Celebrating International Volunteer Day, Heritage Property Insurance walks the walk

Celebrating International Volunteer Day on Thursday, Heritage Property & Casualty Insurance put a spotlight on its commitment to volunteerism, including its offer to employees of four paid days off to volunteer in the community.

The company not only offers the time off, it encourages it, and leaders have partnered with several top-tier charities to make a difference. That includes the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the Salvation Army and the Bullard Family Foundation.

“One of our top priorities at Heritage is being a dedicated and reliable community partner and we know that starts with a work environment where our leaders exemplify and encourage community involvement,” Heritage Insurance CEO Ernie Garateix said.

“That’s why at Heritage we make sure to give our team four days of volunteer time off with the goal of empowering active involvement in our neighborhoods. Bullard Family Foundation, Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Salvation Army continue to do tremendous work in the greater Tampa Bay area and they are some of the top organizations that our team dedicates their time to.”

While most associate the Make-A-Wish Foundation with memorable trips to Disney World or other unique experiences like front row seats to concerts or swimming with dolphins, there is a lot more that goes into providing kids with critical illnesses life-changing opportunities.

“The beauty of what we do at Make-A-Wish is to not only make wishes come true but to see others moved to get involved in the process. It is through these partnerships, like the one we have with Heritage Insurance, that we are able to magnify stories, encourage community activism, and cultivate relationships focused on service to others,” Make-A-Wish Southern Florida President and CEO Norm Wedderburn said.

“The Heritage team has been a reliable part of our Tampa Bay team and we are thankful for the time and effort they give in service to wish children and their families.”

And the Bullard Family Foundation, which provides families and children programs and resources to build character and improve outcomes, said Heritage is one of its “most valued and most vital corporate partners in the Tampa area.” Founder and Board President Thaddeus Bullard said the partnership has helped “inspire, embolden, and shape Hillsborough County students into future leaders and change makers.”

“Heritage Insurance volunteers are always front and center among our volunteer army, whether we are providing school supplies, hosting events to empower fathers, or providing transformational opportunities that can change the trajectory of a life,” he said. “It takes many hands to make a difference and we are thankful for the Heritage team for helping us be the change.”

Likewise, the Tampa Area Salvation Army praised Heritage and its employee volunteers for helping it achieve its mission of providing various goods, services and other services to those in need.

“We are grateful for the way Heritage Insurance has stepped in and stepped up to help us at the Salvation Army in the Tampa Bay region as we strive to meet people where they are. We are a multifaceted organization that is committed to being the hands and feet of the Church and our community providing them with a variety of resources,” said Rhea and Mark Woodcock, Tampa Area Command for the Salvation Army.

“As we remain committed to reaching more people, we are thankful for new opportunities and channels to grow our efforts and help others.”

International Volunteer Day, a program through the United Nations, is celebrated each year on Dec. 5. It launched as an international observance mandated by the U.N. General Assembly in 1985 and has since grown into an event aimed at acknowledging and promoting the spirit of volunteerism at the local, national and international levels.

Based in Tampa, Heritage Property & Casualty Company offers home, condo, rental property and commercial residential insurance.

In addition to its paid volunteer service for employees, since 2013, the company has donated more than $7.2 million to charitable entities. That includes sponsoring the Oldsmar Lightning Made Street Hockey Rink, which was the first of its kind in Pinellas County. The company also partnered with Mendez & Associates Insurance, the Broward Latin American Association Insurance Agency and Life4NetFamilies on a clothing drive to provide needed apparel to homeless and those living in poverty in Broward County.

Additionally, Heritage supports Step Up for Students, a scholarship program that offers private school scholarships to kids in need. Over the past four years, Heritage has donated more than $6 million to the program. Heritage also donated building materials to Habitat for Humanity and sponsors the Coop’s Catch for Kids charity fishing tournament with the Tampa Bay Lightning and head coach Jon Cooper.

Other causes include All Children’s Hospital, the Religious Community Services Food Bank, the St. Petersburg Free Clinic, the Pinellas Education Foundation, breast cancer research, veterans causes and more.

“We are excited to continue these partnerships and further our community footprint in Tampa as a dedicated neighbor,” Garateix said.