MassMutual Donates $125,000 To Non-Profit Organizations On Behalf Of Financial Professionals

SPRINGFIELD, Mass., July 17, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) has awarded $125,000 to eligible non-profit organizations through its annual Community Service Awards (CSA) program. The awards are given on behalf of MassMutual financial professionals who demonstrate outstanding commitment to non-profit organizations in their local community.

Through the CSA program, now in its 17^th year, MassMutual awards ten $10,000 grants to non-profit organizations across the country on behalf of financial professionals who have provided exceptional voluntary service. The company also awards one $25,000 grant to a non-profit in recognition of a financial professional's extraordinary dedication to volunteerism.

This year's $25,000 grant was awarded to James Woodward, a financial professional with MassMutual's general agency Intermountain Financial Group in Salt Lake City, Utah, for his work with the Refugee and Immigrant Center – Asian Association of Utah, which provides in-language social services, employment support, English language classes, youth programs, and mental health services to refugees and other immigrants in the Salt Lake City area.

"It has been my honor to serve the many wonderful refugees who have been placed by the State Department in Salt Lake City. These are people who have no country to return to through no fault of their own. With just a little help they create new productive lives for themselves and their families," said James Woodward, a MassMutual financial professional in Salt Lake City, UT. "I am very grateful to MassMutual for providing such a generous grant to the Asian Association of Utah."

Mr. Woodward has been a volunteer with the organization for five years and provides countless hours of volunteer service including fundraising and working directly with the families to help them get settled.

"MassMutual's Community Service Awards program encourages and recognizes those financial professionals like James who selflessly give their time and resources to help non-profits  do great work in their communities," said Nick Fyntrilakis, Vice President of Community Responsibility, MassMutual. "We are delighted to award these grants in honor of our most dedicated volunteers."

Each CSA recognizes the many selfless hours of volunteer time and talent members of MassMutual's sales force put in during the year to improve their communities. Since the program's inception in 1996, MassMutual has contributed more than $1.2 million to charitable organizations across the country.

The CSA program is just one of a variety of philanthropic programs sponsored by MassMutual in support of non-profit organizations where its financial professionals live and work. Last year, in total, MassMutual contributed more than $850,000 to organizations throughout the United States in honor of its sales force. 

The following financial professionals have been awarded grants for their local non-profit organizations:

About MassMutual
Founded in 1851, MassMutual is a leading mutual life insurance company that is run for the benefit of its members and participating policyowners. The company has a long history of financial strength and strong performance, and although dividends are not guaranteed, MassMutual has paid dividends to eligible participating policyholders continously since the 1860s. With whole life insurance as its foundation, MassMutual provides products to help meet the financial needs of clients, such as life insurance, disability income insurance, long term care insurance, retirement/401(k) plan services, and annuities. In addition, the company's strong and growing network of financial professionals helps clients make good financial decisions for the long-term.

MassMutual Financial Group is a marketing name for Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) and its affiliated companies and sales representatives. MassMutual is headquartered in Springfield, Massachusetts and its major affiliates include: Babson Capital Management LLC; Baring Asset Management Limited; Cornerstone Real Estate Advisers LLC; The First Mercantile Trust Company; MassMutual International LLC; MML Investors Services, LLC, Member FINRA and SIPC; OppenheimerFunds, Inc.; and The MassMutual Trust Company, FSB.

For more information, visit www.massmutual.com or find MassMutual on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and Google+.

SOURCE MassMutual