AIS employees and other organizational, educational and community leaders who are participants in the United Way of North Central Massachusetts’ Partnering for Literacy program gathered for an event at AIS headquarters on Jan. 31 as part of Thank Your Mentor Day. Photo credit: Sentinel & Enterprise/John Love.

January was National Mentor Month and Jan. 31 was Thank Your Mentor Day

AIS, a leading manufacturer of commercial office furniture and seating based in Massachusetts, celebrated January’s National Mentor Month with a special event at the company’s corporate headquarters that honored mentors in the United Way of North Central Massachusetts’ Partnering for Literacy program.

Held on Jan. 31 – national Thank Your Mentor Day – the event in AIS’s Leominster, Massachusetts-based showroom drew more than 30 people.

Partnering for Literacy was established in 2017 as a volunteer program focusing on academic mentoring to support the United Way of North Central Massachusetts’ Early Childhood Initiative. Volunteers are assigned to one or two mentees and work with students throughout the year. School administrators and teachers work hand-in-hand with the academic mentors.

The Leominster Public Schools became the first community partner, and AIS became the first corporate partner. AIS continues to be instrumental in volunteer engagement and program success.

“When we moved our headquarters to Leominster a few years ago, we made a commitment to give back to the community. It’s been a true honor to be part of this program,” AIS President and CEO Bruce Platzman said.

In its pilot year, 10 mentors – nine of whom were AIS employees – worked with 19 kindergarten students. In year two, the program expanded to 15 volunteers helping 28 children. In addition to returning and new mentors from AIS, the program also has attracted participants from other local organizations, including Family Federal Savings, Rollstone Bank & Trust and UMass Memorial HealthAlliance-Clinton Hospital.

“Words are not enough to express my gratitude to AIS President and CEO Bruce Platzman for being a corporate leader in community service, and to AIS Director of Human Resources Diane Encarnacao for her major contributions to AIS volunteer engagement and her assistance in coordinating this wonderful event. These mentors do enormous good for the children and our community,” United Way of North Central Massachusetts President Phil Grewinski said.

ABOUT AIS

AIS is a leading manufacturer of commercial office furniture and boasts one of the most impressive stories of growth and success in the furniture industry. Founded in 1989, the company is known for offering market-relevant, feature-rich product lines that entice designers and support the diverse needs of end-users while offering exceptional value. AIS is an innovator that leads the industry in sustainable, lean manufacturing, lead-time performance and manufacturing flexibility. AIS has over 600,000 square feet of manufacturing space and operates in Leominster, MA. For more information, visit the website at www.ais-inc.com.


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