Pipan tells us she’s impressed by Unum’s commitment to military veterans. Unum extends job transition training to veterans in the community regardless of whether or not they become an employee of the company.
Unum Plays Their Part and Then Some
Wreaths Across America could not remember, honor, and teach about the service and sacrifice of our nation’s military without support from corporate donors. Many of those companies similarly believe that supporting veterans is a daily mindset, not just a one-day special event. Unum Group out of Chattanooga, Tennessee, is one such company. Unum goes above and beyond when it comes to hiring veterans and ensuring their success in the civilian workforce when they separate from the military.
Pipan Wilson is a veteran of the United State Air Force. She served through Operation Desert Storm and her last assignment was in Turkey as part of Operation Provide Comfort. Now, Pipan leads the charge for Unum with their Veterans Employee Resource Group.
“Based on my research, I noticed the average military member that separates and comes into the civilian sector leaves their job within the first two years,“ Pipan explains. “Unum created an onboarding program that provides a similar structure they’re used to in the military. When they’re hired, they’re given a sponsor for the first three months from a member of the same military branch, and close to the same rank. The whole responsibility of that sponsor is to acclimate the new veteran employee into civilian life and create that camaraderie and buddy system for them to vent and share their frustrations. After those three months, they get a mentor who helps them climb the corporate ladder and develop their career.”
Pipan tells us she’s impressed by Unum’s commitment to military veterans. Unum extends job transition training to veterans in the community regardless of whether or not they become an employee of the company. They’re dedicated to improving the success rate among those veterans transitioning back to civilian life. “We help veterans better understand what the employer is looking for and how their skills and experiences in the military can fit those needs. We help them with the interview process because, in the military, we tend to use a lot of acronyms and jargon a civilian employer would not understand.”
In addition to their robust support of their employees and others in the communities they serve who are military veterans, Unum has provided financial support to Wreaths Across America according to Rachel Hargis, Unum Community Relations Specialist. “Our employees also get involved with wreath-laying ceremonies in Chattanooga and Portland, Maine. This year, the Portland location is very excited to be hosting a stop for the annual wreath escort to Arlington National Cemetery in December.”
Unum employees have been participating in the mission to remember, honor, and teach since 2013. ”People like to go out and do this. It gives them a chance to learn about their cemeteries, who’s buried there and what their contribution was to this country. We’ve gotten very positive feedback from our employees and other partners we’ve involved.”
Thank you, Unum, for playing your part to be sure no hometown hero is ever forgotten as we work together toward National Wreaths Across America Day, 2019 and beyond.
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Wreath Sponsorship
Northrop Grumman Supported by VERITAS and Corporate Citizenship (NG) |150543|
Did you know that Wreaths Across America now offers recurring sponsorships? You can select the occurrence and cancel or pause anytime! Register now by completing this form! (https://tinyurl.com/n735zrbr)
What does it mean to sponsor a wreath? It means you are supporting a yearlong mission to Remember the fallen, Honor those who serve, and Teach the next generation the value of freedom. Your sponsorship will support the new and existing programs developed to share the mission. And, it will place a wreath to honor an American hero at one of more than 3,700 participating locations this year on National Wreaths Across America Day – a day set aside to lay gathers as Americans with the same goal.
We can’t do that without your support, though. Your sponsorship will ensure a hand-crafted wreath of all-American balsam and hand-tied with a red velvet bow here in Columbia Falls, Maine. It will then be sent to one of our participating locations, where a volunteer will place it on the marker of a hero. That volunteer will then “say their name” to ensure that the legacy of duty, service, and sacrifice is never forgotten.
So, what does it mean to sponsor a wreath? It means you have the opportunity to join a grateful nation in saying “thank you” to those who stepped up to serve.
*Please Note: Specific locations designated as "ceremonial-only" accept a limited number of sponsorships. Any additional sponsorships received beyond those used for the ceremony will be distributed to other locations.