Linda Bambacus, vice president for process improvement and implementation, has been with Colonial Life for nearly 5 years.
Here, in a Q&A with WorkLife, she shares how she supports the United Way of the Midlands through one of its partner agencies, The Free Medical Clinic.
WorkLife: What United Way Partner Agency are you involved with and why?
Bambacus: I am proud to serve on the board of directors for The Free Medical Clinic in Columbia. The reasons are simple: we work for a great company that offers a supportive environment and a strong benefit package. Imagine just for a minute being a working person who doesn’t have the wonderful support and benefits we sometimes take for granted. There are tens of thousands of working people in our community who deal with this reality every single day. The Free Medical Clinic provides medical care and medications to the most vulnerable of our community – those who desperately need medical attention but have no way to pay for it. We work hard to be good stewards of funds we raise. In fact, $.98 of every dollar we raise goes to program services. The Free Medical Clinic makes a real difference in people’s lives – every day.
WorkLife: What have you experienced by working with a UW Partner Agency that has inspired you?
Bambacus: More than one patient has said words to this effect to me – “The Free Medical Clinic has changed my life. I appreciate being able to get the help I need and being treated with dignity and respect.” What more can I say? What this organization does is life changing.
Worklife: How does United Way provide assistance to this partner agency?
Bambacus: The clinic is able to offer its services free of charge due to the efforts of dedicated volunteers and faithful financial support from the three area hospital systems, corporations (notably BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina), organizations (notably USC School of Medicine), and certainly the United Way of the Midlands, which has been a strong financial contributor for many years. Without this help, we would be hard pressed to keep our doors open to the people who need us.
WorkLife: What does Colonial Life’s support of United Way mean to you and why should employees support United Way?
Bambacus: Our values are the foundation of our culture and our success. And it’s our sense of responsibility to our community that really defines who we are as a company and as people. Colonial Life’s support for the United Way of the Midlands is more than just a once-a-year fundraising event. It symbolizes our year-round, ongoing commitment to giving back to our community.
