‘Symetra Week of Service’ Volunteers Give Back at Four Bellevue Projects

Nearly 500 Symetra employees mobilized around the Puget Sound region — and across the country — in support of local communities during the fifth-annual “Symetra Week of Service,” held June 24-28.

Wearing vivid blue ‘Symetra Volunteer’ T-shirts, employees logged nearly 1,500 hours over five days to help clear trails, landscape, make blankets, assemble emergency preparedness kits, tutor kids, paint, clean and organize on behalf of 38 nonprofit organizations—23 around the Eastside and in the Greater Seattle area. (See complete Puget Sound-area list of organizations here.)

Four Bellevue organizations once again drew enthusiastic Symetra volunteer crews. Collectively, 65 employees will have contributed 200 hours of manpower — last week, 45 of them helped organize a field day for preschoolers at the Bellevue Family YMCA, resurface trails at the City of Bellevue’s Larsen Lake Blueberry Farm or spread bark on dog-walking trails for the Seattle Humane Society in Bellevue, while another 20 will be on hand to help set up and distribute giveaways at the Symetra Bellevue Family 4th later this week.

“Symetra’s Week of Service has become a much-anticipated annual tradition that gives us a chance to connect with our colleagues and make a positive impact in the community through hands-on service,” said Tom Marra, Symetra president and CEO, who was among the Week’s volunteers. “The Week of Service is a time we break from our work routines and join forces to help our nonprofit partners who do so much good in the community.”

Symetra Week of Service began in 2009 with 130 employees in the company’s Bellevue headquarters volunteering at seven area projects. Since the program’s inception, Symetra employees have contributed 5,000 Week of Service hours.

To see more of Symetra’s 2013 Week of Service volunteers in action, visit Facebook at www.facebook.com/Symetra. To learn about the company’s community programs, visit www.symetra.com/community.