We are immensely grateful to all who supported and made contributions to our holiday drives. The responsiveness and generosity of our teams made this holiday drive even more successful than the last. We can’t wait to see what next year brings!

To see the full list of our standout partners and read more details about their local impact, read below.

Dallas –  Children’s Advocacy Center of Collin County

CAC Dallas participated in the Collin County Child Advocacy Center’s Holiday Shop on December 6, 2023.  The Holiday Shop is a place where caregivers are given the chance to “shop” for their children at no charge, allowing them the joy of presenting their children with holiday gifts. CAC Dallas sorted 300+ toys into age group/type of toy and broke down all the boxes to be recycled. 

About: Children’s Advocacy Center of Collin County is a nationally recognized nonprofit organization providing hope to children and families victimized by child abuse. Our proven approach brings experts together under one roof to ensure safety and justice for children. We are the only agency in our community offering services critical to healing, free for life.

Birmingham – aTeam Ministries

The Birmingham office partnered with aTeam Ministries, a nonprofit here in Birmingham, AL, to “adopt” a family with a child battling a severe pediatric illness.  We were able to provide gifts and additional seasonal cheer to ease the financial pressure for parents working to make this holiday season special for their child battling cancer or other serious illnesses. 

The Birmingham office raised over $3000 for this family.

About: ATeam ministries offer spiritual, financial and emotional support to children and families on the pediatric cancer journey. You can find information about aTEAM, below or on their website.

Atlanta –  Empty Stocking Fund

The Empty Stocking Fund (ESF) brings joy to the lives of disadvantaged children by providing toys and gifts during the holiday season and other core essential supplies throughout the year to support positive social and emotional development and academic success. 

The Atlanta office collected toys and funds for the organization totaling $2,374.40.

Denver – Lasley Elementary School

Lasley is a Jefferson County Public School in Lakewood, Colorado. This elementary is where a majority of the students of Emory Elementary (our former school of choice before dissolvement) have integrated into. The Denver office set up an Amazon Wishlist drive with Lasley Elementary School and collected gifts and supplies for the students. For many of them, this might be the only gift they receive. 

The Denver office also chose to support a family from the school to receive special attention this drive. This family is a group of 5 Lasley students being raised by a single grandmother after the passing of their father this school year. They requested gift cards to help the family as well.

The Denver office collected gifts and funds for Lasley Elementary Students totaling $1,924.00. Twenty-eight articles of winter clothing for children were donated and the nominated family received a new bike and Malibu Barbie House requested by the children, in addition to $400 in gift cards. 

Pacific NW – Ronald McDonald House & Toys for Tots

Ronald McDonald House Houston offers a home away from home providing care, compassion and hope to families with seriously ill children being treated in Texas Medical Center member institutions. They offer a safe and loving environment to all families of children facing a life-threatening condition, including those in need of an organ transplant or fighting cancer. Our Northwest offices provided $980 in gift and cash donations.

Houston – Ronald McDonald House

The Houston office participated in the Ronald McDonald House’s Santa Shop Annual Toy Drive. The RMH Santa Shop plays a vital role in providing free holiday toys for nearly 400 families across its locations. To put it in perspective, this means supporting around 700 children, from preemies to 18-year-olds, including siblings of those receiving medical care. The holiday season can be especially challenging for families at the Ronald McDonald House Houston. They find themselves far from friends and family while caring for a child with significant medical issues. Shopping for holiday gifts can further contribute to their financial and emotional stress. The Santa Shop, however, offers a solution by allowing RMH residents to “shop” for gifts for their family members at RMH’s on-site Holiday Market. Dedicated elves then wrap these gifts, delivering them to each family’s door on Christmas morning.

The Houston office collected 50 gifts and gift cards totaling $1,500 in cash donations.

New York – NY Coalition for the Homeless

A staggering 30,000 children will spend this holiday season homeless, sleeping in New York City’s vast shelter system. The Coalition for the Homeless is the nation’s oldest advocacy and direct service organization helping homeless individuals and families. They believe that affordable housing, sufficient food and the chance to work for a living wage are fundamental rights in a civilized society. Since its inception in 1981, the Coalition has worked through litigation, public education and direct services to ensure that these goals are realized.

The New York office chose to support them this holiday season through a toy drive through Amazon wishlists. 

Chattanooga –  Northside Neighborhood House

NNH provides education and assistance to Chattanoogans living north of the Tennessee River, in Hamilton County. NNH serves our community through direct assistance, education, three thrift store locations, the Coffee Community Collective (in Soddy Daisy), and CommUNITY School programs.

