Hissho reached out to recent refugees from Myanmar (Burma) by providing them with Hissho Rice, and hygiene items purchased from the Core Values budget.  When refugees immigrate to America, they are often left to fend for themselves after only a few short weeks.  Imagine if you didn’t know the language, didn’t have transportation, and were “thrown” into a totally new environment, where all you had was a few others in the same boat.
Lost in a sea of loneliness, 23 senior refugees came together to join forces to show a unified front.  This meeting was in the home of another settled immigrant from Myanmar, who graciously offered his home for this meeting.  Young people in the community also came to help out by doing the translating, serving the delicious homemade chicken and rice soup prepared just for this occasion, and even showing the elderly how to use nail clippers.  If you’d never seen a nail clipper, would you know what it was, or how to use it?
With essentials that we often take for granted: toilet paper, towels and wash cloths, bars of soap, small zip-lock bags filled with hotel amenities collected over time by a Hissho co-worker, and, of course, the nail clippers were all eagerly and gratefully received by each person who sat and waited so patiently for their name to be called.  The 50 pound bags of rice looked bigger than many of the ones who came to “collect.”  Strong young men carried it to the cars of those who volunteered to transport our guests.
After the distributions were made, we all sat together to enjoy the thick, fragrant, healthy, chicken and rice soup.  I can honestly say it’s the absolute best chicken and rice soup I’ve ever had.  It was probably the fact that the 6 chickens used were purchased by two Burmese Hissho co-workers from a Burmese farmer, and donated to the cause. Totally natural: no hormones, no cages!  The few hours our Hissho staff spent doing these small things, were overwhelmingly beneficial for all who were there.
Many times, we need only look around our immediate vicinity to see dire needs, and if you can help make a difference, please do.

If you follow Hissho, you already know that we consider ourselves a “family.”  We pitch in to help each other when needed, and are always trying to encourage and offer support.  Not just at work, but for personal as well.  With our 60 people working every day at HQ, we have so many reasons to laugh, work and play together.  Our Core Value Committee has now spearheaded the effort to post “Words of Inspiration & Wisdom” around our facility.  Although we’ve JUST started, already we have signs showing up all over.  We welcome you to share with us, and feel free to add some of your own, if you’re so inclined.  Thank you for your support too, and if you’re ever in Charlotte, come and visit us.  We’d love to welcome you!
Here are just a few…………….

‘Twas the week before Christmas, when all through our house
Every creature was stirring, even the Hissho elves
The presents were all stacked on the table with care
In hopes that their gift would be one they would keep

 The employees were nestled, all snug in their chairs
While visions of splendor danced in the heads
And the moderators in their PJs & Christmas attire
Had just settled in to start the affair

As the numbers were called, each picked his gift
And hoped it was something they liked
But not one to be stolen, because
Only when it made 3 stops could it be claimed

The hilarity was rampant as new numbers perused the crowd
To see what gift they could pick, or might be stolen from the
Gifts that were hidden underneath tables, chairs or behind legs
As the robbers stealthily roamed the crowd

Some got to select more gifts than others
As their prizes became someone else’s
So again and again, they got a new gift
Until finally no one else wanted theirs

Hissho’s Yankee Swap is always full of fun
As the employees munched on snacks, savory and sweet
Eggnog, hot chocolate, soda or water
Until tummies were full of Christmas fare

And each one laughed until they cried
Until every person had their gift
Including the compact power bank
That Hissho gave each of us

So as we wait for Christmas Day
Then New Year, the Year of the Monkey
We wish each of you a fabulous holiday
From each of us at Hissho

Hissho continues to expand – horizontally, vertically and dimensionally. I say this because it seems someone is always pregnant at Hissho, and we wonder if maybe it couldn’t be “in the sushi” itself!
We have dedicated parking spaces for “Mothers-to-be,” but after adding 2 additional handmade signs on sticks for this same purpose, we finally decided to add VIP spaces. After all, mothers-to-be are Very Important Persons indeed. Our Core Values committee made quick work of getting it done.

Our awesome volunteers at Hissho brought a lot of smiles today!

Through donations raised by our Hisshonians, we purchased sandwiches, chips, fruit, cookies and water, and assembled “brown-bag” lunches and distributed them at Crisis Assistance Ministry here in Charlotte, N.C. (Check them out here! http://www.crisisassistance.org/)

The gratefulness and appreciation shown by the recipients was significant and heartwarming. Thank you to all of our Hisshonians for your support and dedication in giving back to the community!

It seems a leprechaun left a huge pot of gold at Hissho this month! But, this pot of gold is EXTRA special!

Those shamrocks you see are actually donations from our humble Hisshonians! For the past two weeks, we’ve asked our Hisshonians to donate however much they’d like to go towards buying lunch for those in need.

We’ll purchase sandwiches, chips, fruit and water, and our awesome volunteers will assemble “brown-bag” lunches and distribute them at Crisis Assistance Ministry here in Charlotte, N.C. (By the way, if you’re local and want to see how you can volunteer with this great organization, click here: http://www.crisisassistance.org/)
Stay tuned for more on this project!! And we want to know: how are YOU bringing a little luck to someone?!