Financial Representatives in Action
Thrivent Financial representatives give and realize amazing returns.
 How does it feel to give back? Just ask one of the 30 financial representatives from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans who spent a week in Guatemala with Thrivent Builds SM Worldwide in September 2007. This first-of-its-kind “ambassador” trip, meant to create awareness and advocacy of Thrivent Builds Worldwide, had unforeseen benefits.
The experience offered its participants a new outlook—and a sense of pride in the organization they represent. “Seeing people with little or no money who are still very happy gives you great perspective on your own life,” says Tim Schmidt, a Thrivent Financial managing partner in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. “We also saw Thrivent Financial values in action. We don’t just say we’re going to do good, we actually do good.”
The financial representatives, chosen in part because of their ongoing commitment to volunteering, worked with Habitat for Humanity® and the future homeowners to build four concrete-block homes in Panajachel. Thrivent Financial executives Nikki Sorum, divisional vice president, and Russ Swansen, chief investment officer, also participated in the trip.
When the work was done, the participants found that the value of their experience far exceeded the value of the homes they constructed. “It’s not just your everyday vacation,” says Josh Langholz, a Thrivent Financial representative in Orlando, Florida. “You get more out of this than a normal trip to Disney World.”
—Holly O’Dell
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Continuing to Care | Participants
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