Farmers Insurance Donates to School for Homeless Children in San Diego

When asked why we work with Farmers Insurance versus other insurance companies, there's a lot of ways we can answer that:  quality of the products, superior level of customer service, excellent agent training to better serve the client.

Then there's also our commitment to the communities we serve.  The following story, to me, says it all.

This is why we sponsor the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines, and make it a fundraising opportunity.  (on Facebook)

Reprint from Farmers Insurance (February, 2012)

Agents, district managers and employees joined Southern California State Executive Director Charles Dabelgott in downtown San Diego as he presented a check for $100,000 to the Monarch School, a one-of-a-kind facility in the United States that’s open to homeless children in the San Diego area. The donation will go into the capital building fund, which will be used to double the size of the school.

Just over 150 homeless children attend grades K through 12 at Monarch, and many go on to college and trade schools. Farmers’ donation will allow the school to double attendance to over 300 homeless children.

During the groundbreaking, which was attended by more than 400 supporters, Monarch School President Ronne Froman asked Dabelgott, who is also a Monarch School Board member, to come forward for the check presentation.

“Supporting Monarch School through our partnership with the Century Club (Farmers Insurance Open) exemplifies Farmers’ commitment to giving back to the communities.” said Dabelgott.

Also at the ceremony, San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders said all of San Diego supports the Monarch School and praised the faculty and students for working so closely and producing futures for all the children that attend. He was joined by three San Diego Council men and women, the board of Education, representatives from Senators Diane Feinstein’s and Barbara Boxer’s offices and other major fundraisers and supporters.

The new building is set for immediate renovation and will open this Fall.

Laura White, vice president of Development at Monarch School said, “It’s because of generous donors like Farmers that Monarch School is able to break ground on its new campus, which will allow us to serve more than double the current student population. We are so grateful for all that Farmers has and continues to do for Monarch School and the homeless youth of San Diego.”

“The educational and life-skill opportunities that the Monarch School provides for children in unstable environments embodies the values the Century Club and Farmers share in supporting San Diego charities,” said Peter Ripa, executive director of the Century Club. “This groundbreaking will allow more children to realize their potential in the classroom and in life.”

Planning When You Have Special Needs Children

Originally published on Why Platinum?

Financial preparation is important for any family with children.  When one of the children is special needs, the needs is amplified.

What if the parent(s) or guardian are killed or incapacitated?

Will the new guardian be able to financially, emotionally, and legally be able to take care of the disabled child the same way their mother and / or father can?

Always a tough situation, there are steps that should be taken to minimize the devastation that will occur for the special needs child when their parent or guardian is gone.  The following information is by no means a complete description of what needs to be done for every family since needs and situations differ, but it can be a good guide on where to start and what to consider.

Please consult with legal council or insurance / financial professional where necessary.

Life Insurance: Buying life insurance is a great way to leave an income source to a dependent who needs support until they can support themselves.  With a child with special needs the inability to support themselves could stretch well into adulthood or even their lifetime.  

Realistically, how many years of income will be needed, and how much per year?  18 or 21 may not be the goal in this case.

Will Government support be enough?

Can the guardian you've chosen to help your child financial afford to take on that responsibility?  They might want to, but can they?

Life Insurance on the lives of the parents or guardians is a key step to take.

Other steps to consider:

• Create a last Will and Testament:  A will should outlines how you want your assets (estate) distributed. Have a lawyer guide you through the process. This is not the time to Do-It-Yourself. Leaving assets to a special needs child directly may jeopardize any government aid they receive such as Social Security, MediCare, or Medicaid / MediCal.  So make sure your attorney helps you figure out if you should designate someone to take care of the estate.  In these cases a Will is not enough.  See Trusts below.
  
  
  Don't NOT buy insurance out of the fear of losing government support.  Do it the right way instead.  Government support with current government budgetary problems could make future support unreliable.
  
  
• Decide on the right Guardian(s): Appoint a trusted and responsible adult to make financial & medical decisions for the special needs child.  You might need to choose a short term and a long term guardian.  Example: the grandparents might be the best choice, but for how long?
  

Across The Waves: Celebrating The Asian Pacific Community

Excerpt from blog originally published on Why Platinum?

Agents of Farmers Insurance and The Platinum Elite Group are committed to the children of the communities they serve. With governmental budgetary constraints affecting schools, any help given to a teacher for his or her classroom can come in very handy.

One such area of support comes in the educational series of DVD's, readers, and lesson plans geared for all grade levels offered free to educators. Perfect for public or private schools, or home schoolers.

"Farmers free resources offer new and innovative tools for bringing lessons in democracy, diversity, history, the arts and literacy to your classroom. The programs and lesson plans will engage elementary school students and help them develop life-long curiosity and love of learning."

Fire safety and child identification programs are also available through your Platinum Elite Team Member. One such DVD is Across The Waves: Voices from the Asian-Pacific American Community.

To preview this and other programs in the series, go to GoFarmersEd.com.

