‘You are the most kind-hearted people’
There’s a handwritten letter with a couple of Xeroxed pictures that Brad Noller looks at whenever someone asks him about his “why” in life.
In one photo is a little boy with breathing tubes attached to his nose. In the other photo, Brad sees words from the boy’s mom, which came from a notebook she received at the local Ronald McDonald House.
“Thank you for an amazing Christmas,” the message starts. “I felt all alone and sad. Then, they told me there are people out in the world who want to help.
“You are the most kind-hearted people that make this world a better place.”
Presents were delivered to that single mom and her son last Christmas from Brad and his American Family Insurance agency colleagues. Nearly a year later, it’s hard to know who appreciated the gesture more.
“I’ve always been somebody who is more excited about the gift-giving on Christmas than about getting something,” he says. “We have so many blessings in our household that we’ve always been about what we can do for somebody else to make their day better.”
Brad’s volunteering efforts include the Ronald McDonald House near his American Family Insurance agency office in Topeka, serving on his community school board and helping the district’s nonprofit foundation. He credits the matching program run by the American Family Insurance Dreams Foundation for the ability to amplify his agency’s donations to a host of community organizations.
“American Family definitely wants to be in communities, and I think that’s where we shine,” he says. “When you can provide something, whether it’s money or time, it does make a difference and I’ve seen it firsthand. There are some really great people out there who just need a little bit of help and assistance.”
Which brings us back to that single mom spending her son’s first holiday away from home, with a battery of tests and doctors’ appointments. Brad has volunteered at the Ronald McDonald House for years, but this story stands out.
“Just seeing how that impacted their life, I know that if I had a kid with cancer that, I mean, that would be every waking moment,” he says. “If we could provide one ounce of comfort to a parent who’s going through something like that, it’s the least we can do is as members of the community, to help with that.”
In her letter to Brad and his colleagues, the little boy’s mother shared how she’d spent Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas in and out of the hospital, and away from family.
“(I) didn’t feel lonely because of all your love and support,” she wrote. “You have the biggest heart. I feel like I can’t thank you enough.”
At American Family Insurance, we believe that social impact doesn’t start or end with a check. So we focus on bringing our mission — to inspire, protect and restore dreams — to life in our communities. When our local agency owners and their teams give of their time and dollars, they often do so in the company of others — part of a support network of volunteers and donors. But those they benefit notice their impact.
