In the U.S., we have six active Associate Resource Groups (ARGs) organized for networking, development, and support for Associates at our corporate headquarters, in our Loss Prevention (LP) department, and at three distribution centers.
While informal, these groups are also well organized. Every year, each ARG develops an annual business plan describing their goals and objectives and is provided with an annual operating budget, money for charitable giving and/or community programs, a liaison from Human Resources, and an executive sponsor. The groups host a wide range of events each year, including educational programming for group members as well as for the general Association population, volunteer opportunities, social events, and fundraising initiatives.