When it comes to a company’s corporate purpose, you may initially think of it as a feel-good saying that will be gradually dispersed by the internal communications team to every coworker in the company. These coworkers may see it in an email, in a post on their company’s social media, or printed in their office breakrooms. They may read it once or twice in passing and agree that it gives them a small sense of pride in the company. The problem this creates for some companies is that their purpose statement stays just that – a statement.

At Veritiv, our purpose has become so much more than a statement. It is our guiding light, our reason for pushing further, and our WHY. It not only inspires us to help our customers reach their sustainability goals through our solutions, but it also motivates our internal coworkers to make Veritiv more sustainable as a whole. To really bring a purpose statement to life, a company’s internal coworkers must believe in it and take action. The most impactful changes come from the “grassroots” level – collectively and organically.

Our purpose statement has evolved into more than just words on a poster through an internal group of inspired coworkers called Sustainability Change Champions. Our Change Champions group is composed of Veritiv coworkers across North America at all different experience levels. They bring an unbiased point of view to the group to encourage collaborative discussions that lead to new ideas. Their “on the ground” knowledge of what is occurring at the business is pivotal in creating actionable ideas to bring Veritiv to another level when it comes to sustainability. The team creates, discusses, and implements these ideas at Veritiv that ultimately lead us closer to our company goals and leave a positive impact on the communities we do business in.

Each individual Change Champion has their own Why for joining the group. Their Whys range from individual experiences to make an impact on a global scale. Regardless of the differences, each Change Champion’s Why inspired them enough to volunteer their time, effort, and individual resources to this Change Champion group. Because these coworkers are here simply because they want to be, there is no shortage of inspiration, discussion, and passion. These sessions leave each Change Champion feeling inspired to bring a new idea to the next one.

This “grassroots” effort to bring sustainability into every corner of Veritiv has been critical to making our purpose statement more than just a statement. This internal group of coworkers has just begun their work, and there is no limit to the difference they can make at Veritiv and in our communities.

by Alayne Avila