International Day of Charity: celebrating our colleagues and community champions

September 5, 2023

A graphic of hands holding a green heart for International Day of Charity
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September 5 is the International Day of Charity — offering a chance for organizations to increase and enhance social responsibility around the world, and to celebrate volunteerism and philanthropic activities. Our colleagues demonstrate every day how caring counts, and we want to help their efforts go even further.

With our community champions program, we’re honored to recognize colleagues who give back to their own communities. Annually, we’ll be spotlighting colleagues who go above and beyond for their charity of choice. We’ve shared those spotlighted community champions with our global colleagues and invited them to vote on the individual they believe has demonstrated the most significant commitment and driven an impact in their community.

Please join us in celebrating four colleagues whose efforts in their own communities have made a tangible difference and whose chosen causes will receive a charitable donation from Sedgwick.

Making a difference

Modesto De la O

Modesto is the president of Foxhole, an organization that connects veterans and their families to jobs, financial support and other resources. These resources can be lifesaving, as many veterans struggle with mental health issues and suicidal thoughts as they work to reintegrate into civilian society. Modesto leads a free Brazilian jiu-jitsu class every Sunday – something he’s done for the past five years. He also provides peer-to-peer 24/7 support to veterans, hosts fundraisers throughout the year and works with potential donors. He’s involved with Foxhole because he knows firsthand the difficulties in transitioning from military service. Four of his friends and fellow veterans chose to end their own lives, and Modesto honors them by showing veterans healthy ways to cope with challenges as they transition to civilian life.

Abi Vincent

Abi volunteers at Hangar Hub Food Pantry in the U.K. every Sunday. The food pantry provides boxes of chilled, frozen and fresh food to low-income families and anyone else struggling to put food on the table for their family. The pantry also provides miscellaneous items including sanitary products, toothpaste and more. She helps by checking food inventories at the pantry, setting up boxes of food and cleaning up after the pantry closes to the public. Abi also works with local grocery stores and collects donated food a couple times a week. Abi is passionate about reducing food waste and helping her community. She has seen how the pantry makes a difference to families who are struggling and feels privileged to be able to help.

Jackie Ulichnie

Jackie began volunteering with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society 17 years ago, which provides services and programs for individuals living with multiple sclerosis to help manage the disease’s mobility challenges in everyday life. The MS Society also raises funds for research and development of new drug therapies. For Jackie, working with this organization has become a life-long passion, and she has used her PTO to volunteer at local fundraising events, including the annual 150-mile bike ride. Jackie is deeply involved in the planning of these bike rides, attending monthly meetings and collaborating with the organization’s leadership and logistic partners. She’s also there on race day as a Site Lead to make sure the event runs smoothly. Over the years of working with the National MS Society, she’s made many lifelong friends living with the disease, and they motivate her every day to do whatever she can to find a cure.

Elizabeth Demaret

Elizabeth has served on the board of directors for the Kenneth Young Center for the past four years and also helps by fundraising, donating and volunteering. The organization aims to foster healthier communities by providing family counseling, mental health support, in-home services for the elderly, substance abuse prevention and recovery programs, support for survivors of domestic violence and more. Elizabeth has a personal connection to the group’s mission. In 2004, she turned to an organization like the Kenneth Young Center as a survivor of domestic violence, where she received protection and support for herself and children. She’s been working every day since to pay that help forward.

For many years, Sedgwick has been committed to giving back and making a difference in our global communities through our corporate giving strategy. And our colleagues are doing amazing work of their own for causes they’re passionate about. To our community champions around the world, thank you for showing how caring counts.

> Learn more — read about this observance, check out our community champions program and explore opportunities for a meaningful career at Sedgwick

Kick off to WCI 2022

August 18, 2022

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By Max Koonce, chief claims officer

The Workers’ Compensation Institute (WCI) will celebrate the 76th Annual Workers’ Compensation Educational Conference and the 33rd Safety & Health Conference in Orlando, Florida August 21-24.

