Growing support for a growing need

That support is vital, because the need among children and families served by A Precious Child has continued to grow as well. In fact, it’s staggering.

“There are more than 250,000 children who live below the self-sufficiency standard within the eight counties that we serve,” said Brittany Polinski, vice president of programs and evaluation for the organization. “A Precious Child looks to help every one of these children so they have the opportunities and resources they need to thrive—and ultimately become secure, self-reliant, contributing members of the community.”

A Precious Child offers eight programs for families and children in need, including Precious Essentials and Basics 4 Babies, which provides clothing, coats, shoes, toiletries, diapers, and more. In 2018, more than $8 million worth of essentials went to these families. The Fill A Backpack program, which gives students backpacks filled with school supplies, distributed more than $1 million in supplies to over 20,000 kids this year. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

RSS Insurance employees have been right in the middle of it all, starting with the Diaper and Wipes Drive—the initial effort that got the agency involved with A Precious Child. Over the years, client and community involvement have increased, which boosts the impact. The agency also has participated in the backpack program for several years, and supports other projects.

In addition, the RSS team volunteers in person at A Precious Child once a year, closing the office for a half-day so everyone can participate—part of the agency’s program of volunteering at a different organization each quarter. Some employees contribute financially as well, and the RSS referral program generates as much as $1,200 a quarter for area nonprofits.

That commitment to community has earned a 2019 Safeco Insurance Make More Happen Award. The honor comes with a donation of up to $10,000 to A Precious Child from Safeco, on behalf of RSS Insurance Services.

“It takes the entire community to assist those on the path to self-sufficiency,” Polinski said. “And thanks to the support of RSS Insurance, we have been able to continue to grow and serve even more children and families. It’s partners like RSS that allow us to say ‘Yes’ to clients who need assistance.”

For Hoffman, that’s exactly the way it should be.

“I love the smiles I get to see from the kids and moms as they get to select new clothing, toys or items for their home. And the smiles when kids know they get to go to school with a new outfit or pair of shoes,” she said. “When we purchased our agency, we knew we wanted to give back. We call it the ‘RSS Difference,’ and the fact that we’re truly making a difference means the world to us.”

It takes the entire community to assist those on the path to self-sufficiency.

Learn more about these Make More Happen award winners:

• Agency: RSS Insurance Services, rss-insurance.com, Westminster, Colorado
• Nonprofit: A Precious Child, https://apreciouschild.org, Broomfield, Colorado