Safelite President & CEO Tom Feeney Honored as Red Cross Humanitarian of the Year
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Tom Feeney, President and CEO of Safelite® Group, which owns www.safelite.com and www.safelitesolutions.com, is the recipient of the 2015 American Red Cross Humanitarian of the Year award; an honor bestowed upon those who have improved lives in central Ohio and beyond.
To learn more about Feeney’s influence on central Ohio, watch a short youtu.be/AJoY9t3o8r4 featuring leaders of several area charitable organizations.
Feeney, winner of the www.rmhc-centralohio.org/press_room_full.php?id=604, currently serves as president emeritus of the board of directors for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio and chairman emeritus for the American Red Cross of Greater Columbus Chapter. He also is a board member for Champions of the Community Inc., a non-profit organization supporting Nationwide Children’s Hospital.
“Tom exemplifies what it means to be an everyday hero,” American Red Cross of Central Ohio CEO Matt Bertram said. “Through several creative initiatives at Safelite, Feeney has instilled giving back in every one of their associates. This includes paid time off to volunteer, national giving campaigns, support of local non-profits, and new fundraisers for the Safelite AutoGlass Foundation. In addition to his philanthropic efforts at Safelite, he is very involved in several local non-profits such as the Ronald McDonald House Charities. We’re pleased to honor him as this year’s Humanitarian of the Year.”
Under Feeney’s leadership, employees of Safelite Group are committed to being responsible community members. Safelite’s “giving back” approach is a 1-2-3 philosophy:
- 1. Safelite Group donates 1% of its annual trading profit to the Safelite AutoGlass Foundation.
- 2. Safelite encourages its employees to give 2% of their time to volunteer in their community. That includes 16 hours of paid time off the company allows every employee for volunteer work in addition to 24 hours of their personal time for a total of 40 hours per employee, which equals 2% of the average hours in a “work year.”
- 3. Safelite holds 3 annual charitable fundraisers, including the Safelite Challenge Triathlon & Charity Poker Run; the National Giving Campaign in which associates can elect for a one-time or on-going payroll deduction over the coming year to the charities of their choice, and an annual Charity Golf Classic supported by Safelite’s suppliers and business partners.
Since its inception, the Safelite AutoGlass Foundation has donated more than $6.3 million to charitable organizations.
“I am truly humbled to receive this honor,” Feeney said. “First, because the Red Cross is one of the premier charitable organizations in the world and second, because of the previous winners. It is quite the honor to be included with this extraordinary group of individuals that have done so much for our community.”
During his acceptance speech, Feeney took the opportunity to encourage others to become more involved in the community and make a difference. "After much thought, I’ve concluded that being the recipient of this award has a purpose – to influence others,” he said. “If just one person takes action to get involved and serve their community in a meaningful way, then me receiving this award will have served that purpose.”
About American Red Cross of Central Ohio
The www.redcross.org/oh/columbus is dedicated to helping make families and communities safer at home and around the world. Currently serving 2.5 million residents in 45 Ohio counties, the organization is sustained by over a thousand volunteers. The Red Cross provides assistance to more than 1000 families each year after home fires and other disasters strike. Yearly, the organization trains and educates around 125,000 area residents in vital lifesaving skills like first aid, CPR and how to prepare for emergencies. The Red Cross also sent over 1,800 emergency messages between members of the military and their families. The community transportation program provides rides to medical appointments for over 700 seniors and individuals with disabilities, logging more than 15,000 trips per year. All these programs and more are made possible by the donations of time and money from our community.
About Safelite AutoGlass®
Safelite AutoGlass® is the nation’s largest provider of vehicle glass repair and replacement services with 5,000 MobileGlassShops™ and company stores in all 50 states. Each year, roughly 4.3 million customers choose Safelite for its 24/7 national contact centers, advanced online scheduling, superior repair and replacement systems, and the industry’s only nationwide lifetime guarantee. Founded in 1947, the Columbus, Ohio-based company employs approximately 11,000 people across the United States. For more information, visit www.safelite.com, or follow us on www.facebook.com/safelite and twitter.com/safelite.