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Petty Sukarsaatmadja

When the going gets tough, they do good

The past several weeks have been challenging for all of us. During these times, I have found an unlikely source of hope and inspiration: my work email. It appears each day, my inbox has been filling up with stories of people, my coworkers at Panasonic, going beyond themselves to help others.

There’s Petty Sukarsaatmadja, who together with her family, is using a personal 3D printer to make face shields for healthcare workers. They were inspired by the need described by her neighbor, a nurse. Petty and her family found instructions on a government website and got busy. To date, Petty and her family have made and distributed more than 500 face shields.

Bill Bachelor poses with two seniors on a dock

And when Bill Bachelor found out that the independent senior community where his parents live was running out of hand sanitizer, he reached out to a local distillery that had begun using a recipe posted by the World Health Organization to produce the cleaning agent. A couple of days later, he delivered much needed hand sanitizer to the community’s home health aides and workers.

Scott Smith
Scott Smith utilized his large format 3D printer to produce masks for those who need it most. To date, Scott has produced nearly 160 masks and is working to fulfill hundreds of more requests while keeping up with his normal day-to-day duties, leading our Panasonic Avionics field engineers.
Dave Tomicki organizes bags of food for distribution

Dave Tomicki didn't shy away when his community was affected by COVID-19. He and his neighbors stepped up in a major way to give back when local schools announced they would remain closed. Based out of his two-car garage, Dave and his neighbors sprung into action to support local kids who relied on school programs for access to food. Within days, they organized a community food pantry, serving those in need.

These are just a few of the many uplifting stories that have found their way into my inbox, sent by colleagues who – like me – have been touched by the spirit of generosity and compassion shown in these difficult and uncertain times.

As part of my role at Panasonic, I have the opportunity to travel the country visiting and speaking with employees about their work, their experiences, and our company’s culture, which is rooted in seven business principles that were established by our company’s founder nearly a century ago. The first of those seven principles is contribution to society – contributions we make through our products, our services, and our charitable efforts.

Since this pandemic began, I have been moved and proud to see my colleagues live out our seven principles and, in the process, touch the lives of so many.

Authors

Megan Lee - Chief Human Resources Officer & Vice President of Strategic Planning