In 1986, the principals at Rogers & Gray Agency, Hyannis (MA), were looking for an appropriate way to celebrate the agency’s 50th anniversary.  Their decision was to find a way to give back to the community for the success the agency enjoys.  

 Thanksgiving dinner for less fortunate 

The agency's giving-back decision was to sponsor a Thanksgiving turkey dinner with all the fixins’ for homeless men, women and children.  Agency volunteers developed the publicity campaign and distributed invitations, fliers and posters to local social services organizations.The Elks donated the use of their hall and the cooking.  A school bus company donated transportation.  A restaurant donated the desserts.  A clown gave his services to entertain children who attended.  And Rogers & Gray employees served the dinner. 

That first year, the agency had no idea how many people in the area were homeless---more than 150 showed up!  Within five years, the attendance grew to 210. Today, the Rogers & Gray Thanksgiving Dinner is an established tradition; one that distinguishes the agency big-time in their community. 

Encouraging kids to read 

Six years ago, Estabrook & Chamberlain Insurance Agency, Bridgewater (MA), long a major benefactor of the local public library, decided to support the library’s summer reading program for children. But how? 

The answer was two-fold:  produce promotion support materials that the library could use to get the word out and boost participation, and offer an incentive for the kids who read at least one book during the summer. 

The incentive became the agency’s “Read n’ Ride” program.  Participating kids in various age categories automatically qualify for a lucky winner drawing for new bicycles.  Ten bicycles are awarded each year.   According to records kept by the children’s librarian, Joanne Doherty, the number of children enrolled and the number of books read has steadily increased each year since the “Read n’ Ride” incentive was initiated. She said that in 2006, a record 14,473 books were read by 1050 youngsters.

Here's the really big benefit: Doherty cites research that indicates children who are active readers during the summer tend to do better than students who don’t, when they return to school in the fall.  Do the library personnel, the parents of kids in the summer reading program, and the principals and employees at Estabrook & Chamberlain feel good about this and other results?  You bet they do! 

Is your agency identified with a high profile program like these in your community?  Let us know about it. We’d love to share it with others through the Independents' Mall.