Chris Watson Shares Why One Call Supports Kids’ Chance
Chris Watson Shares Why One Call Supports Kids’ Chance
One Call, the leading provider of specialized healthcare solutions for the workers' compensation industry, has been a Kids’ Chance of America partner for many years, giving well above the minimum commitment of $25,000 annually. They’ve also served in leadership roles and helped to build strong relationships with other members of the industry.
And they didn’t stop there. In addition to their national support, One Call has created an employee-funded scholarship with Kids' Chance of Florida (KCFL), the Kids’ Chance organization based in their headquarter state.
When Chief Operating Officer Chris Watson joined the company, there was already an established national partnership with Kids' Chance. After attending a number of Kids' Chance events and meeting some of the kids who received scholarships, he was ready to deepen his own commitment.
He joined the Kids' Chance Advisory Board and has personally donated to the national organization. “I don't think there's a charitable organization that is better aligned with our industry and what we do,” Chris said.
“One Call has a long and productive relationship with Kids' Chance,” said Vicki Burkhart, Kids’ Chance of America Executive Director. “Their initiative to create the KCFL scholarship demonstrates how it’s possible to expand your support beyond a national partnership. Chris’ leadership and willingness to get personally involved also reflects how deeply our mission resonates with individuals in the workers’ compensation industry.”
One Call chose to support Kids' Chance on a national level because they themselves provide services across the country. “Being a national partner gives us the opportunity to support all of the different state organizations,” said Chris. “We also have a significant number of employees that are active at the state level across the country.”
In order to make an impact in their own backyard, One Call created the Kids' Chance of Florida One Call scholarship. “The college scholarship, which provides $7,000 per year for four years, is fully funded by our employees and awarded through Kids’ Chance of Florida” said Chris.
Jared C., the first recipient of the scholarship, is currently studying biochemistry at Stetson University. "I am grateful for this scholarship because it takes a huge burden off of me and my family," said Jared. "If it weren't for support like this, I wouldn't be able to attend college and pursue my dream of becoming an engineer."
“By creating a One Call scholarship, we’re putting faces and names to the families of the injured workers, which is meaningful to our employees who connect with injured workers every day by helping them get the care they need when they need it,” said Chris.
Lisa Noakes, Senior Director of Communications and Content Marketing, along with Liesl Kammer, Internal Communications Manager, both of whom were instrumental in creating the scholarship, agree. “We work in an industry where we really do have an opportunity to help people every day, which I think is tremendous,” said Lisa.
“Partnering with Kids' Chance, both nationally and at the state level, allows us to humanize the difference we’re making in people’s lives through our work. We can really showcase to our own employees the people and families they are helping. We want to drive it home,” said Lisa.
For Chris, supporting Kids' Chance is first and foremost about the kids. “If you haven't had the chance to go to a Kids' Chance event and hear one of the kids speak, I would highly recommend you do that,” he said. “There's no one better than the kids themselves to explain the impact this program has on their lives.”
The national partnership has been an asset to the One Call culture, and Chris recommends others consider the combination of national and state support. “I think it would be great if more companies created similar scholarships to further engage employees in our industry’s service-oriented work,” said Chris. “I don't think there's any better way for us to give back for what the workers' compensation industry has given to us.”
For many members of the workers’ compensation industry, Kids’ Chance is a natural extension of the work they do every day.
Chris is one of the standout leaders in our community, but we are fortunate to have so many volunteers and supporters across the country committed to our goal of #MoreMoneyforMoreKids.
With 48 state organizations, we’re always looking for more support. Reach out to Kids’ Chance of America if you’d like to get involved at the national level, or get in touch with the organization in your state today.
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