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Forward Focus Episode 6: Making a difference in challenging times
Hi, I'm Roger Ferguson, President and CEO of TIAA.
This holiday season the COVID-19 pandemic has indeed deepened and exposed some critical socioeconomic needs and challenges that have confronted our society for many, many years.
Sometimes all of us in society can take a hand in making change. Think about the record number of individuals who went to the polls this year. Both at the presidential level and even further down the ballots.
At other times, the change is unwelcome, unexpected, and yet we still have to rise to the challenge.
The healthcare providers and the educators that we have served are caring for patients and caring for students in new and unexpected ways. That's always been their mission and it's always been a bit of a challenge. With the pandemic, they're being called upon to do even more.
We at TIAA are very proud of our institutional and individual clients, who are, each and every one of them, stepping up in their own way to make a difference. We're very grateful to have the opportunity to serve them.
It takes real vision and leadership for one person to make a difference in this unusual environment. But it's remarkable how many people are finding a way forward in these challenging times, and people already dedicated to serving others are finding new ways to reach out.
So one great example is an agricultural scientist at the University of Maryland. This scientist had already set up a nonprofit to help African communities produce more of their own food. But when the pandemic struck, he quickly raised $20,000 to provide families in Uganda and Liberia with direct aid, with face masks, and with sanitizers. So they could stay home and safe.
We've seen a doctor in Boston organize a pediatric mobile care unit to provide curbside vaccines for infants and young children in a safe way.
So there are many, many stories of individuals stepping up to make a difference in these unusual times.
Well, there are many ways, both large and small, that large organizations-that employers-can make an impact. Let me give you an example from our company. TIAA. Actually, let me give you several.
When we closed our TIAA offices in March, we gathered more than 60,000 items, such as masks and first aid kits and gloves from our Nuveen Real Estate properties, and delivered them to medical institutions. This summer we launched the "Be the Change" initiative to raise awareness of racial injustice and to support communities in need. With our virtual "Race Against Racism," 1,000 of our associates raised money for the "Innocence Project."
These initiatives are all designed to both uplift our workforce-our associates-and to support our communities through dialogue, through engagement, and through activities.
These continue to be challenging times, with many of us spending the holiday season far away from our families. We can take comfort in reflecting on the ways that earlier generations facing pandemics and economic crises weathered those storms.
In future years, when we are together again, we'll appreciate our personal traditions that much more. For now, we can continue to find ways to make a difference in the lives of others.
This material is for informational or educational purposes only and does not constitute fiduciary investment advice under ERISA, a securities recommendation under all securities laws, or an insurance product recommendation under state insurance laws or regulations. This material does not take into account any specific objectives or circumstances of any particular investor, or suggest any specific course of action. Investment decisions should be made based on the investor’s own objectives and circumstances.
The views expressed in this material may change in response to changing economic and market conditions.
TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC, Member FINRA, distributes securities products.
©2020 Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America-College Retirement Equities Fund, 730 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
1429236
Hi, I'm Roger Ferguson, President and CEO of TIAA.
This holiday season the COVID-19 pandemic has indeed deepened and exposed some critical socioeconomic needs and challenges that have confronted our society for many, many years.
Sometimes all of us in society can take a hand in making change. Think about the record number of individuals who went to the polls this year. Both at the presidential level and even further down the ballots.
At other times, the change is unwelcome, unexpected, and yet we still have to rise to the challenge.
The healthcare providers and the educators that we have served are caring for patients and caring for students in new and unexpected ways. That's always been their mission and it's always been a bit of a challenge. With the pandemic, they're being called upon to do even more.
We at TIAA are very proud of our institutional and individual clients, who are, each and every one of them, stepping up in their own way to make a difference. We're very grateful to have the opportunity to serve them.
It takes real vision and leadership for one person to make a difference in this unusual environment. But it's remarkable how many people are finding a way forward in these challenging times, and people already dedicated to serving others are finding new ways to reach out.
So one great example is an agricultural scientist at the University of Maryland. This scientist had already set up a nonprofit to help African communities produce more of their own food. But when the pandemic struck, he quickly raised $20,000 to provide families in Uganda and Liberia with direct aid, with face masks, and with sanitizers. So they could stay home and safe.
We've seen a doctor in Boston organize a pediatric mobile care unit to provide curbside vaccines for infants and young children in a safe way.
So there are many, many stories of individuals stepping up to make a difference in these unusual times.
Well, there are many ways, both large and small, that large organizations-that employers-can make an impact. Let me give you an example from our company. TIAA. Actually, let me give you several.
When we closed our TIAA offices in March, we gathered more than 60,000 items, such as masks and first aid kits and gloves from our Nuveen Real Estate properties, and delivered them to medical institutions. This summer we launched the "Be the Change" initiative to raise awareness of racial injustice and to support communities in need. With our virtual "Race Against Racism," 1,000 of our associates raised money for the "Innocence Project."
These initiatives are all designed to both uplift our workforce-our associates-and to support our communities through dialogue, through engagement, and through activities.
These continue to be challenging times, with many of us spending the holiday season far away from our families. We can take comfort in reflecting on the ways that earlier generations facing pandemics and economic crises weathered those storms.
In future years, when we are together again, we'll appreciate our personal traditions that much more. For now, we can continue to find ways to make a difference in the lives of others.
This material is for informational or educational purposes only and does not constitute fiduciary investment advice under ERISA, a securities recommendation under all securities laws, or an insurance product recommendation under state insurance laws or regulations. This material does not take into account any specific objectives or circumstances of any particular investor, or suggest any specific course of action. Investment decisions should be made based on the investor’s own objectives and circumstances.
The views expressed in this material may change in response to changing economic and market conditions.
TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC, Member FINRA, distributes securities products.
©2020 Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America-College Retirement Equities Fund, 730 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
1429236