I N TH E COM M U N ITY
Here. For Good.
®
John Zawilinski, COO of HUB International in
Norwell, MA, values three things most highly: customers,
colleagues, and community. “Many members of the
insurance industry are blessed to have stable, successful
careers. Using that success to give back
to others is something that just came
naturally—I never thought twice about it.”
John Zawilinski
Ten years ago, John became personally affiliated with South
Shore Mental Health (SSMH), a facility dedicated to treating
and rehabilitating children, adults, and families who suffer from
and are affected by trauma and mental illness. The facility was
a customer of HUB and John wanted to learn more about it.
“When I understood the nature and scope of what this facility
was doing, I wanted to be a part of it and help in any way I could.”
SSMH serves 16,000 clients every year and provides inpatient
and outpatient services, treating and educating individuals
who live with or are affected by conditions such as learning
disabilities, substance abuse, bipolar disorder, and PTSD. After
the Boston Marathon bombings in April 2013, SSMH treated
many of the people who were traumatized by the tragedy and
continue to aid in their recovery to this day.
In 2010 John became the chair of the development committee
at SSMH, leading tours of the facility and educating others on
the importance of treating mental illness and those affected by it.
“There continues to be a stigma in our society about mental illness—
that it’s not real or that people should be ashamed to admit what
they’re going through. My job is to dispel those myths through
education.” John joined the board of directors of SSMH in 2013.
HUB’s 420 employees are no strangers to giving back to the
community, and are very active in participating in and donating to
organizations such as the Pan Mass Challenge, the Jimmy Fund
Rally for Cancer, and the Boys & Girls Club. John says that HUB
employees are never asked to participate—they do it because
they feel it’s rewarding. “Their enthusiasm makes me so proud
every day,” he says.
John has utilized the Arbella Insurance Foundation’s agent
matching gift program to donate $5,000 to SSMH every
year since 2008, and the partnership between HUB and the
Foundation grows deeper every year. “Arbella’s Foundation has
really taken the lead in giving back to the community. We don’t
see that kind of passion anywhere else—on a local or national
level. It’s been a privilege to team up with the Foundation, and
I encourage more agents to take advantage of what they have
to offer. Giving back has its rewards, and doing so through the
Foundation makes the reward that much greater.”
TRADE WINDS SPRING 2014
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