Volunteering at Nursing Homes…My Story

by Brad Shrum, CPCU

My maternal grandmother lived until almost 103 years and played a major role in my life. She lost her husband early in a farming accident during the height of the Great Depression, and before this lost 3 of 7 children to a diphtheria outbreak in the late 1920’s. My mother and 3 sisters survived this outbreak, as well as both grandparents. A different time to be sure. I would often go visit her in her last years in a nursing home facility in Southeast Kansas. I would leave the facility thinking of the loneliness and in some cases the hopelessness I would experience in the residents, and the hard work and dedication of the staff.

In 1992, with the support of Emmanuel Baptist Church, we started a nursing home ministry that branches out today to more than a dozen facilities around the metro area. Two of these, Leisure Care/Manor Care, and St.Joseph Villa have been directly in my care since 1992. Sometimes family members will call in need of a chaplain type, so this becomes an area of service as well. There have been residents under this church ministry for upwards of 12 years. It is bittersweet at times as you get to know both staff, family, and residents over time, then they are gone.

I am grateful that first The St.Paul Companies of the 1990’s and now MAX has allowed this to continue under our service time that is generously provided.

Brad ShrumAbout Brad Shrum
Goose Hunter, Father of two sons, and Insurance Agent!
Direct Phone – 913-754-3823
bshrum@maxinsurance.com
LinkedIn          Facebook

Brad has worked at MAX for the past 14 years and has over 30 years of experience in the insurance industry doing underwriting, field management work, and sales. Outside of the office, Brad is an ordained Southern Baptist Deacon and a Sunday School teacher of 30 years. In addition, Brad is a long-time Vacation Bible School teacher and has an ongoing 19 year Nursing Home Ministry. Since he was a young teenager, Brad has been an avid goose hunter, traveling across North America while pursuing this noble bird and enjoying the outdoor world.

Preventing Wind or Hail Damage to Your Home this Fall

Fall is here and the temperatures are beginning to cool.  However, some days in the fall months can still be quite warm and that means severe weather is still possible.  Storms are not limited to the spring and summer months, so now is a good time to protect your home against wind or hail damage that can come with storms.

Here are some tips that may help protect your home from wind or hail damage:

  • Invest in top-quality roofing and a stronger grade of shingles to fortify your roof. This will help better protect the interior of your home, its contents and you!  And, take the initiative to replace your roof when it has outlived its useful life.  If you are unsure how to measure the life of the roof, contact a local and trusted roofer to give you an idea of when the roof should be replaced.
  • Tie down items such as sheds, trampolines, patio tables etc. and secure chairs.While your home may be able to withstand high winds, these items can act as projectiles and can damage the exterior of your home during high wind events.
  • Consider double pane higher quality windows.
  • If you are considering building a home, there are numerous ways to improve the integrity of your home for very little additional cost. You can find ways to improve the storm worthiness of your new home at https://disastersafety.org

Do you have questions about protecting your home against wind or hail damage?  Has it been a while (over a year) since you updated your home insurance policy? Contact your MAX Agent today and he/she would be happy to assist you with your policy.

Help Change the World by Supporting Socially Responsible Companies

MAX EARNS COVETED B CORPORATION CERTIFICATION

Do you prefer doing business with socially responsible companies who respect their employees and customers, protect the environment and give back in their communities?  If so, we’d like to tell you about B (Benefit) Corporation, an independent, non-profit organization that validates the claims of companies who say they are socially responsible; companies like Patagonia, Ben & Jerry’s, Warby Parker and MAX Insurance.

Today, nearly 2,000 companies world-wide have been certified B Corporations and we are proud to say that MAX Insurance is one of them.  In fact, MAX ranks in the top 10% of B-Corps, and we are the only insurance company of our kind to earn this coveted designation.

MAX earned B Corporation certification because:

  • We help others in need through our Mutual Aid Ministries program,
  • We’re a cooperative that reports to our members not Wall Street, and,
  • We follow other fair, faithful and socially responsible business practices.

MEET OTHER B CORPORATIONS

Now, as an added value of your MAX membership, we’ll introduce you to other B-Corps.  If you’re interested in their products or services, we invite you to contact them and let them know MAX told you about them.  We receive no compensation or fees of any kind from these companies.  It’s just our way of letting others know about this socially responsible business movement.

This month we’d like you to know about Warby Parker, a unique on-line eyewear company that gives a pair of glasses to someone in need for every pair of glasses it sells.  Check them out at www.WarbyParker.com.

B-CORPS IN YOUR AREA

Click here for a directory of all the B-Corps across the U.S. and the world.

Thanks again for your support of MAX.  We hope you’ll continue doing business with us and the many other socially responsible businesses who are trying to change the world by doing the right thing for our environment, our communities and our fellow man.

MAX Canada Insurance Makes Unprecedented Gift to Mennonite Disaster Services for Ft. McMurray Rebuilding Effort

(September 28, 2016, Kitchener, ON) – A Canadian property/casualty insurance company with a unique approach to business is stepping up in a big way to help the people who were displaced by the devastating wild fire in Ft. McMurray, Canada.

