Colonial is committed to being a proactive corporate partner in the communities where our employees work and live. We support this commitment through charitable giving, sponsorships, in-kind donations, matching gifts programs, scholarship programs, volunteer service grants and employee volunteerism. We have a responsibility to our communities and we are making a difference, one person at a time.

Colonial’s commitment to enhancing the quality of life in the communities it supports is accomplished through focused efforts in the areas of Health and Human Services, Education, Cultural Arts and Business Development/Civic initiatives. Colonial’s community relations efforts are linked to special projects in the community, Volunteer Council activities, Colonial Center suite usage, Colonial employees’ board memberships and corporate sponsorships to increase our impact in the community.

Colonial’s employees are the pulse of its company and the heartbeat of its community. Many employees contribute their time and talents every day to nonprofit organizations. Colonial has a corporate goal of giving at least 8,000 hours of volunteer time each year, which equals to about 8 hours per employee.

Colonial is committed to service, both to customers and to the community. Here’s a look at some ways its employees are working together to improve the Columbia community. With year-round community service efforts, it is evident that Colonial not only cares about its customers, but also about what happens in the community.

Volunteer of the Year

To enhance Colonial’s commitment to the community through employee volunteerism and to recognize the outstanding volunteer service of its employees, Colonial established the Frank Sumner Smith Jr. Volunteer of the Year Award. This annual award recognizes an outstanding Columbia-based employee of Colonial or Unum US who is actively engaged in community service and whose volunteer activities have had a positive effect on the quality of life in the community. As part of the award, Colonial makes a charitable donation to the winner’s charity of choice.

Bill Harmon, Director in Billing and Account Management, is the Columbia campus 2006 Frank Sumner Smith Jr. Volunteer of the Year.

Bill is an active volunteer with Boy Scouts of America serving as assistant scout master, merit badge counselor and Eagle Scout advisor. He is also a strong supporter of the American Heart Association, serves on Colonial’s first-responder team and is active in his church.

“I love working for a company that encourages us to give back to our community,” said Bill. “I love to say yes to volunteer opportunities, and I encourage you to find an organization you are passionate about in your community, at your church or school and say yes. I guarantee you’ll get as much out of it as those you are giving to.”

Health and Human Services

Colonial Employees Raise the Roof for Habitat

Raising a house from the ground up in just more than a week is a remarkable undertaking that Colonial employees had a chance to experience in 2006. Colonial and BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina partnered to build a Habitat for Humanity home for a family of five. About 320 employees worked four-hour shifts with responsibility for everything from raising the roof to putting the finishing touches on the home.

Employees also took part by participating in a “pounding” for the family by donating almost 40 boxes of food, paper products, and cleaning and household supplies. More than $200 was also collected for a gift card for family members to purchase perishable items once they move into their new home. In addition, Colonial “adopted” the family for the holidays and employees purchased items ranging from mattresses to dishes to help furnish the new home. Employees also made a scrapbook for the family that documents the entire building process, from the ground clearing that began in August through the dedication of the home in December.

During the December dedication, the owners received their keys, a Bible and a framed cross-stitched picture, and invited visitors in for tours. Sylvia Watkins is shown above cutting the ribbon on her family's new Habitat home at the dedication ceremony. A week before Christmas, employees delivered the “adoption” gifts, the “pounding” items, the scrapbook and gift card donations.

"I don't know how many nails are in this home, but I do know how much love and heart went into building it," said Jeanne Reynolds, Colonial's Director of Corporate Communications and Media Relations, at the ceremony.

Colonial Hosts Special Olympics Team Send-Off

Colonial was selected to host the Team South Carolina send-off for the more than 100 Special Olympics athletes and coaches from across South Carolina competing in the first-ever Special Olympics USA National Games in Ames, Iowa. Columbia campus employees responded with Olympic-sized enthusiasm. The day included a welcome ceremony featuring a parade of athletes, lunch, and uniform and event packet distribution.

South Carolina's Special Olympians have competed in statewide and even international games before, but the National Games are the first of their kind. More than 3,000 athletes from all 50 states competed at the games at Iowa State University.

Education

St. Andrews Partnership Continues to Deliver Results

Colonial has had a partnership with St. Andrews Middle School since 2002, but not to sell insurance. This is a completely different partnership with a different goal in mind: to improve the academic and life skills of its students. Through reading programs, mentoring and tutoring support, and programs for parents, the Colonial employees involved in the partnership teach much more than educational skills.

“We have an opportunity to make a contribution to their lives to show them the things you can accomplish if you stay in school and work hard,” says Carlos Primus, an Internet response representative in Colonial’s Policyholder Services department and a volunteer. “The kids get to spend time with an adult who can be a positive role model."

Colonial employees go to the school each week to read in classrooms, teach Junior Achievement classes, have lunch with their “buddies,” tutor students, lead a student book club and assist with parent workshops. In addition, Colonial employees purchased books for classroom libraries during two book fairs, made donations towards the purchase of other books and collected school supplies for students in need. Chorus, orchestra and dance students have performed at Colonial events and attended company-sponsored field trips to a variety of cultural arts venues.

Ravenous Readers Enjoy Afternoon of Games and Fun

Colonial employees teamed up with student athletes from the University of South Carolina to reward St. Andrews Middle School students for their reading results.

Students who successfully read 20 books and completed the Accelerated Reader tests during the 2006-2007 school year attended the year-end field day and cookout. Game stations included a bubble gum blowing contest, football toss, three-legged race, hula hoop contest, musical chairs, putt putt, tug-of-war, relay race and a water relay, shown at left. After the games, students enjoyed a hot dog and hamburger cookout and a chance to visit with the USC athletes. Students were recognized for their accomplishments during the year, and prizes were awarded to the top readers in each class.

Colonial understands the value of investing in cultural arts and the effect it can have on a community. Whether it’s through performing arts, visual arts or arts education, the quality of life in a community and the community’s economic structure largely rests on the quality and diversity of cultural arts experiences available in that community.

That’s why Colonial has chosen to invest in cultural arts. Through outreach programs for students, sponsorships of local performing arts companies, corporate memberships at local museums and other efforts, Colonial is positively contributing to its community’s quality of life by supporting arts in the community.

With the recent unveiling of the Art in Business exhibition at Colonial, featured South Carolina artists have an additional audience to view and enjoy their work. The artists loan their original art to the workplace, which offers a visual art display that creates awareness of featured artists and their works while delivering a cultural experience to employees and guests.

Artwork is periodically rotated to maintain visual interest and variety. The art exhibited through the program is available for purchase. For more information, contact Marie McGehee.

Colonial secured its presence in South Carolina for years to come when it contracted to be the naming rights partner for the Colonial Center, the University of South Carolina’s sports and entertainment arena. This investment—$5.5 million over 12 years—shows Colonial’s commitment to our home state and community.

Colonial is a member of the Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce and the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce and partners with government, private and public entities to maintain a positive business climate and quality of life.