It’s a cliche to say that community is important, but it’s only a cliche because of how often it’s proved true. For Allen Lund Company, caring for your community has become a foundational pillar. The Acts of Kindness initiative, born out of the company’s 40th anniversary celebration, remains at its heart.
Born from a brainstorming session among Kenny Lund, Executive Vice President; Steve Doerfler, Chief Financial Officer; and Nora Trueblood, Director of Marketing and Communications, who then pitched the idea to the rest of the executive team, the initiative has become synonymous with the values that Allen Lund Company upholds.
“When we were thinking about what to do to celebrate our 40th, we asked ourselves, ‘What if we do something toward giving back?’ We’ve been very blessed, and my dad always said we need to give back to the community we work with,” shared Kenny Lund, Executive Vice President.
At the time, the company was outfitted with 32 offices and eight support offices, making the 40 number even more serendipitous.
When the announcement for the initiative rolled out internally, no one batted an eye.
“I mean, there was nobody at all who thought, ‘Great, now we’ve got to do this,’” Kenny relayed. “Everybody really embraced the idea behind Acts of Kindness from the first day.”
"When we were thinking about what to do to celebrate our 40th, we asked ourselves, ‘What if we do something toward giving back?’ We’ve been very blessed, and my dad always said we need to give back to the community we work with."
Kenny Lund, Executive Vice President, Allen Lund Company
Instead, in true Allen Lund fashion, everyone immediately buckled into the logistics of the task. That first year, 72 Acts of Kindness were counted on the final roster.
The impact on the communities where Allen Lund works has been profound. Many offices that started working with an area organization have continued to work with that organization for years. For example, through a partnership with Catholic Charities, of which Kenny is a Board Member, Allen Lund Company has long been supporting Navidad en el Barrio, which feeds thousands of families every Christmas. Gamer's Outreach, the American Cancer Society, St. Vincent de Paul, and countless food banks across the country are beneficiaries of this powerful program.
“I’m very involved in that one, so I know I’m a little biased,” Nora injected, “but it’s one of the acts that has taken on a life of its own. I think Mr. Lund would be really proud to see how impactful the company has been in feeding 15,000 families at Christmas every year.”
Internally, the impact of the initiative was immediately felt.
“It was a pivotal point for our company. Maybe not in changing the culture so much as enhancing it,” Kenny reflected. “The last address that my dad gave to the company, he said that people across various boards and groups would ask him about his company and how he was so successful. And he would always respond and say that he had the best employees in the world. During that last address, he shared that he was so proud and excited for us to keep the Acts of Kindness going.”
Allen Lund didn’t lead with numbers; he led with heart. It’s a business model that continues to this day, as the company’s executive board voted to offer employees a day off to complete an Act of Kindness.
“In our recruiting, we keep hearing from prospective employees out of college that they want a company that is engaged with the community,” Nora explained. “Acts of Kindness really resonates with the recruits coming in, because they want to know we’re committed, and this is an obvious commitment the minute they start with the company.”
With the company’s 50th anniversary looming, I asked both Kenny and Nora what we should expect from the initiative moving forward.
“I think it’s gone beyond our company anniversary now,” Kenny said. “It started with the milestone, but it’s grown from there. Now, it’s a part of our culture. It’s a part of who we are.”
"I think Mr. Lund would be really proud to see how impactful the company has been in feeding 15,000 families at Christmas every year.”
Nora Trueblood, Director of Marketing and Communications, Allen Lund Company
Acts of Kindness honors the legacy of Allen Lund, a man who dedicated his life to helping others. It’s become something even bigger than it was intended to be, and the Allen Lund Company is overjoyed by this.
“It’s generational,” Nora shared. “It's not just the managers; it’s our younger employees, people bringing their kids in to show them how important it is to give back.”
It’s rare to see initiatives successfully take on the personality and tour-de-force passion of Founders like Allen Lund, but the employees of Allen Lund Company are a different breed. Alongside the industry, I look forward to seeing the logistics provider continue to lead with its heart. 