In keeping with its commitment to helping others in crisis, MAX Canada Insurance Co., and its Mutual Aid Ministries (MAM) program have announced an unprecedented $80,000 gift to Mennonite Disaster Services to aid in the Ft. McMurray recovery efforts.

“MAM is the heart of MAX,” said Elaine Shantz, MAX Canada Board Chairman. “We are pleased to partner with MDS as their recovery teams help affected families get back on their feet.”

MAM is funded through top-line revenue contributions from MAX Canada. Over the years, it has helped countless individuals and families facing financial crises due to accidents, job loss or other unforeseen challenges. “We care beyond the contract by devoting a percentage of every premium to MAM. When we witnessed the heart-breaking devastation in Ft. McMurray we knew we had to help in a big way.”

The gift to MDS is the largest in the ministry’s history, said Shantz. “This crisis is unique in the annals of our program. It required a unique response.”

“We were blown away when MAX called us and said they were going to make this gift,” said Ross Penner, MDS’ Region 5 Director of Operations. “It is a very significant gift and it’s going to do so much to help Ft. McMurray recover. Specifically, we will use these funds to provide meals, food and supplies for the MDS volunteers who will be going to Ft. McMurray in the coming weeks.”

Penner explained that MDS volunteers will soon arrive in Ft. McMurray to begin rebuilding homes and businesses. “Our volunteers are an extraordinary group of caring people,” Penner said. “They are skilled workers who give freely of their time and talents to help others in need.”

ABOUT MAX CANADA
MAX Canada Insurance Company is a property/casualty insurance company that believes in a set of core values that derive from our founding Mennonite, Brethren and other Anabaptist faith communities. MAX employees, representatives, and members subscribe to and practice these values as conditions of their association with the enterprise:

MAX is FAIR. We believe in treating others as we would like to be treated.
MAX is FAITHFUL. We affirm and seek Higher Guidance from God, whose blessing extends to all people, no matter their particular spiritual pathway.
MAX is SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE. We believe business has a responsibility to do good in the world.

Kitchener, Ontario, Canada Office
50 Queen Street North, Suite 860
Kitchener, ON N2H 6P4, Canada
877-770-7729
1-519-634-5159

Overland Park, Kansas Office
4400 College Boulevard, Suite 250
Overland Park, KS 66211
877-971-6300
877-785-0085

ABOUT MENNONITE DISASTER SERVICE (MDS)
Mennonite Disaster Service is volunteer network of Anabaptist churches dedicated to responding to natural and man-made disasters in Canada and the United States.
Our aim is to assist the most vulnerable community members, individuals, and families who would not otherwise have the means to recover. MDS volunteers – men and women, youth and adults – provide the skills and labor needed to respond, rebuild and restore in the wake of a disaster.

MDS is known for having a collaborative spirit, and we work with other groups including faith-based organizations, local recovery committees, and both governmental and non-governmental agencies. MDS is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.

MDS Binational Office
583 Airport Road
Lititz, PA 17543
USA
T: (800) 241-8111
T: (717) 735-3536
F: (717) 735-0809
mdsus@mds.mennonite.net

MDS Region V Office
6A-1325 Markham Rd
Winnipeg, MB R3T 4J6
CANADA
T: (866) 261-1274 (Can. only)
T: (204) 261-1274
F: (204) 261-1279
mdscn@mds.mennonite.net

Photo:  Elaine Shantz, MAX Canada Board Chairman; Paul Burns, MAX Canada Underwriting Manager and Mutual Aid Ministries Advisory Team Member; Ross Penner, MDS Region 5 Director of Operations.

Kids Take Over the Kitchen Day

by Karen Morrone, Marketing and Communications Manager

September 13 is Kids Take Over the Kitchen Day.  I think kids taking over the kitchen in my house occurs on a weekly basis as they are teenagers who like to cook and bake for themselves.  In honor of this unique holiday and since this is an insurance blog, I thought it best to share some kitchen safety tips that I use with my children:

  • Review how to properly use a knife. Chopping slowly is perfectly fine and always cut downward and away from the body.  I would like to avoid a trip to the ER.
  • Set a timer. And then remember to turn the oven or stove burner off.  I am still working on that second part with my kids.  Taking your masterpiece out of the oven or off the burner is wonderful, but leaving the oven on or having a pan on the stovetop with nothing in it is not wise.  Fire prevention is key.
  • Be alert. Pay attention at all times when cooking or baking.  Burning yourself is anothe reason I hope to avoid the emergency room.
  • Don’t use oil if you are home alone. I do not allow my children to cook with oil if my husband or I are not home.  According to the NFPA, frying is the greatest risk of a cooking fire and unattended cooking is a leading factor in home cooking fires.  Kids can easily get distracted when cooking (hello cellphone), so take away that risk and save the oil for when an adult is home.

I think I’ll celebrate Kids Take Over the Kitchen Day and have my children make my husband and I a terrific dinner.  Perhaps you too can enjoy some time in the kitchen with your family.  And always remember to be safe while doing so.

HeadshotKaren Morrone

Karen is the Marketing & Communications Manager for MAX where she manages content marketing and social media.  When she’s not at the office, Karen can be found transporting her children to soccer and other after-school activities.  In her “spare time”, you can find her volunteering at scouts, tending to her garden, or baking treats.

Photo by Joelk75