CEO Donates Building to Food Bank

Cypress replaces workers with food

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} Everywhere you go in Silicon Valley, you see large buildings.  Most of them have tech workers inside; too many of them have signs reading "For Lease" on the outside.  One of them is about to house tons and tons of much-needed food.

Cypress Semiconductor, and its CEO TJ Rodgers, have boosted the fortunes of Second Harvest food bank for two decades now.  Today, they're stepping up in a new way -- not just with food, but with space to put it in. 

The company has moved workers out of one of its four buildings (not the usual way - they're not looking for new jobs on LinkedIn, they're just looking for space within the remaining three buildings), and they will donate the entire building to Second Harvest, to better store and distribute food.

Rodgers, famous for holding staff meetings where the "admission" fee is a can of food, has been one of the food bank's biggest supporters.  Upon hearing that while last year was a good one for collecting food but challenging when it comes to storing it, he jumped into action as only he could, clearing out a building, and handing it over.

One out of ten people in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties needs food.  This, in the heart of a tech industry creating lots of jobs, and lots of wealth.  Good for the industry to help out a business that needs a little space.

Scott is an unabashed fan of this.  He’s on Twitter:  @scottbudman

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