May 18, 2012

American Student Assistance Employees Walk for Wellness

Nonprofit Joins Mayor Menino’s Challenge as Part of “Boston Moves for Health”

BOSTON, MA May 18, 2012 – American Student Assistance® (ASA), the Boston-based nonprofit that empowers college students and alumni to successfully manage and repay their student loan debt, has become one of the first local organizations to officially hold an employee “Wellness” event as part of Mayor Thomas M. Menino’s Boston Moves for Health initiative. More than 80 ASA employees joined together on May 18th to do a 30-minute “Walk for Wellness” in the Government Center area where the organization is located.

“ASA’s mission is the financial “wellness” of college students and alumni as they deal with student debt,” said ASA President and CEO Paul Combe, “but as an organization we’re also deeply committed to the health and wellbeing of our associates, because it’s our people who make our public purpose mission come alive.”

ASA was inspired by the recently launched Boston Moves for Health, an ambitious campaign started by Mayor Menino and the Boston Public Health Commission in April 2012 to improve the health and fitness of the city of Boston. As part of the initiative, the Mayor has challenged residents to lose one million pounds and walk 10 million miles together over the next year. Individuals can visit www.BostonMovesForHealth.org to register for the campaign, set fitness goals, receive workout tips, and track their progress, as well as the city’s progress towards achieving the Mayor’s challenges.

The Boston Public Health Commission provided the ASA walkers with Boston Moves for Health banners to display during the event, as well as pedometers to help track their steps. “We’re thrilled that ASA has so eagerly answered our call to get active, and I’m proud to have them partner with us to promote Boston Moves for Health,” said Barbara Ferrer, Executive Director of the Boston Public Health Commission. “Boston Moves offers fun, interactive resources for everyone in the city to achieve a more active, healthy lifestyle, and it’s great to see employers like ASA emphasize the importance of workplace wellness.”

ASA’s Walk for Wellness is the latest in a series of “WELLNESS REWARD$” benefits for its employees that promote a culture of health and wellness, establish a work environment that promotes healthy lifestyles, decrease the risk of disease, and enhance quality of life. ASA recently launched a “Know Your Numbers” campaign that rewards employees with $100 gift cards when they complete a health risk assessment with their doctor.

During the event, ASA walkers wore T-shirts promoting the organization’s new financial education program, SALT, for college students and alumni. “We know that too much salt is bad for the body, but we’re on a mission to show it’s good for the wallet,” said Combe.

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About American Student Assistance

American Student Assistance is a private nonprofit whose public purpose mission is to empower students and alumni to successfully manage and repay their college loan debt. We do this by providing student loan education and enabling the development of financial competencies through the use of innovative web-based tools and trusted, neutral advice”all free of charge to students and alumni. Through a game-changing educational membership program called “SALT,” we equip students and alumni with money skills for life so they reduce their student loan debt, improve student loan repayment outcomes, and increase their overall financial empowerment. Established in 1956 and based in Boston, ASA employs approximately 450 associates and has been recognized by the Boston Business Journal and Boston Globe as one of the region’s best places to work. Visit www.asa.org or call 617.728.4631 for more information.