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We are fortunate to live in a world where various cultures and populations celebrate diverse holidays and recognize different observances. Learning about the traditions of others helps us better connect. In this video, State Farm^® employees talk about what’s important to them this time of year. Visit the Holiday Highlights site to learn about celebrations taking place in the last quarter of the year.

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The beauty that comes with West Coast scenery is something extraordinary to behold – the warm breeze hits your face as you take in the expansive landscape. Trees bustling with wildlife, bees busy pollinating flowers, mountain tops looming in the distance or the tide hitting the sandy beach….

And then your stomach growls, bringing you back to reality.

Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) with her partner, Terry (street name: Pony Boy), Onya Jensen found awe-inspiring majesty in her surroundings, even as they struggled to feed themselves.

“I really do miss waking up on a new beach every day, but eating out of trash cans was not the greatest, and having to walk to find work was hard,” Onya said.

Before leaving Arizona to hit the PCT, both Onya and Pony Boy found support and a family with the Aris Foundation – an organization devoted to helping the hungry, needy and politically under-represented homeless adults in Arizona. Onya had been on the streets since she was a teen, holding jobs while completing high school. Pony Boy found support from the organization to get sober, and the foundation helped get them both off the streets.

Every Tuesday, Aris Foundation provides meals, hygiene products and snack packs for the homeless.

“Pony Boy used to come out every Tuesday and then he brought Onya. They needed help to get off the streets, and we helped them furnish their place,” said Aris Foundation Founder and CEO Katherine Kouvelas. “You would never know she was struggling then.”

Returning from the PCT, Onya was able to get back on her feet with a job as a claim associate at State Farm^® – a similar position she had before heading to the trail – and now she dedicates her time to volunteering with the Aris Foundation.

“I love seeing the faces. I call them my family. I want them to succeed and get sober and see them happy,” said Onya. “The Aris Foundation means community to me. It’s the community that shows up to that park on Tuesday, rain or shine, with no class separation. A full belly and a warm blanket is all any of them want.”

“Onya is very customer focus oriented and takes pride in assisting her customers to the furthest point. She recognizes the importance of remarkable recovery opportunities and takes ownership of the customer experience,” said Franklin Banaszewski, Onya’s claim team manager. “Onya is a great resource to new associates. She is always willing to assist a peer in need!”

Because of her volunteer efforts, Onya was able to provide a $500 State Farm Good Neighbor Grant^® to the foundation. She used that money to provide a burrito dinner to about 150 Arizona homeless.

“When people like Onya and Pony Boy come back out and show everyone still out there that they did it, they’re showing them it’s possible. It’s not easy, but they can do it, too,” Katherine said. “Onya is articulate, beautiful, intelligent. You couldn’t get a better spokesperson. She has had to fight for everything and she still stays positive and happy.”

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When wildfires devastated California communities in 2018, Aaron Rodgers' hometown of Chico was among them. He teamed up with State Farm^® to help the area's long-term recovery.

Aaron donated $1 million to the North Valley Community Foundation and challenged others to #Retweet4Good. State Farm Neighborhood of Good^® also donated $1 million. Countless others joined in. All told, $3 million was raised. 

Now, a year later, the Aaron Rodgers NorCal Fire Recovery Fund is actively making grants. The funds are supporting kids' programs, youth and high school sports, and transitional and permanent housing. 

Rodgers was recently a guest on the Pat McAfee show. McAfee complimented the work he and State Farm have done promoting wildfire relief.

“I just got all of the stats sent to me about what you and State Farm have been able to do for California Wildfire relief,” McAfee said. “Incredible work.”

“State Farm has been a great partner for a long time with some good commercials. With their Neighborhood of Good, they already do a ton of great stuff," Rodgers said. “Last year, I felt compelled to help out the area I grew up in, and they stepped up and donated $1 million alongside me.”

Rodgers talked about the impact the fires had on his hometown and surrounding communities, including Paradise.

“To have two bad fires in two years, it’s been tough on those fine folks,” Rodgers said. “But there have been a lot of great people helped by the donations of State Farm and some other amazing folks in the state and across the country. It’s been fun to see people come together.”

