On December 10, National Life Group partnered with Appreciation Financial to help beautify Ben Milam Elementary School in Dallas.
A total of about 100 volunteers, in co-branded t-shirts and Santa’s hats, spent their Saturday “decking the halls” at the 100-year old school by replacing decades-old blinds in the library, planting flowers along the front of the school, repainting outdoor play areas, and more.
The highlight of the day was the addition of two large, colorful indoor murals located in the school’s cafeteria and front entryway, designed by local artist Leila Elgersma, which the volunteers created by utilizing a paint-by-letters system.
Senior Vice President Louis Puglisi and Regional Vice President Mike Duncan rolled up their sleeves and joined in on the action by painting and planting flowers. A total of 33 National Life volunteers helped out, including 20 employees and and 13 family members.
The Dallas Independent School District suggested the in-need school due to its high concentration of economically disadvantaged students. The project included a special, surprise $2,000 scholarship donation to the school.
“At Appreciation Financial, we live our mantra of giving back in the communities where we do business,” said Terry Kennedy, CEO of Appreciation Financial. “Thanks to everybody at NLG who came out and donated their time to help this school. We hope we serve as positive role models to these kids and prove that great things can be accomplished when people volunteer their time to help out those in need.”
Every quarter, Appreciation Financial selects cities where they do business to perform service projects to help instill their corporate motto of giving back.
“We are overjoyed to receive such a wonderful early Christmas present and know that these colorful murals and new flowers will help to beautify our school,” says Anna Galvan, Principal at Ben Milam Elementary School. “I can’t wait until our students, teachers and faculty see the finished product. It’s sure to have a long-lasting impact on our school and the community.”
This was Appreciation Financial’s largest Ambassador Project to date and we hope to partner with them again in the near future to help another deserving school.