"Across the Waves Brings together eight Asian Pacific American communities who share their struggles and triumphs in their own words. With all original interviews never before seen with stories that are fundamental to understanding the Asian-Pacific American community, Across the Waves provides insights and information not found in middle and high school history books. Narrated by Ming Na (E.R.) and Sandra Oh (Grey's Anatomy)."

The Japanese Community

The Korean Community

The Filipino Community

Other communities explored on the DVD include: Indian, Vietnamese, Hmong, Cambodian, and Chinese.

The Farmers Insurance Open Donates $1.36 Million to Local Schools & Charities

The 2011 Farmers Insurance Open, held in January of this year, presented the benefits of the PGA tournament to local schools and charities this week.  The Farmers Insurance Open is organized by the Century Club of San Diego always for the benefit of the community.

We're very proud of the hard work on the part of everyone involved for so many good causes.  Here are some blogs we did at the time of the tournament, and for our own fundraising "pre-open" golf event.

The San Diego Charger Girls announce to appear at our Platinum Elite Golf Event.
The Farmers Insurance Hot Air Balloon is the highlight of our Golf Event benefiting the March of Dimes.

The Platinum Elite Marketing "Pre-Open" Golf Event is a Success.

36 Military Moms get Dream Baby Shower thanks to March of Dimes and Farmers at the Farmers Insurance Open.

See reprint of article.

Century Club, Farmers Insurance Open award $1.36 million to charities, schools
by Kendall Lynes , The Daily Transcript

Thursday, August 25, 2011

The Century Club of San Diego, a nonprofit organization and the host of the PGA Tour's Farmers Insurance Open, announced that $1.36 million has been raised from the 2011 tournament to benefit 200 charities and schools.

The nonprofit made the announcement Wednesday at a luncheon at the Town and Country Resort & Convention Center.

The Century Club raised $321,860 for local schools through the Support Our Schools program, a partnership with the Farmers Insurance Open in which students sell discounted tickets to the PGA tournament and keep 88 percent of the ticket sales for their schools. The proceeds go toward new turf for playing fields, new sports uniforms, renovated locker rooms, new band equipment and dance programs.

Century Club also raised $100,000 for local military charities, including Wounded Warrior Project, Naval Special Warfare Foundation (Navy SEAL), and Semper Fi Fund (U.S. Marines).

Other funds went toward programs for the homeless, senior services and animal shelters.

The Century Club of San Diego is a nonprofit volunteer organization that has fundraised about $22 million for local causes since 1968.

* The content of this blog is for informative purposes only. It does not reflect official standing of any agent, agency, or company mentioned on the blog. Nor is this blog necessarilly an endorsement. Please consult with your insurance, tax, or legal specialist before making any decisions. This blog is purely meant to spark the thought process.

Teacher Appreciation Week: Platinum Elite Lends A Hand

In honor of back-to-school, here's a reprint of our past teacher appreciation blog.

Excerpt from a blog originally published on Why Platinum?

The Platinum Elite Team is devoted to our schools and the teachers who give their best for our children.  Here's a chance to acknowledge their efforts.

May 2nd through May 6th, 2011, is Teacher Appreciation Week.  For many schools, Tuesday, May 3rd is Teacher Appreciation Day.

If you appreciate the knowledge you have acquired over the years thanks to your teachers, Teacher Appreciation week which lasts from the 2nd till the 6th May 2011, is the week in which you can show your gratitude. Dedicated to the celebration of your favorite teachers worldwide, it is a week in which you can reward the teacher of your choice with a present. These come in different shapes and sizes, depending on the ideas of the students who offer gifts to their teachers.

Teacher appreciation week is the perfect time in the year to take a moment to show your appreciation to teachers for all the effort they put in each day to teach and for the education that we receive thanks to them.  Teacher appreciation week 2011 will include lots of fun events and activities and it is a great opportunity to increase interaction between teachers and students. Most schools have their own way of celebrating it, so find out more by asking your professors what will be organized!

Click HERE for some ideas or more information about Teacher Appreciation Day.

Here's what some of our Agents with the Platinum Elite do to show appreciation all year round.

Susanne Romo

Susanne & Ernie Romo - Chula Vista & Kearny Mesa (858) 751-0956

"I've adopted Casillas Elementary & Rancho del Rey Middle schools, providing them with supplies, lesson plans (educational DVD's) and hosting Free Child ID booths (M.I.L.K.) at their carnivals.  I have been a volunteer 'Big Sister' for 7 years. (a lot of help with homework!)  Every year I help provide digital IDs for approximately 1000 children in the Chula Vista area at the following events: Chula Vista Community Collaborative's 'Day of the Child' (Saturday, April 30th, 2011, 11-3), South Bay YMCA's 'Healthy Kids Day' & New Hope Community Church's 'KidsFest'.  I also sponsor a free website for teacherswww.educationappreciation.com (click for password), which provides free lesson plans, and for parents www.edhelpforparents.com (click for password), which provides homework help for kids based on subject and grade level."

