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# Battle Creek Federal Center places cultural awareness on the menu

By Jason ShambergerDLA Disposition Services

                BATTLE CREEK, Mich.  –              
Within the halls of the Hart-Dole-Inouye Federal Center, unique and distinct foods were recently brought together in celebration of the building’s culturally diverse workforce. The second annual Taste of Tradition Potluck took place July 11 as participants passed a variety of dishes amongst their coworkers as part of the Cultural Connections Month celebration.

As July’s special emphasis program, Cultural Connections Month plays a unique role within the organization as Director of Equal Employment Opportunity and Diversity Office Arnita Furgason explains.

“The great advantage of cultural awareness is it allows us to communicate effectively with people of different cultures,” Furgason said. “Cultural awareness teaches us to break down all the cultural barriers and integrate respectfully with diverse communities. In turn, this fosters a better workplace where employees feel more motivated, and the work is done more effectively.”

The potluck participants celebrated each other’s varied and diverse backgrounds by bringing food items that represented cultural roots or family traditions from around the world.

“Last year, the EEO director and I rebranded the month to Cultural Connections Month with the feature event being the Taste of Traditions Potluck to share a piece of their lives,” said Dana Thornbury, the Cultural Connections Month champion. “We have a global workforce and wanted to create an event to truly capture that aspect. This potluck is a way to bring everyone together and I look forward to this tradition continuing and bringing us even closer together as a team.”

This was the latest example of EEO’s special emphasis program at work – with each month holding significance and showcasing a specific theme and demographic.

“The term, ‘special emphasis programs,’ refers specifically to employment-related programs which focus special attention on groups that are conspicuously absent or underrepresented in a specific occupational category or grade level in the agency's workforce,” said Furgason. “These programs serve as a channel for management officials to improve employment advancement opportunities for minorities, women, and people with disabilities in the Federal Service.”

*For more information on EEO events and services, please feel free to visit**https://www.dla.mil/EEO/**.*

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