An array of stakeholders representing all facets of the industry will once again begin a dialogue and exchange ideas about how to improve workers’ compensation systems and the injured employee experience. As in years past, Sedgwick will play a prominent role at this event — highlighting some of the industry’s most advanced solutions and concepts within the workers’ compensation arena.

Giving back

Join us Saturday, August 20 for a volunteer day and gala to support Give Kids the World (GKTW) Village, an 89-acre, nonprofit “storybook” resort in Central Florida where children with critical illnesses and their families are treated to weeklong, cost-free vacations. Last year, even amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the WCI community continued its ongoing support of GKTW. Under Doug Clark’s leadership, WCI volunteers and donors raised over $125,000 during the WCI 2021 service day, silent auction and gala. Tune in Monday to hear Doug announce the fundraising results for 2022.

Opportunities to embrace, elevate and expand your view

Throughout the educational sessions, Sedgwick leaders will cover 13 topics — from advancing medical care and streamlining claim processes to addressing pain management and talent concerns. The lineup includes experts like David Stills, Teresa Bartlett, Michelle Hay, Jeff Ziblut, Andrea Buhl and more. A packed house is especially expected for the Monday morning keynote about the battle for talent hosted by Sedgwick’s own Kimberly George and Safety National’s Mark Walls. And with talent on your mind, be sure to register for The Alliance of Women in Workers’ Compensation workshop on Wednesday morning for insight on cultivating a strong culture and talent management strategy. Find us at booth #803 in the exhibit hall to connect with leaders throughout the conference.

We’ll see you at the conference, but until then…

  • Catch up on the latest edge magazine articles.
  • Follow Sedgwick on LinkedInTwitter and Instagram for live updates.
  • Search #WCI2022 to explore what’s trending on social media the week of the show.

Every step of the way, we’re here to help you embrace, elevate and expand your view. See you next week, Orlando!

Championing a better world for animals (and their humans)

April 15, 2022

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By Kim Krauss, managing director, global marketing and communications

The human-animal connection has always been strong; for many of us, our pets are considered four-legged family members.

In fact, studies show that interacting with pets can improve your health and wellbeing — whether that’s by encouraging you to get outside and socialize more, or simply providing companionship and comfort. To continue our annual tradition of donating to and engaging with local charities during the RIMS conference, we’re supporting Canine Companions and Veterinary Street Outreach Services (Vet SOS). These two organizations demonstrate our caring counts philosophy in their own ways by championing a better world for animals and their humans.

Get to know Canine Companions

Canine Companions, a non-profit organization that enhances the lives of people with disabilities, provides trained service dogs at no charge to their clients. Since their founding in 1975, Canine Companions has provided more than 7,000 assistance dogs to people with disabilities. If a dog in training doesn’t become a service dog, it can transition to a new role as a therapy dog, several of which joined us in the Wellness ZENter this year. Sedgwick was pleased to present a check for $10,000 to Canine Companions to support their incredible mission.

Uplift Veterinary Street Outreach Services

As part of their mission, Veterinary Street Outreach Services (Vet SOS) provides the companion animals of homeless San Franciscans access to free veterinary care, food and pet supplies. Volunteers work to improve the health of companion animals, decrease the spread of infectious disease, and champion the welfare of homeless pet guardians and their animals. In addition to our financial contribution, we encouraged those who stopped by the Sedgwick meeting suites to assemble care bags. By the end of the week, attendees had assembled and distributed 300 to those in need.

Supporting organizations like Canine Companions and Vet SOS is part of what makes the annual RIMS Conference so special. We’re given a unique opportunity each year in the conference’s host city to expand our horizons, learn about new challenges and find ways we can work together to be part of the solution. We’re here to help embrace, elevate and expand your view — in the industry and beyond. In the meantime, watch the interview for more information and join us in supporting Canine CompanionsVeterinary Street Outreach Services (Vet SOS), or an animal organization near you.