Combined Agents of America Recognizes 3 Member Agencies Volunteer Programs in Honor of National Volunteer Week 2013

CAA Member Programs Empower Employees to Volunteer & Give Back to Local Communities

AUSTIN, Texas, April 22, 2013 -- Combined Agents of America, LLC (CAA) today recognizes three of its member agencies, Cravens Warren & Company, ICI and Bryan Insurance, and their outstanding volunteer programs during National Volunteer Week, a time to celebrate ordinary people doing extraordinary things to help others through service. With continued expansion into Oklahoma and Kansas, Texas-based CAA is a managing general agency (MGA) committed to strengthening the independent insurance agency system through profitable growth and exceptional service for its member agencies.

National Volunteer Week, April 21-27 2013, is about taking action and encouraging individuals and their communities to serve one another and foster positive transformation.

One key to success for these three CAA member volunteer programs is that their employer gives the employees paid time off to volunteer. Each of these programs have cultivated a culture of giving back in their company and a great team building experience within their agency, not just during National Volunteer Week, but throughout the entire year.

“We wanted to encourage employee participation within the community.  The question was how do you ask people in a big city like Houston where it often takes a large chunk of time to travel from one place to another to volunteer their free time and yet still have it tied to the business?” says Mike Schneider, CAA member and President of Cravens Warren & Company.  “The answer became obvious, to be a “CravensCares” program, we had to encourage the volunteering to happen on company time, during the work week.  That was a key element in making it a company sponsored, enjoyable endeavor, without the time stresses for all the employees. We have fun, do some good for others, and strengthen our company culture all at the same time.”     

Cravens Warren & Company

Houston, Texas

CravenCares is the Volunteer Program set up for Cravens Warren & Company in 2011.Employees are allowed one day a quarter with pay to volunteer with a non-profit organization of their choice. They can volunteer with another employee in the company, or they may volunteer as a small group.  For example last year, the agency had over 15 employees and their families walk in the Susan G. Komen Race for a Cure 5k in downtown Houston.  Other programs they have volunteered at include Houston Food Bank, March of Dimes Walk for Charity, Gulf Coast Blood Center, Pregnancy Help Center of West Houston, Texas Children’s Hospital and Montgomery County Animal Shelter Pet Food Drive. URL: www.cravenswarren.com

Bryan Insurance

Graham, Texas

In 2012, Bryan Insurance organized their efforts to encourage employees to volunteer under the name “Bryan Cares.”   In this program, each employee is given up to one paid day per quarter to participate in volunteer work.  Their employees have used this paid time to help feed firefighters helping to fight the wildfires in Possum Kingdom Lake area, shop to fulfill “Angel Tree” clothing wish list items for underprivileged children at Christmas, and help organizations that feeds lunches to underprivileged children during summer when there is no school lunch. URL: http://www.bryanins.com

ICI

El Dorado, Emporia, Derby, Wichita, Kansas

ICI began its volunteer program five years ago by joining the Vision 2020/ Adopt a Class program through its local chamber of commerce and school district. ICI employees get approved paid time off from their company to spend 45 minutes per week in their adopted classroom to help students with reading and math. Each year, the ICI employees get to progress through the grades with the same group of students they started volunteering with when the children were in kindergarten. Today ICI employees continue to build relationships and help those same children now in 5^th grade. URL: http://www.icblueskies.com/

“ICI is very proud of our team’s community involvement. We believe strongly that we earn a living in our community and we have a responsibility to help others. As a specialist insuring schools, and having a few teachers who are spouses of our employees, it was a natural fit for us to help with the “adopt a school program” . I believe our folks get as much if not more from our interaction with the children,“ says Thomas V. Murry, CIC, CAA member and President of ICI.

ICI insures 24 school districts in the region where they work in El Dorado, Emporia, Derby, Wichita and the surrounding areas of Kansas.

About Combined Agents of America, LLC

Founded in 1997 Combined Agents of America, LLC (CAA) is based in Austin, Texas, and is comprised of 52 independent insurance agencies located throughout Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas. By funneling the agencies’ combined premiums, CAA brings larger volume commitments to insurance companies, while empowering its members to realize greater benefits from insurance companies, vendor discounts and other incentives. In 2011, CAA generated more than $505.8 million in combined property and casualty annual premiums, and currently works with 18 of the largest insurance companies in the nation. All CAA member agencies remain independent and are recognized by insurance companies as a key component to their future growth and goal commitments. Additional information is available at www.combinedagents.com.

CAA member agencies include: Aars & Nelson Insurance Agency, Barnard Insurance Agency, Bartlett, Baggett & Shands, Benchmark Insurance Group, Benton-Luttrell-Brown Company, Bigham-Kliewer-Chapman-Watts Insurance Agency, Bibby-Brilling & Associates, BRIA Insurance & Risk Consultants, Bridges Group Inc., Bosworth & Associates, Bryan Insurance Agency Ltd., Brownrigg Insurance Agency Inc., Cravens Warren & Co., Crockett Insurance Service, Duncan-Fraser & Bridges Insurance Agency Inc., Ed Berrong Insurance Agency, Ed Weeren Insurance Agency Inc., EFGI Insurance & Bonds LLC, Elliott Insurance Group, Evans-Ewan & Brady Insurance Agency Inc., Fuqua Ruth Typer Insurance, First Insurance Services, First Texas Insurance Services LC, Henry Norris Insurance Agency, Inc., HC&H Insurance Group, Garrett Insurance Agency, Inc., GBS Insurance Agency Inc., Grona Boles Martin & Bloxsom Insurance, Hill County Insurance Agency, HC&H Insurance Group, ICI Insurance, Insurance Net Inc., JHC Insurance Agency Inc., J. S. Edwards & Sherlock Insurance Agency, Keller-Leopold Insurance, Inc., McCorkle Commercial Insurance Agency, Mims & Smith, Mr. Insurance Agency, Inc., NTX Insurance Group, Inc., Pierson-Fendley Insurance Agency, LLC, Pinnacle Insurance Group Inc., Porter Insurance Agency Inc., Purifoy Insurance Agency, LTD, SBS Insurance, The Shropshire Agency Inc., Siegeler Insurance Agency, Inc., Southern Star Insurance, Walthall-Sachse & Pipes, Inc., The Weatherby-Eisenrich Inc., Wellmann Insurance Agency, Inc., Western Insurance Agency, Whorton Insurance Services, and Wood-Dulohery Insurance, Inc.

For Immediate Distribution     

Press Contact:

Courtney R. Holder

Tel: (512) 627-0779

courtney@combinedagents.com