At Rainier, we are in the business of wellness. Some might argue we are in the business of farming, but we think wellness is accurate considering our apples, pears, cherries and blueberries aren’t just a product of our harvest…they are healthy snacks that support healthy lifestyles.
But it’s not just what we grow that’s part of wellness plan, we also continue to seek ways to support total wellness in our business. In 2010, we decided to take our commitment to healthy living one step further by ‘walking’ the talk. That’s when our ‘Walking Path’, a 1 ½ mile trail loop around the packing and sorting facility, officially opened.
The path was the culmination of an idea developed by our Wellness Committee – a group that was charged with helping employees to become more health conscious. While employees took up the challenge of getting healthy with gusto, efforts to meet their individual exercise goals initially bordered on the unsafe: employees would begin walking in all directions – around buildings, through bin lots, dodging forklifts and trucks, around blind corners and even braving a busy road to get their 10,000 steps in. Today, the ‘Walking Path,’ not only addresses safety concerns, but provides a convenient and efficient path for employees to take a walk while on break or lunch. On any given day, more than 60 employees will be seen taking a stroll down the path and enjoying nature.
One of these ‘regulars,’ is Leticia Mesina from our Quality Control department. She has been with us for 16 years and credits the development of the Walking Path for encouraging her to get fit; she typically walks the 1 ½ mile loop four times per week. An active lifestyle has not only helped Leticia to meet her weight goals, it has changed her outlook on life. Leticia reports that she not only has more energy to keep up with her seven grandchildren, four children and husband of 32 years, she feels more productive at work. She is also keen to participate in events that support others to live a healthy lifestyle. That includes sharing her wellness story during local health fairs and volunteering at the regional ‘Relay for Life’ run/walk, the signature event for the American Cancer Society to raise money for cancer awareness and research.
Who would have thought a few days of walking per week would impact Leticia’s life in such a positive way? To Leticia, our Walking Path was a stepping stone to a more holistic view of her health – an increased fitness level gave her more energy to focus on her passions: her family (both here and in Mexico), her work, volunteering and enjoying the outdoor activities our great state has to offer.
To Leticia, a positive environment and attitude begets a healthy lifestyle, and so the cycle continues. This holistic view of a healthy mind, body and soul is what being #WholesomeToTheCore is all about according to Leticia and we think that’s something we can all get behind!
Leticia is just one of our wonderful employees who are living lives that are #WholesomeToTheCore. Look for more profiles of employees like Leticia in future blog posts!