Since 1931, Allstate Insurance Company has been using its good hands to reach out to people.

The most obvious way is by providing people with protection from disaster through its home, auto and life insurance lines.

Equally important are the company's charitable and volunteer efforts. The Allstate Foundation, with an annual budget of $9 million, makes major contributions to worthy causes throughout the country. And more than 50 percent of Allstate employees perform volunteer work, many through the company's Helping Hands program.

It's all part of Allstate's attempt to connect with the community.

Putting Allstate's name on the former Rosemont Horizon is part of the company's overall vision to show the company's commitment to the community and increase its visibility, says Edward Liddy, Allstate's chairman, president and CEO.

The most recent step in that effort comes with the opening of the Allstate Arena in Rosemont.

Allstate paid approximately $1 million a year for 10 years to attach its name to the building formerly known as the Rosemont Horizon.

The arena will enable Allstate to touch the lives of more people, providing entertainment for families, for young and old alike.

The person whose vision made Allstate Arena a reality is Edward M. Liddy, chairman, president and CEO of Allstate Corporation.

In his first year as Allstate's top executive, Liddy has placed great emphasis on the company's commitment to the community. His mission has been fulfilled in different ways, from improvements in how Allstate treats its customers, to increases in its volunteer and philanthropic efforts.

The Allstate Arena is a visible symbol of that objective.

"Allstate Arena is one of the premier entertainment venues in the Chicago area," Liddy said. "The arena gives us more visability and thus helps us tell our story about our work and our community focus."

The grand opening of Allstate Arena is something of a coming-out party. Allstate Corporation is one of the largest companies in the Chicago area, employing 53,000 people around the nation, 5,000 at its Northbrook headquarters. Through its 15,500 agents, the insurance carrier provides auto and property coverage to one of every eight households in America and is a major life insurer as well.

Despite its size, Allstate still has a relatively low profile in the Chicago area, Liddy said.

"We're one of the best-known brand names in the nation," he said, "but we're not as well-known in our hometown as we'd like to be."

Liddy saw the Allstate Arena as a way to heighten the company's image. Rosemont officials were about to embark on a $20 million renovation of the Rosemont Horizon and thought the timing was right for the facility to bear a new name. Allstate was intrigued by the idea of having its name on a multipurpose stadium in a highly visible location.

An agreement between Rosemont and Allstate was quickly consummated. From the first discussions in January, a deal was completed by May.

Liddy said he acted fast because the arrangement seemed so right.

"When the opportunity first presented itself, we were impressed with two things in particular: the breadth of entertainment and the number of people we could reach," Liddy said.

"The arena offers entertainment for people of all ages, everything from college and professional sports to circuses and ice shows to musical acts That gives us a very broad cross-section of the public to connect with," Liddy said. "Then there is the sheer volume of the 'impressions' we could generate - everything from our name on the building and tickets, to the ads, the signage inside and outside the building, and media coverage. We decided it was a terrific, cost-effective way to 'banner' our name with the public."

It is all part of Liddy's crusade to, as he calls it, "strengthen the customer experience."

For its 14 million policyholders, Allstate has rolled out a number of new programs to enhance that experience. The company has expanded agency hours on weekdays and Saturdays to make it more convenient for customers to conduct business. Customers can now call their agents 24 hours a day and conduct most of their insurance business. And it has developed desktop computer technology to process claims more easily. Other changes will follow.

"Our goal is to make the customer experience more satisfying - to make our company more accessible, more service-oriented to our customers," Liddy said.

But Allstate doesn't want its service to end with its policyholders.

"We believe that community involvement is not only the right thing to do, but it also makes good business sense," Liddy explained. "Stronger, more viable communities create viable markets in which to sell insurance. Strong, safe neighborhoods create better living conditions for our customers and employees alike."

Employees clearly embrace this philosophy. More than 54 percent of Allstate's employees and agents do volunteer work in their communities. Some volunteer on their own. Others work with the company's formal volunteer program, Helping Hands.

Helping Hands was developed 20 years ago by employees and agents as a way to foster volunteerism across the nation. Activities range from rehabilitating urban neighborhoods, to serving in soup kitchens, sponsoring food and clothing drives to mentoring children.

"It's an inspiring sight to see hundreds of people in Allstate T-shirts working in partnership with community groups to make a difference," Liddy said. "It's a powerful statement about what can happen when barriers are broken down and private companies, governments and non-profit organizations work together toward a common goal."

The Allstate Foundation, meanwhile, issues almost 1,000 grants a year to non-profit groups working in three areas: automobile and highway safety, personal safety and security, and neighborhood revitalization. Mothers Against Drunk Driving, the Children's Aid Society and Big Brothers/Big Sisters are among the organizations that receive support.

"Coupling volunteers with financial support provides a win-win for everyone involved," Liddy said. "Our employees and agents don't volunteer because they have to, they volunteer because they want to. We provide financial support to agencies because we want to build stronger communities.

"Contributions to the community give hope where there previously was none," Liddy continued. "It gives support to those who haven't had it. And it provides a great feeling of accomplishment."

Though Allstate's volunteer and charitable programs have won national awards - including the U.S. Department of Labor's EVE Award and designation as one of Fortune Magazine's Most Admired Companies - most of the work is done quietly and with little recognition.

So though Allstate Arena might be an image builder for the company, Liddy hopes it will also draw attention to the employees and agents that care about their community.

"We're one of the biggest companies in the Chicago area in terms of revenues, profits, and number of employees. We're a major funder of local organizations. And through our volunteers, we have an even greater impact on Chicago institutions," Liddy said. "We're a great Chicago institution, and so is the Arena. It's a terrific match."