During the holiday season, we often hear about the spirit of helping others. It warms my heart to hear about agents in our company who have compassion and care for the less-fortunate. This time of year I reflect on our agents who have given to the community, asked for nothing in return, and touched the lives of people in need.

Recently, I heard a story of a home that burned down and, as a result, the family was displaced. One of our Winston-Salem agents immediately asked another agent how he could contact the family to help.  He was the first person to reach out and extend a hand.

Last week in a sales meeting at our Winston-Salem office, a WS Chamber of Commerce representative told us about a tutoring program that improves the performance of targeted students in the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County School Systems. The representative was asking for volunteers, but before doing so, she asked for a show of hands of those who had already participated in years past.  I was told that half of the room raised their hands. Not only had they helped these children in years past, but they went on to say that they had been helping children once a week for 3 years or more!

When Terri Massengale, the Sales Manager for our Winston-Salem office, joined the Allen Tate family she told me that one of the Winston Salem agents was losing his wife to cancer.  A month or two after she passed, the office came together (getting up at 6:30am on a Saturday) to walk in her memory. That type of selflessness speaks volumes!

A few agents in that same office volunteer at Wake Forest Baptist Hospital.  One agent helps out in the cancer center.  Another agent helps the Boy Scouts.  The list goes on and on and on.

What I want to highlight is the compassion. It is a year-round attitude and lifestyle the Allen Tate agents across the footprint live and walk. I’m proud to be a part of such a generous group and so happy the Holiday Spirit is not just for Christmas – it lasts all year.

By Tony Jarrett