Clearcover's Employee Resource Group: Special Needs Parents
Written by Team Clearcover
Last year, Clearcover's Equity, Inclusion and Diversity Council (EIDC) launched Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) to create a space where team members with similar backgrounds and interests can share experiences and find support. Clearcover-ers immediately formed groups that have become places where members share stories, seek advice, and host virtual meet-ups and speakers. As of this writing, groups have formed for Parents of Clearcover, Sage Solace for members of the LGBTQ+ community and their allies, Women in Insurance and Technology, Clearcover African American Network and, most recently, Special Needs Parents.
Customer Advocate Abbey Depoorter launched the Special Needs Parents ERG as a platform for any Clearcover-er with a special needs family member to connect and share stories. As the mother of a teenage son with Pallister Killian syndrome, Abbey recognizes the benefits of being part of a community of other parents who are raising children with special needs. She intends for the group to be "a safe place for [parents] to share their wins, struggles, and questions" and, far, the group has proven to be just that. Within the first two days of launching, Clearcover-ers across departments joined Special Needs Parents, sharing photos and stories of their children and other family members. Members have already asked for advice and related experiences of facing and overcoming challenges. As Abbey explains, she hopes the group will give members a place "[t]o help each other on this path of life and understand they are not alone on this journey."
In the upcoming weeks and months, Special Needs Parents plans to host virtual meet-ups for members of the group , invite speakers within and outside of the company to relate their personal stories of challenges and wins, and host fundraisers for special needs organizations and families.
For Abbey, the greatest benefit of being part of an ERG is the ability to "connect [with] fellow coworkers on a more personal level." She feels that the groups "enhance the well-being of employees by providing resources for them to express themselves [while creating] a more inclusive environment."
As more ERGs like Special Needs Parents continue to form, Clearcover's EIDC remains committed to their mission of creating a workplace where everyone feels supported and able to show up every day as their true selves. When all team members are able to fully contribute their wide variety of opinions and viewpoints, Clearcover thinks "better-er" and continues to innovate and grow. If you're ready to bring your unique background and experiences to a company where you'll always feel heard and valued, we encourage you to apply for one of our open positions today.
