Consumers often polarize themselves in favor or in opposition of major corporations based on the companies’ response to a variety of social issues. Support or boycott of companies like Starbucks and Chik-Fil-A make headlines due to the association to issues that consumers care about. In many cases, however, it does nothing more than make for good publicity.
That’s why it was not surprising to learn in a press release that Amazon was donating 2,000 Kindle e-readers to wounded servicemen and women through the non-profit organization Operation Homefront, a post-service organization that provides housing, therapeutic assistance, and employment assistance to soldiers returning home, many of whom have been wounded during their deployments. Of course, what better way to improve Amazon’s image than to distribute Kindles on Veteran’s Day?
What many do not know is that Amazon has had a long but quiet history of supporting military veterans and their families. The company has been awarded the number one spot two years in a row in GI Jobs magazine’s list of Top 100 Military Friendly Employers. While the company has a 25% new hire rate of former military service men and women, the company also goes to great lengths to hire disabled veterans and their spouses, affording them the highly sought after opportunity to work as customer service representatives from their homes.
For more information on the work that the online retailer does for military veterans and their families, go to Operation Homefront’s website, or Amazon’s own Military Talent Program page.
Mercy Pilkington is a Senior Editor for Good e-Reader. She is also the CEO and founder of a hybrid publishing and consulting company.