Jasmine Guerrero

Jasmine Guerrero - Downtown San Diego (619) 501-6400

"Earlier this year I was asked to be a guest speaker at the 2nd Annual International Women's Week at San Diego City College, and recently have been asked to sit on an advisory panel for the years 2012 to 2013.  The panel is developing the course requirement for the San Diego High schools' ROP (Regional Occupational Program) Training.  Several professionals from different sectors of business take part making sure the program focuses on the right skills to make the students ready for the work force."  Jasmine is also a big believer in the benefit of the free educational DVD's and lesson plans Farmers provides grade schools and high schools.

Brent McKiernan

Brent McKiernan - Old Town San Diego (619) 501-6425

"I've given supplies and free educational DVD's such as 'Across the Waves' to a charter school named Feaster Elementary in Chula Vista.  Their budget for supplies, books, dvd's, etc is very limited so its nice to help out any way we can."  For info on more DVD's available for free to educators, click here.

Lorena De La Huerta

Lorena De La Huerta - Hemet (951) 766-8000

"I've adopted a school named Little Lake Elementary in Hemet. This week I donated $250 to get snacks as they are in testing week.  In May I'm going to bring Lunch from Rubios for the Teacher, and on May 12 we are going to have an open house and expecting to bring the Farmers trailer for a BBQ."

Amber Ramirez

Amber Ramirez - Ramona (760) 789-0010

Through her membership in Rotary, Amber recognizes 3 Ramona area Students of the Month each month and their teachers for setting a great example and meeting the goals they set.  See past blog.

Neomi Alcorn

Neomi Alcorn - La Mesa (619) 461-0497

"I’ve adopted Kumeyaay Elementary.  I’m on the Board of the PTA.  I’ve provided them with the 'Second to None' (a Women’s history educational DVD) and have also provided the other DVD’s because they include lesson plans.  I also volunteer at fundraising events, because I know the schools are really in a bind and need help raising money.  Schools are suffering major cutbacks and need to do more with less, so the least I can do is offer some assistance."  Neomi has also assisted the Toby Wells branch of the YMCA.

In addition, we just found out from Neomi...

"My husband is the 'Teacher of the Year' for San Diego Unified School District, so I’ll be at an awards ceremony on Tuesday evening and at the Padres game on Friday of next week."  

Farmers Educational Documentary on Women's History Featured at Film Festival

Second to None featured at international film festival

Farmers' latest educational film, Second to None: Inspiring Stories of Extraordinary Women, was chosen among hundreds of submissions to be one of only eight documentaries from around the world to be screened at the fourth annual Columbia Gorge International Film Festival on Aug. 14, in Vancouver, Wash.

Click to read our past blogs on these and related educational films made available to educators for free.

Holly Hunter Narrates Second to None.

Distributing to Teachers.

Across the Waves - The Asian / Pacific Community

Freedom's Song - African American Heritage

The festival is one of the most prestigious in the Northwest, featuring more than 300 films representing 40 different countries. 

Portland area Farmers agents attended the event, handing out free copies of the documentary and the accompanying lesson plan to local educators in attendance. Since the film's release in March, Second to None has been distributed to more than 20,000 schools throughout Farmers territory, reaching more than 600,000 students in less than six months. 

"In these hard economic times, it's especially challenging for schools to update their curriculum and educational programs," says Erin McCulloch, Lake Oswego, Ore. "I'm honored to represent an organization that prioritizes giving back to our communities and schools with these award-winning programs."

Visit www.GoFarmersEd.com to learn more.

Second to None is the seventh education program Farmers has sponsored and distributed free to educators through our agents. It's the fourth documentary produced by Farmers internal creative team, Randy Rice, national manager of education programs, and Dan Winter, director of audio visual communications.

Understanding Auto Insurance: Mom, The Chauffeur

“Mom, the shuttle bus driver.” Does that sound like you or someone you know? It may not be your “full-time job,” but if you have young children at home you probably take your turn at shuttling kids to and from after-school or weekend activities. You probably don’t even think about your auto insurance in this context but maybe you should — transporting kids (your own and others) comes with certain risks that could affect your insurance.

• Who’s responsible in an accident? — Drivers can be legally liable for passengers’ injuries — and most personal auto policies will extend coverage for injuries to passengers when you’re driving your own car.
• What’s typically covered? — Although most auto policies will cover your actions in a car that isn’t yours, many contain restrictions on the size and type of vehicle involved. So if you plan to rent or borrow a larger vehicle — such as a van to take the soccer team to an out-of-town match — call me so you can be sure you have the coverage you want.
• What if you’re driving someone else’s vehicle? — It may depend on the situation. Your personal auto insurance policies might not cover your legal liability if you cause an accident while you’re driving your employer’s or your neighbor’s vehicle (particularly if your neighbor’s car is available for your regular use). Teachers and coaches should use school district vehicles to transport students and players to and from events, rather than their personal vehicles. Finally, even if you are covered, if you have an accident in which several passengers are involved, medical and other costs could easily exceed the limits typical of most personal auto policies.