Safe Harbor: Safe Harbor’s Kelsi Engelhardt accepts a check for nearly $150,000 from Acuity CEO Ben Salzmann, Vice President - Services and Administration Sheri Murphy, and President Melissa Winter.
Mental Health America Lakeshore: Dawn Rousse, Dana Bear, Julie Preder, Anna Grunwald, and Andrea Fischer from Mental Health America Lakeshore accept a check for more than $112,000 from Acuity CEO Ben Salzmann and President Melissa Winter.
Sharon S. Richardson: Sara Weber, Charmaine Conrad, and Julie Steinert from Sharon S. Richardson Community Hospice accept a check for over $72,000 from Acuity CEO Ben Salzmann and President Melissa Winter.
•\t4 Conquer Cancer: David Lowing and Cooper Pate from Conquer Cancer, the ASCO Foundation, accept a check for more than $71,000 from Acuity CEO Ben Salzmann, General Manager - Commercial Underwriting Alissa Burgos, and President Melissa Winter.
Fresh Meals on Wheels: Allison Laine Thompson and Molly Mata from Fresh Meals on Wheels accept a check for over $59,000 from Acuity CEO Ben Salzmann and President Melissa Winter.
The Salvation Army: Greg Tuck, Lt. Wiley Gladney, and Lt. Heather Gladney of The Salvation Army accept a check for nearly $36,000 from Acuity Vice President - Finance Wendy Schuler, CEO Ben Salzmann, and President Melissa Winter.
At a December 2023 Town Hall meeting, Acuity employees determined the distribution of $500,000 among six different charitable organizations. Those organizations included Conquer Cancer, the ASCO Foundation; Fresh Meals on Wheels; Mental Health America; Safe Harbor; The Salvation Army; and Sharon S. Richardson Community Hospice.
Based on employee votes, Safe Harbor received the largest allocation of nearly $150,000. The other five groups each received donations ranging from nearly $36,000 to more than $112,000.
“Safe Harbor is working to create a community that is free of violence. Safe Harbor is about hope—restoring hope that you can get through this, that it is going to be OK, and that you are worthy of living, not just surviving,” said Kelsi Engelhardt, Safe Harbor Director of Prevention and Education. “Acuity truly is one of our most generous donors. We could not do the work without Acuity being part of that mission.”
“The need for services provided by these organizations has never been greater,” said Melissa Winter, Acuity President. “We are fortunate to have the opportunity to share our financial strength with these organizations, to support our community, and to fulfill our common purpose that begins with the statement, ‘With kind hearts, we dare to care.’”
This is the 11th consecutive year that Acuity employees have directed a special year-end contribution, which adds to the company’s longstanding tradition of philanthropy.
Additionally, each Acuity employee was invited to choose any qualifying charity to receive a $100 donation from Acuity, for a total of $160,000.
“Since Acuity’s major initiative to fund charitable giving began in1999, we have donated nearly $26 million to the community, not just to give back but to help create new services and facilities that benefit those in need. We have worked to build a significant community presence, and we value the causes that matter to our employees,” said Ben Salzmann, Acuity CEO.
Additionally, the holiday season highlighted efforts from Acuity’s staff that made a difference in the local community. For instance, over 110 employees from the insurer’s Business Consulting department volunteered at numerous charitable organizations on a special charity workshop day, and the Acuity gift drive collected hundreds of items for Sheboygan County Health and Human Services, representing the largest donation of much-needed items the organization received in 2023.
Acuity Insurance, headquartered in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, insures nearly 150,000 businesses, including nearly 350,000 commercial vehicles, and more than 550,000 homes and private passenger autos across 31 states. Rated A+ by AM Best and S&P, Acuity employs more than 1,600 people.