Spotlight on the LIVE UNITED Spirit Award Corporate Finalists

Behind the many individuals who give, advocate, and volunteer for United Way are companies and community agencies who have been dedicated, longstanding partners.

The LIVE UNITED Spirit Award is given to both an individual and a company who demonstrates the United Way spirit though giving, advocating and volunteering.  The corporate finalists nominated in this category are steadfast partners, and it’s no exaggeration to say that our work would not be possible without them. Every act, every contribution, every hour that people have volunteered enables us to have a stronger impact than any one of us can alone.

Deloitte

Deloitte shares our goal of strengthening communities where we live and work and has the largest group of individual supporters of United Way in Massachusetts.   Its employees serve on more than ten volunteer committees and as a corporation they host two major volunteer days with UW annually.  Their volunteers are focused on efforts ranging from reading to preschoolers in the community to skill-based services, and providing United Way valuable strategic leadership at the Board of Director level.  This year, their campaign exceeded its goal of raising $1 million for the community!

Watch the video to hear Deloitte employees talk about their experience volunteering with children.

Stop & Shop Supermarkets

Volunteers help hand out turkeys donated by Stop & Shop at our annual Thanksgiving Project

For more than 20 years, Stop & Shop has worked with United Way to improve the lives of children, youth and families. In recent years, Stop & Shop has been a primary sponsor of our annual Thanksgiving Project, which provides more than 5,000 struggling local families with a holiday meal.  Without their support, the scale and impact of this project would not be what it is today.  Stop & Shop also provides valuable leadership at the Board level, as Joe Kelley, President of Stop & Shop New England, serves on our board and was the Chairman of the 2013/2014 United Way Campaign, while their employees contributed more than $600,000 in their campaign this year.  Stop & Shop’s commitment to Living United has resonated both inside and outside the organization, and made a tangible impact on our communities.

Sun Life Financial

Sun Life employees put together more than 250 Baby Basics bags for new mothers in our communities.

Sun Life encourages its employees to “walk the walk” and LIVE UNITED in the community. There are several Sun Life employees who serve in volunteer roles on United Way committees and councils as well as participating in signature company volunteer projects, from Baby Basics drives to creating Literacy Kits for children at local community organizations. Ellen King, VP and Associate General Counsel at Sun Life, has been a leader of the Women’s Leadership Council, serving as the WLC Breakfast co-chair for the past two years, and joining United Way Worldwide’s national Women’s Leadership Council. In 2013, Sun Life ran a re-invented and re-energized employee campaign, which met and surpassed their ambitious goal of $100,000.

Follow @speakunited on Twitter as the winners are announced live at our Community Celebration at 7 p.m. tonight.