“In our tenth year of service, Gallagher Bassett (GB) supported Give Kids the World (GKTW) at the annual GKTW Service event and Gala benefiting as part of the Workers’ Compensation Institute (WCI) conference.
A few of our GB volunteers took GKTW’s family-oriented approach to heart.
Shani Wright, Branch Manager, has volunteered for six years, and this year, she brought her children to volunteer, too.
“In life, things happen when you least expect it. I want my children to foster a spirit of being a servant leader to their community,” she says. “The example starts with me. My commitment to GKTW year after year will hopefully spark something in the two of them to pay it forward. I hope the volunteer experience will continue to teach them to have compassion for others.”
Volunteering for a third year, Kristy Ritch, Senior Client Services Manager, also brought her daughter to support the families of GKTW. She says, “I involved my daughter because I wanted her to understand the importance of giving to others, the overwhelming amount of joy felt when giving instead of taking, and that material possessions don’t provide fulfillment in life. Being fulfilled comes from what you give not what you get.”
In facing such a difficult situation for one child, the entire family feels the strain. The Village and its community partners provide children and their families’ accommodations in fully-furnished villas, transportation, tickets to theme parks, meals, daily entertainment and much more. Volunteers contribute to prepping and cleaning the Village, preparing activities, and assisting families during their stay.
Ritch shares, “As a Registered Nurse and mom, there is no greater joy than helping others, and I have a big heart for children in need. The families are so thankful. They feel so loved and supported by us. The irony is, as volunteers, we feel the same from them and we leave with huge smiles on our faces each time we volunteer.”
“When you are going through a season in life and you see that others took time out of their schedule to extend help or a smile to you, it means a lot to those families,” Wright says. “GKTW is a great organization, helping families all across the country. It means the world to me to know that GB leads the way in making sure GKTW families are supported, year after year, and at the end of the day, I want all the families we serve to know that we at GB care.”
At GB, we are committed to giving back to the communities in which we live and work. And for a family-oriented partner like GKTW, we are honored to continuously support the families they serve and to do so with those who matter most to us: family.”