Teams Go All Out During Their “November is Kindness Month”

As Ericka Schapekahm, Director of Human Resources & Special Projects for our franchised TA Express sites in South Dakota (Hot Springs, Summit, Vermillion) and North Dakota (Steele)- formerly the Coffee Cup Travel Plazas-explains, their locations observe November as “Kindness Month” every year. Team members submit their acts of kindness along with photos and videos to their internal Facebook page. Ericka says, “It’s always an amazing month of encouragement and celebrating our place in humanity.”

This year, after setbacks due to COVID and the accompanying struggles with morale, the team had record participation as they enthusiastically and generously performed so many acts of kindness.

The following is a sample of how individual team members improved the day for other team members, guests, friends, family and their community:

K nowing that many in the team were working on Thanksgiving, brought in food trays to spread cheer.

I dentified at least five people per shift coming through the line to compliment them on their hat,earrings or something else.

N oticed elderly and disabled people at the grocery store and offered to carry their groceries.

D onated clothing.

N ourished a couple of friends in need by buying them groceries.

E ased a neighbor’s grief after a series of losses by giving her a meaningful original painting.

S ent a letter to her mother, with “old-fashioned pen to paper”.

S aw a stranded young man who didn’t have enough money for fuel and paid for him.

Tom Heinz, President, Heinz Inc./TA Express Coffee Cup Travel Plazas, sums up the outpouring, “The team members’ kindness is in our DNA. That’s what’s led to our 40 years of success.”