Rebuilding Communities

Deluxe Brings Disaster Relief to Kansas

On May 5, 2007, a tornado wiped out 95 percent of the small town of Greensburg, Kansas. Nearly 300 miles away at Deluxe's Lenexa facility, employees asked, "How can we help?"

Within days, they formed a team of volunteers and rallied to provide relief for the tornado victims. They organized and sponsored a drive in conjunction with Heart to Heart International, a leading global humanitarian organization dedicated to improving health of disaster victims worldwide and providing for their needs. The Deluxe volunteers started to collect necessary items—and cash donations—for the people of Greensburg.

The team collected and donated 180 pounds of items such as personal care products, diapers and cleaning products for the victims. But they found one more unique way to help. At the Lenexa facility, they had recently completed a Lean Manufacturing initiative, during which they evaluated and reduced the number of tools and toolboxes on hand. The now-obsolete tools were once again useful. The team donated 320 pounds of equipment, including one full toolbox, to the victims in Greensburg.