Sidelights on the business and the people in it

Offering Aid

Additional insurance entities are hopping on the Haiti relief bandwagon. It may not quite have the spectacle factor of Justin Timberlake singing “Hallelujah” at a telethon, but OneBeacon and the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA) are offering strong support for the survivors of the earthquake and the island nation and that is the important thing.

In recognition of the continued need for aid in Haiti, the OneBeacon Charitable Trust announced a donation of $48,000 allocated to five nonprofit organizations assisting in the ongoing humanitarian relief efforts – the American Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders, Habitat for Humanity, Partners in Health and UNICEF.

The contribution consists of a $5,000 donation to each organization as well as a dollar-for-dollar match of the $23,000 donated by OneBeacon employees, its Hagerty Insurance partners and White Mountains Insurance Group staff. In total, the OneBeacon community will donate $71,000, with almost $30,000 going to the American Red Cross.

Carmen Duarte, a member of the OneBeacon Charitable Trust Committee said, “Addressing the devastating loss and continued suffering in Haiti is clearly a global collaboration. The OneBeacon community deeply admires the relentless efforts demonstrated by these five organizations. We are pleased to be in a position to assist them and Haiti during this most challenging recovery effort.”

Also, The Trusted Choice Disaster Relief Fund created a matching fund for IIABA employees who want to donate to money dedicated exclusively to providing assistance to the victims of the Haiti earthquake.

“Although the Trusted Choice Disaster Relief Fund historically has been used just for relief following domestic disasters, the tragic consequences and enormity of need due to the recent earthquake in Haiti has prompted an outpouring of interest in helping with the relief and recovery efforts in Haiti,” said Dave Evans, Trusted Choice executive director. “To put the resources to the best and most efficient use, the money collected by our dedicated Haiti fund will be donated specifically to help the people of Haiti via recognized tax-exempt charitable organizations that are providing needed emergency services and resources in Haiti.”

Any funds donated to the dedicated Haiti fund under the Trusted Choice Disaster Relief Fund in excess of the matched funds allocated will still go to benefit those in need in Haiti, just without a matching grant from the Trusted Choice Disaster Relief Fund. “The Trusted Choice Disaster Relief Fund allows us to financially assist victims when and where a disaster strikes, rather than raising the funds after the fact when each second on the clock is so precious,” said Bob Rusbuldt, IIABA president and chief executive officer. “Our disaster relief fund has distributed hundreds of thousands of dollars across the country in some of the most hard-hit areas, such as in the aftermath of 9/11, Hurricane Katrina and other significant disasters. The extreme and heart-breaking need in Haiti prompted a new use for this fund and I’m proud of our staff for their generosity.”

More information is available at www.iiaba.net.

On the Calendar

The South Middlesex Chapter of the Massachusetts Association of Insurance Women (MAIW) will meet on Feb. 18 at 5:30 p.m. at Bella Costa in Framingham, Mass.

The speaker will be Ray Marchand from the Massachusetts Department of Industrial Accidents (DIA).

Registrations are requested by Feb. 16 and can be sent to Annmarie Castonguay, tel. (508) 855-8259 or via e-mail to ancastonguay@hanover.com.

South Shore Independent Insurance Agents Association will meet on Feb. 17 at 8 a.m. at the Granite Grill in Braintree, Mass.

Lauren Pawlik from the National Flood Insurance Program will speak about recent changes to the NFIP. Reservations are requested by Feb. 12 and can be sent to csharland@ wgbridges.com

The Boston Chapter of the CPCU Society will meet on Feb. 11 at 11:30 a.m. at the Seaport Hotel’s Constitution Room in Boston. Doug Holtz, CPCU, CIC, CSP, CRM, president and chairman of the CPCU Society, will discuss leadership.

Reservations can be made by calling the Insurance Library Association of Boston, tel. (617) 227-2087.