CNA PUBLIC AFFAIRS TEAM

Throughout 2002, CNA employees across the country opened their hearts and showed their generosity by supporting a number of important causes in their communities. In addition to their time, employees also were extraordinarily generous monetarily, as the CNA Foundation Matching Gift Program matched a record amount of donations.

Between December 2 and December 13,CNA ran its annual holiday drive for employees in the corporate headquarters. The company’s headquarters is located in downtown Chicago and is home to approximately 2,500 employees.

The 2002 Holiday Drive program focus was on CNA’s Neighbors in Need (Chicago Gives Adopt-A-Family, Carole Robertson Center Holiday Angels and Skinner School Letters to Santa) and the Starlight Children’s Foundation Holi-Bear sponsorship. The program kicked off with coffee in the building’s main lobby. Several hundred names of program recipients were creatively and prominently displayed and representatives from CNA’s Public Affairs Department and partnering agencies were on hand to provide program details. Employees also garnered information from flyers, articles in the online newsletter and Holiday Drive Web site.

Once again, CNA employees met the challenge and showed their generosity. In less than two weeks, CNA employees made a record number of contributions:

• More than 43 special needs’ children from Skinner School had their letters to Santa wishes filled
• More than 20 needy families were adopted
• More than 450 children from Carole Robertson Center received holiday gifts
• 500 children received a Starlight Holi-Bear.

CNA’s has an ongoing relationship with the Carole Robertson Center, a multicultural nonprofit partnership among parents, youtha nd community that hosts a variety of child care and development programs. The relationship began in 2001, when CNA Technology employees built a playground at the Center. That same year, the Technology team provided holiday gifts for 200 of the Center’s children. In 2002, CNA extended an invitation to all employees to share their good fortune with the Center’s children and, as a result, more than doubled the previous year’s reach.

The Chicago Department of Human Services (CDHS) is the lead sponsor for the Chicago Gives program. Their Adopt-A-Family program provides employees with an opportunity to help make holiday wishes come true for families in need. In 2002, CNA employees adopted more than 20 families, ranging in size from two to 12 family members.

For more than two decades, CNA has partnered with Skinner School in the Chicago Public School’s Adopt-A-School program. This holiday season, employees from across the company, fulfilled the wishes of almost 50 of the school’s special needs children. And the giving didn’t stop there; CNA hosted a holiday party at the school where a dozen employees acted as gift-bearing elves and distributed the gifts to the students.

In addition 500 hospitalized children received an early holiday gift when a 12″, light brown bear arrived at their hospital bedside, thanks to the generous donations of CNA employees.

To learn about CNA and what the CNA Foundation is doing in communities across the country click here.