Each year, they host a “Santas Workshop” event where families get to “shop” for toys, coats, books, etc. NNH also provides food assistance for families to enjoy over the holiday. CAC members were challenged to donate. 

The post Holiday Drive 2023: An Update from Cobbs Gives Back and CAC Cares appeared first on CAC Group.

Featuring:

• Carrie O’Neil: LinkedIn
• Vara Cybart: LinkedIn

The post Making the Claim for DE&I: Championing Women’s Equality in Business and Beyond: A Conversation with Carrie O’Neil appeared first on CAC Group.

Highlights from our first Impact Day include volunteer projects in Birmingham, Denver, Houston, New York and Atlanta, with more than 125 colleagues participating. Looking ahead, we aim to expand Impact Day to encompass all CAC/CAH offices, creating regional volunteer events where employees can support local community organizations. We want every employee to have the opportunity to engage and take action in support of underrepresented and marginalized groups within our communities. 

We are thrilled by the success of our inaugural Impact Day and appreciate your continued support and participation. Stay tuned for future Impact Days and join us in creating positive change!

The post CAC Specialty & Cobbs Allen Celebrate Inaugural Impact Day 2023 appeared first on CAC Group.

In this podcast, Naushin and Sandy discuss the following topics:

• The importance of celebrating AAPI Heritage Month
• The challenges that Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders face in the workplace
• How organizations can create more inclusive workplaces for AAPI employees

This podcast is a valuable resource for anyone who wants to learn more about DE&I issues and how they relate to Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the workplace. It is also a great way to celebrate AAPI Heritage Month.

Cobbs Allen and CAC Specialty are proud to present this podcast. We believe everyone deserves to feel welcome and valued in the workplace, regardless of race, ethnicity, or background.

The post 5: Making the Claim for DE&I: Celebrating AAPI Month with Naushin Vahora and Sandy Cridland appeared first on CAC Group.

The post CAC Connect Podcast: Making the Claim for DE&I appeared first on CAC Group.

Aliyah Bradford, a member of the CAC Specialty HR Team and Co-Leader of the DE&I committee interviews Michael Rice, the CEO of CAC Specialty, about the state of DE&I in the insurance industry. Michael discusses his evolving understanding of DE&I and CAC Specialty’s steps to address these issues.

Featuring:

• Michael Rice, CEO of CAC Specialty
• Aliyah Bradford, HR Team and Co-Leader of Cobbs Allen/CAC Specialty DE&I Committee

The post 4: Making the Claim for DE&I with CEO Michael Rice appeared first on CAC Group.

CAC Specialty and Cobbs Allen employees across all of our US offices were encouraged to donate items such as diapers, toiletries and school supplies for the Masjid Ikhals, a local mosque in Denver. The mosque has strong Afghanistan connections, and many refugees went to the mosque for shelter.

In addition, employees participated in a 5K walk on September 10^th to raise funds to purchase additional supplies. Many employees participated in the walk together wearing CAC Cares and Cobbs Gives Back t-shirts. We are proud of our CAC Specialty and Cobbs Allen teams for their efforts, and we strive to continue supporting those in need.

The post Afghanistan Refugee Community Support Project & 5K appeared first on CAC Group.

CAC Specialty has pledged five $1,000 scholarships to Opportunity Network applicants to support them in their mission to go from high school sophomores to launching a career of their choice upon graduating college.

The Opportunity Network represents, encourages and empowers students through their education journey. They offer guidance on financial aid and graduation requirements, five summers of internships and enrichment experience, and networking and engagement with industry professionals.

“We are proud to work with an organization that transforms young student lives,” said Mike Rice, CEO of CAC Specialty. “We felt this was a perfect partnership for us as we look to become a more diverse workplace with talented individuals from all communities and for us to help these individuals along their academic journey.”

About The Opportunity Network

The Opportunity Network (OppNet) connects high school and college students from historically and systematically underrepresented communities to career opportunities, professional networks, and college success. One hundred percent of students graduate from college and 85 percent secure meaningful employment or graduate school admission within six months of graduation.

OppNet accomplishes this through its founding OppNet Fellows Program, an intensive six-year experience for students beginning in the summer after their sophomore year aimed at honing their passions and skills to get through college and launch the careers of their choice. OppNet also houses Career Fluency® Partnerships, OppNet’s national capacity-building program centered on its best-in-class Career Fluency® curriculum to amplify college and career outcomes for partner institutions.

https://opportunitynetwork.org/

The post CAC Specialty Pledges Five Scholarships for Underrepresented Students appeared first on CAC Group.