How Silent Guard Won the 2018 SAMMY Award for Best Community Outreach
Spearheaded by President/CEO Dwight Sears and wife Barbara, Silent Guard stays very active supporting local charitable initiatives and last year also aided relief in Houston.
Many security and alarm dealers will talk about how it’s their mission to protect people and property, and make no doubt Somerset, Ky.-based Silent Guard stands true to that.
But the company’s true mission as led from the top down by President/CEO Dwight Sears is to “be a difference maker, be the change you wish to see,” he says and echoes the small acts of kindness model exemplified by legendary altruists.
“Mother Teresa was spot on,” Sears enthuses, invoking her saying that she alone could not change the world but she could cast a stone in water to create ripple effects. “If you think about it, it really doesn’t take a very large stone to make a difference — just do something! Our industry provides an amazing platform to do just that.”
Indeed, since its founding in 1994 and purchase by Sears and wife Barbara in 2000, Silent Guard has stayed strong in both of its missions, so to speak, to the benefit of its security customers and the local community on the whole.
Actually, last year Silent Guard showed that its reach extends well beyond the Kentucky/Tennessee region. After Houston was devastated by Hurricane Harvey, #TeamSilentGuard sprang into action and partnered with a local Baptist church, county and city governments, and local trucking company to gather relief provisions.
“Our Somerset office became the central hub for donations,” says Sears. “We collected, sorted, boxed and shrink-wrapped countless items and pallets into a 70-foot+ tractor trailer.”
The Searses helped with the logistics and delivery in Houston, where they were told their donations were the largest today and later found to be 1,200 pounds’ worth of goods.
Also in 2017, Silent Guard participated in Pay It Forward Day, an initiative whose overall goal was 10 million worldwide random acts of kindness to be performed April 28.
For their part, Silent Guard assisted with God’s Food Pantry to create free picnic for the entire community, and on that day also visited several elementary schools and delivered thousands of pencils.“#TeamSilentGuard consists of 21 employees. We have 100% participation and … a sense of pride,” relays Sears, whose company supports the efforts of several nonprofits.
“Anything student/youth related, we’re all about. It’s important to provide the next generation with the tools and resources needed to succeed in life.”
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About the Author
Arlen Schweiger
Arlen Schweiger is editor-in-chief of SSI's sister publication, CE Pro. He was SSI's managing editor from August 2018 to June 2023.
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