went French, Fresno rolled out the red carpet, and Salt Lake City turned into a carnival. Raleigh shook things up with a Flavor-Flav party, complete with some Dudley drip. Meanwhile, our Los Angeles headquarters went all in on a Western throw-down, featuring line dancing, BBQ, and ping pong. San Luis Obispo hosted a movie night, and San Diego and Reno focused on everyone’s favorite part of the party: food.

Ernest’s relationship with Olive Crest started four years ago when our Los Angeles division partnered with them to be the recipient of our Givember blanket drive. After that initial experience, Olive Crest’s Community Involvement & Development Manager Nick King met with some of the Ernest team to share all of the programs the agency offers and the different ways we could get involved.

Support for a sweet event

“When Nick told us about their Trunk or Treat event last year, it seemed like a great way for us to contribute,” notes Nancy Ponce, Corrugated Merchandising Manager and our outgoing Ernest Brand Council (EBC) Chair. Community participants set up themed booths in a safe zone for children of all ages to gather, enjoy treats, and have an all-around awesome afternoon. And this year, the Ernest team went all out to transform the back of our warehouse delivery van into Shrek’s swamp.

Junior Accountant and our incoming EBC Chair Jose Ibarra offered to dress up as Shrek because according to him, he has “the body for it.” Joined by Corporate Accounts Payable Lead Judy Terrazas as Fiona and Jose’s son as Donkey, the Ernest contingent at this annual event was swamptastic! Our design department even built corrugated character standees of Puss-N-Boots, Pinocchio, and the Three Blind Mice. From vines and plants to signs warning kids to beware of ogres, it was quite the display. So good, in fact, it was named the best booth at the event.

The most rewarding part, though, was that the kids loved it. With over 40 bags of candy, snacks, and small toys, we had lots to give away, thanks to the generosity of Ernest employees and departments. Linda Rodriguez, a former EBC chair and candy contributor said it best, “When we do things at Ernest, we do it right!”

The event was a huge success for everyone involved. The kids got plenty of treats. Olive Crest had costumes for any child that needed one. And they even brought in an In-and-Out truck to feed all the families. This year, over 100 families participated.

Spreading even more holiday cheer

Our relationship with Olive Crest doesn’t stop when all the candy is gone. Over the years, our LA teams have regularly sponsored Olive Crest families at Christmas. And 2023 was no exception, with our local E-Teamers collecting gifts for two families. Each department is either assigned an individual family member or a gift category and gathers donations. This year, one of the families needed a new washing machine, so in addition to the fun gifts, we pooled our resources for this essential.

The Ernest team is excited to keep the holiday cheer going. There are so many different ways to continue helping Olive Crest and the families it supports. According to Nick King, “The way I see the partnership growing in the future is continuing to have Ernest come to volunteer at community events throughout the year (maybe getting new employees to attend) to see the families they’re impacting, maybe to potentially come to the office and share personally with the staff on the difference they’re making.” That’s what our 99-year-old founder and North Star Charles Wilson always says, “When you share with others, you get more out of it than anything.” And that’s why giving is an essential part of the work we do here. It’s the Ernest Way!

Our Ernest Brand Council (EBC) is an all-volunteer organization made up of dedicated E-Teamers who are the eyes, ears, and voice of every Ernest division. They’re always looking for fun ways to celebrate, and reward, the people who keep our business running. You can dive deeper into how the EBC came to be in our explainer video. As the council wraps up its 10th year, let’s look back at all the action—from our annual EBC meeting (watch the recap) to companywide events they organized to bring people together in in 2023.

Celebrating divisions, people, and milestones

Every March, the EBC hosts E-Teamer Appreciation Day, with each division throwing a party to make every member of the Ernest family feel valued. They also host a number of regional events, like the safari picnic our Los Angeles headquarters hosted in August and a dedicated Driver Appreciation Week in September, when we show our hard-working road warriors how much they mean to us—because they literally keep all of us moving forward.

This year, we were very fortunate to have the whole company help celebrate a major milestone: Mr. Wilson’s 99th birthday, on June 16th. To show our founder how much he means to us, we got every division together on a Zoom. We also had some special guests, including his granddaughter Sari and the Los Angeles Battalion “Rough Riders,” who joined us in our LA office. The flight deck crew from the USS Carl Vinson CVN-70 Aircraft Carrier also joined by satellite to wish Mr. Wilson a happy birthday and thank him for the service and bravery that earned him a Bronze Star of Valor. We are so lucky to have him as our North Star.

Coming together to help our communities

The EBC also organizes a number of initiatives aimed at helping others, and this year was no exception. Giving back has always been part of the Ernest way and it’s exciting to see how our programs seem to grow year after year. Lyndee Ashford, EBC Alumni Lead and Client Coordinator Supervisor in our Phoenix division, says, “Being humble about everything we have and how we can give back is an essential part of working here.”

This year, our annual September “Givember” driveway overshot our goal of 10,000 knit hats, gloves, and scarves to keep people warm this winter. The founding chair of the EBC, Linda Rodriguez says, “I’ve participated in the program since day one. It’s progressed so much and we love to see all the ways we can impact our communities.” She also says the divisions get very competitive with each other and raise the goal every year. “Everyone pitches in,” she says. “It’s wonderful.” Like all of the EBC efforts, Givember has become an essential part of the Ernest culture, which was even highlighted in the book Culture Quotient by Greg Besner.

October (aka “Pinktober”) was dedicated to breast cancer awareness, with one of our own bravely sharing her story.

And our Los Angeles division held both a Halloween Trunk or Treat & Christmas Adopt-a-family event for local families in need in partnership with Olive Crest.

Looking forward to more fun in the new year

Some of the other entertaining events the EBC organized this year included a drawing contest for our calendar, a Monthly Messenger newsletter, and a Crock Pot Creation contest. Check out our EBC Year in Review sizzle reel to see for yourself how committed we all are to maintaining the Ernest culture that we hold so dear.

Finally, we want to give a special shout out to outgoing EBC chair, Nancy Ponce, and a warm welcome to Jose Ibarra, who’s stepping into her shoes to lead the council in 2024. We can’t wait to see what you all cook up for us this year.