I recently was privileged to volunteer a few hours at the Children’s Theraplay in Carmel, Indiana. A nonprofit rehabilitation clinic that uses Hippotherapy (treatment with the help of a horse) to help improve the quality of life for children with special needs. I and a team from OneAmerica cleaned out an indoor area that was to be used for fundraising, as well as performed some landscaping outside. Some of the children waved at us as they undertook therapy, which was touching. I read that some of these children said their first words or took their first steps there at the Theraplay.

Education for Service

While I raked leaves at the clinic, I thought about OneAmerica and it’s culture of service to the community. This resonated with the motto of my Alma Mater, University of Indianapolis, which is: “Education for Service” – something I’ve strongly imbibed. Something at the core of who I am. How could I have known then, as a student, that the athletic department I was a part of (playing soccer and running the quarter mile), was thriving in part, because of the generous sponsorship of OneAmerica. No wonder, the point that did me in then, into working with OneAmerica, was when the recruiter, in a phone interview I took sitting in my car, mentioned that OneAmerica was deeply involved in its community. I was intrigued then by this company that didn’t just share its success with its stakeholders, but also gives them an opportunity to partake in its significance.

From Success to Significance

2 years into my OneAmerica journey, I sat across the table from a manager at the cafeteria and the discussion centered on why I still was with OneAmerica. My answer didn’t require much thought. The biggest reason, other than my own commitment to Indianapolis, was OA’s commitment to service in the communities it does business in. This is a company that matches dollar for dollar, most gifts its people give to the community. It provides some work hours annually for employees to use in volunteering. In other words, OA encourages its people to add significance to the success they already enjoy, in their varying roles of helping customers build and protect their financial futures.

 

 

At this season of life, for me, it isn’t about personal achievements, but about an opportunity to serve a smile to my fellow human. To make life a little bit brighter for someone other than myself and my family, someone whom I possibly will never get another opportunity to meet again. OneAmerica gets this. It breathes and lives service. It’s one of the qualities embedded deep within the company’s DNA. A key competitive advantage that ranks up there with its financial strength. If OneAmerica moved away from Indianapolis today, it’s presence will be sorely missed. Week of caring is just a small expression of that. Like you, I’ve read the blogs, job sites/ forums, social media feeds and news articles referencing OneAmerica, and I’m yet to read a comment or a story that says OneAmerica does not care for its community. Because it does – deeply.