Insurance is an opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives – more than just selling a product, but becoming involved in the community – and it is a message we need to share, says one industry player.
“In today’s day and age, it is an industry, a career path that you have to talk to people about,” says Jeff Burke, president and CEO of Western Financial Group. “I don’t think they know how rewarding an insurance career can be, so you either find people that have had parents, family or they know someone who has been close to them who has been in the industry, and that is typically who we get.
“Or we get the opportunity to tell the story about insurance, and how we can make a difference in people’s lives – not only through the products, but through volunteering and getting involved in the community. It is a career where you can definitely make a difference.”
For the employees at Western Financial Group, getting involved became very personal following last year’s flood – which devastated the corporate head offices in High River, Alta. and hundreds of employees’ homes
“Because we were hit hard by flooding in High River last year, and we have so many employees that live in the community work here as it is our head office, we thought about things we could do that are centered around the kids,” Burke told Insurance Business. “Three of the elementary schools had their playgrounds wiped out by the floods, so we donated $100,000 to have those playgrounds put back to order so the kids could use them.”
During the spring, Western Financial had nearly 1,800 employees from across the company Support the Cause walk to raise a record $215,000.
“We have given over time – Western is not quite 20 years old yet – we have donated $1 million to the communities, through bursaries, community events, grants for infrastructures… all kinds of things over the past 18 years,” says Burke. “The Support the Cause walk is into its 10th year, reflecting an ongoing support from Western. This isn’t just a ‘one off,’ commitment for us.” (continued.)
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In addition to funding the reconstruction of the High River school playgrounds, Western Financial decided to lend a helping hand for those children enrolling in summer recreational activities.
“We didn’t advertise, we didn’t promote it,” says Burke, “but what we did was when kids showed up for the summer sports registration program at the rec centre, we were there with booths and our volunteers and let people know that we were picking up the tab for their summer recreation activities. We did that to the tune of $171,000.”
High River had been especially hit hard by the 2013 Southern Alberta flooding, the most devastating catastrophe in Canadian history, with numbers now topping $5 billion in losses.
It is an event that immediately sparked two initiatives from Western Financial a year ago.
This past winter we sponsored ‘Warming Up Your Winter,’ helping pay electric bills, donating $10,000 in High River,” says Burke. “And some people didn’t have the help they needed cleaning up after the flood, so we donated another $10,000 to a great organization called Samaritans First, which had people come in and help clean up.
“So that’s nearly $300,000 in the last 12 months that really targeted this community of High River.”
Burke estimates that his company has donated $1 million to the communities, through bursaries, community events, and grants for infrastructures the past 18 years.
What doesn’t appear on the books as charitable donations, but do make a difference, are two employee benefit programs.
“Our employee benefit program – the SOS program, ‘Support Our Staff’ – is there any time there is a financial crisis” says Burke. “We’ve reached out and spent $50,000 just to support our own employees financially. And we don’t include this in any of these dollars of community support.
“That is something we found out after the flood, how much our employees love giving back,” he says. “Traditionally, we had lots of employees who already had been giving back on their own time, so we started the ‘Good Heart Program,’ which provides one paid day off per employee, so they can work in the community and give back to the charity of their choice.”