A State Farm customer in Atlanta recently left a pan on the stove unattended, and it caught fire. They forgot the adage and attempted to put out the fire by throwing water on it. While nobody was hurt, the damage increased.

"The result was $9,000 in insured damages to the stove, cabinets, countertops and floor," said their agent Ken Anderson, of Alpharetta, Georgia. “You should never use water to try and put out a grease fire."

It could have been worse. The average State Farm cooking/grease fire claim in the U.S. was more than $48,000 in 2018.

Georgia is the top state for cooking fire losses. Anderson has seen at least two dozen cooking-related fire claims in his 38 years as an agent. Many were made worse when oil and water mixed.

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), cooking is the leading cause of home fires. One out of three home fires begins in the kitchen - more than any other place in the home. Unattended cooking is the number one cause of kitchen fires. NFPA data shows that Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires.

The oil and water pitfalls are not reserved to the kitchen. Last year, around Thanksgiving, one of Ken's customers attempted to fry a frozen turkey. In addition to not having thawed the bird, the customer had too much oil in the fryer. When he dropped the turkey in, the hot oil spilled over, leaving him with second degree burns and a damaged deck.

Among the advice Ken shares with customers?

“Make sure you have smoke detectors and fire extinguishers that are up to date,” he said. “And, keep a cooking or grease fire-approved fire extinguisher nearby when cooking or frying.”

It pays to follow the advice. In 2018, State Farm paid more than $118 million for nearly 2,500 cooking/grease fire homeowners* claims across the U.S.

*Note: excludes renters and condo unit claims.

Because many families and friends engage in cooking during the holidays, it is important to follow some basic safety tips:

• Always keep an eye on what you are cooking/frying. Never leave the cooking area unattended.
• Keep anything that can catch fire — oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, towels or curtains — away from your stovetop.
• Keep a lid beside the pan when cooking. If a fire starts, slide the lid over the pan and turn off the burner. Never throw water on a grease fire.
• Keep a fire extinguisher approved for cooking or grease fires nearby. Make sure your smoke alarms are working.

Mouse over (or touch on mobile) the + on the interactive image below to see the safety tips.

More than one billion people worldwide are unnecessarily blind or vision impaired. Most just need a pair of glasses. Thousands of American children are among them. Children who should be busy learning, are instead struggling to see.

Kovan Reynolds was one of those kids. The 13-year-old from Atlanta had to stand up at the front of the classroom to read the white board. He would squint and get headaches playing his favorite video game. He wanted more confidence on the soccer field. He wanted a new pair of glasses.

Kovan’s mom, Rene Elmore, knew he needed a new pair after losing a few frames. His eyesight had gotten worse and he needed an exam. But life kept getting in the way.

The single mom had just put herself through college and landed a new job. With everything on their plates, getting to the eye doctor ended up on the backburner. Then a State Farm employee decided to celebrate her 30^th work anniversary by giving back.

A happy hour or food day wasn’t really Michele Means’ style, but community service was. She also wanted to engage her work colleagues in the act of good, and help youth.

“I was looking for an idea that would be impactful and different,” Michele said. “I reached out to the local Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta because of the amazing work they do.”

Sophie Felix, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta Director of Teen Services, suggested an eyeglass collection campaign paired with free exams and fittings; Project Vision.

“I have two adopted brothers whose birth mother was blind…my mom initially struggled to get them the eyecare and glasses they needed,” Sophie said. “I know what a difference having proper glasses makes.”

“I thought, it must be so difficult to learn and succeed if you can’t see properly. Good vision should never be taken for granted,” Michele shared. “Sophie thought 30 frames would be a good goal. But I knew my State Farm community could pull off more.”

She was right.

• 145 frames were collected from Michele’s State Farm network, more than 200 total.
  • 11 State Farm employees also donated their time at the event.
• 113 Boys and Girls Club members attended the mid-October Project Vision event.
  • The extra glasses will be used at future BGCMA events.
• 31 members had free eye screenings and received free exam vouchers, including Kovan.
• 34 members with prescriptions received free glasses.

It was a pretty impactful way to celebrate a work anniversary. 

And, a huge weight was lifted off Rene’s shoulders; Kovan is getting his glasses!

Have old frames? Skip the junk drawer and instead help people all over the world. Across the US, the Lions Club has drop-off locations.