[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 68 (Thursday, May 17, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Page S5113]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               150TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE PHOENIX HOME LIFE

 Mr. LIEBERMAN. Mr. President, I rise with my esteemed 
colleague, Senator Chris Dodd, to offer congratulations to Phoenix Home 
Life Mutual Insurance Company, which is celebrating its 150th 
anniversary today.
  Phoenix is actively engaged in so many facets of our society. This 
company embodies social leadership through charitable contributions and 
community involvement. The corporate infrastructure of Phoenix is 
permeated with a sense of compassion that looks beyond the bottom line 
and stresses to its employees the importance of investing in human 
capital as a means of promoting community development.
  For example, Phoenix encourages employees to volunteer through a 
policy that allows them to devote 40 hours of company time per year to 
community activities, provided it is matched by the same amount of 
personal time. The company also rewards its top 20 professional 
advisors through its Donor's Award, a program that enables employees to 
designate up to $2,000 to a local charity. Since it's inception, the 
award has benefited many organizations, including the Juvenile Diabetes 
Foundation, Lou Gehrig Baseball, and the Make-a-Wish Foundation.
  Through this emphasis on community commitment, Phoenix employees 
adopt their favorite charities, lending their expertise, their 
leadership, and their time to a variety of local outreach initiatives. 
The Loaves and Fishes soup kitchen is one such beneficiary. Each 
summer, Phoenix home office employees in Hartford team up with 
Foodshare to harvest vegetables donated by Connecticut farmers for area 
soup kitchens and shelters. Another example is the planning and 
organization, by a group of employees in 1999, of Connecticut's first 
Adoption and Foster Care Exposition, sponsored by Phoenix.
  Additionally, Phoenix has spearheaded a three-million-dollar ``Legacy 
Campaign'' to sustain and promote the Doc Hurley Foundation. Through 
financial scholarships, mentoring from foundation trustees, and help 
with purchasing books, the campaign's endowment will help city high 
school students go to college. Phoenix will contribute a total of 
$500,000 over the course of the campaign.
  One of Phoenix's greatest investments in our communities and in 
society has been its commitment to Special Olympics. In 1995, Phoenix 
made an eight-year commitment to Special Olympics International as its 
first Official Worldwide Partner, setting a standard for volunteerism 
few companies can match. Approximately 60 percent of home office 
employees volunteered at the Special Olympics World Games. Field 
offices also provided volunteers and raised money to assist local 
chapters with travel and lodging expenses, enabling athletes across the 
country to participate in a once-in-a-lifetime event.
  Phoenix has proven itself to be an indispensable asset to 
Connecticut. By making community involvement a priority, Phoenix 
demonstrates that an alliance between the business sector and the 
community is not just possible, it is necessary.
  At the end of the day, Phoenix is not a faceless multi-national 
corporation. Through its selfless endeavors within Connecticut's 
communities, it has proven itself to be the consummate good neighbor. 
Phoenix is a leader in the competitive world of business and a winner 
in the hearts of countless Connecticut residents. It is with great 
appreciation and honor that I ask my colleagues to join me in offering 
congratulations to Phoenix Home Life Mutual Insurance Company on its 
150th anniversary.

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