Why We Partner with Team Rubicon
October 18, 2019
Author: Josie Sivigny
We can all agree donating is good thing. But it’s also a feel-good thing, especially when helping an organization making a tangible difference.
That’s why when we first partnered with Team Rubicon, an organization that employs military veterans to provide global disaster relief, we knew our efforts would go much further than a one-time offering. We’re committed to a long-term partnership, one where we’ll donate to Team Rubicon quarterly.
Back in February, we announced our $100,000 donation along with mattresses, as needed, to support Team Rubicon’s work to help families affected by natural disasters worldwide. That donation and others like it help to unite the well-earned skills, training, and knowledge that these veterans carry—putting each skill to exceptionally good use.
About 70% of Team Rubicon’s volunteer base are military veterans. We believe it’s organizations like these that prove the Department of Veterans’ Affairs research to be true. They’ve found that continued service or volunteering helps veterans reintegrate into society, providing clear mental health benefits. Team Rubicon’s founder Jake Wood, a former marine, said it best in a VA news report. “We would hear this common refrain among (veterans), something like, ‘I never thought I’d feel like this again.’ When we tried to distill what ‘this’ was, the themes we most often encountered were purpose, community, and identity,” Wood said.
Some might ask, why does a mattress company care so much about giving back? Well, what Wood said. Purpose. Community. Identity. That’s the kind of difference we want to make through our partnerships.
Giving back to our communities has been in our DNA since day 1. When we decided to open a store in Seattle, we gave 100% of our sales to Team Rubicon. On the Fourth of July in 2018, we gave 5% of all sales to the organization as well. Plus, our return donation process, that has since become an industry standard, helps our customers donate when they return one of our mattresses.
It’s not just a nice afterthought for Tuft & Needle. Giving is woven into the fabric of who we are.
We’d love it if you also took a longer look at the amazing work being done by Team Rubicon. You’ll be better for it, especially if you can help.
