In late 2012, Luis Jhon, a Walmart asset protection professional, lost this life while trying to confront a shoplifter. This event struck a nerve with the Loss Prevention Foundation (LPF) team, and we decided it was time to do something about it.
As a profession, we could no longer allow the families of our fallen friends and colleagues to mourn their losses without voice or support. It was about time our profession rallied to offer assistance to help families who suffered the loss ofa loved one who died while conducting the duties of the profession. As a result, the LPF created the LP Memorial Fund to honor the fallen and provide financial assistance to their families at their greatest time of need.
LPF launched a fundraising effort, and soon teams of loss prevention professionals, including Staples global asset protection team and the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA), began to help raise funds. An independent committee was subsequently established to oversee all fund-raising efforts including the disbursement of funds for those in need. The breath-taking reaction when an unexpected check was delivered to the surviving families motivated the committee and LPF staff to do more.
In late 2015, the Loss Prevention Foundation created the LP Benevolent Fund (LPBF), a 501(c)(3) (pending approval) organization. In addition to distributing funds to the families of the fallen, the LPBF was established to provide financial grants to eligible participants who experience a verifiable economic hardship as a result of qualifying circumstances. Situations that could qualify for a grant include serious medical issues, death of a dependent, natural disaster, no permanent shelter, homelessness, and so forth.
Read more about the LPBF and the fundraising events scheduled in conjunction with the RILA Asset Protection Conference in Dallas April 17-19 followed by the NRF PROTECT Conference in Philadelphia, June 14-16 in the Certification column in the March-April 2016 issue. The contents of the entire print magazine are available online as well as in a PDF version via the Print Archive.