It’s here that the remarkable service of State Farm shines. Bringing the largest disaster response in the industry means a coordinated effort of people, technology and resources, all working together to provide exceptional service to policyholders and support to the community.

State Farm is there

State Farm Claims specialists assist customers at Louisiana Customer Care sites

In addition to thousands of employees remotely helping thousands of customers on the phone and online, State Farm claims operations are on site, day after day, helping policyholders in impacted areas.

In support of Ida response, State Farm set up seven mobile Customer Care sites – four in Louisiana and three in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. These operations bring claims teams and customers together to inspect vehicles, help with questions, and disburse payments.

Over the last two weeks, more than 1,500 customers have been given in-person help at our Louisiana Customer Care sites. So far, our overall claims operations have been able to reach more than 90% of customers who have filed a homeowner claim related to Ida, with 1 in 4 of those claims already settled.

Neighbors helping neighbors

A big part of the State Farm difference is the 19,000 State Farm agents who live and work in the same communities as our policyholders. That means that in addition to access by phone, app, and web site, State Farm customers have a State Farm agent right there in the neighborhood, ready to talk through your hopes, plans, and needs. And when disaster happens, they are neighbors ready to help.

In the wake of Ida, State Farm agents reached out to customers in impacted areas to help the recovery process.

Agent Courtney Gulledge of Harahan, La., lived up to that promise when one of her policyholders, Tassanee Nirandorn, received severe damage to his home. Courtney used draft authority, which allows agents to directly disburse payment toward the settlement of a claim. By providing an advance on claim payments, we can help customers start the process of recovery. Nirandorn was pleased with this service, saying, “On the news, all I have heard is that insurance companies are a pain to deal with, but that has not been my experience. State Farm has been exceptional during this process.”

Supporting the larger community

In addition to helping policyholders recover from the unexpected, State Farm has used its philanthropic resources to support community organizations that are helping the recovery process.

State Farm has issued $900,000 in disaster-relief grants to community organizations in Louisiana, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, plus a $10,000 grant to the Midwest Food Bank in Illinois to provide support to multiple Ida-impacted areas.

Louisiana:

• $400,000 to support the local Red Cross chapter of Southeast Louisiana
• $150,000 to support Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans
• $100,000 to support Northshore Community Foundation
• $100,000 to support The Catholic Charities Diocese of Houma – Thibodaux

Northeast:

• $50,000 to support American Red Cross New Jersey Region
• $50,000 to support American Red Cross Greater New York Region
• $25,000 to support American Red Cross Southeastern Philadelphia Region
• $25,000 to support the Philabundance organization

“In the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, we are truly proud to work alongside partners such as State Farm who have raised their hand to support thousands of families impacted by this devastating storm,” said Lindsay Mathieson, regional disaster officer of the American Red Cross of Louisiana. “It is that generous support that allows us to provide much-needed comfort and care to help the people who need it most.”

Said Natalie Jayroe, Second Harvest Food Bank President and CEO, “This major support from State Farm will be critical to our response to this latest disaster impacting South Louisiana. Our deepest thanks go out to the entire State Farm team and their customers.”

The work continues

Recovering from a disaster like Hurricane Ida will take time. State Farm claims operations will continue the work of serving impacted policyholders in the weeks and months ahead. More than 98,000 total claims have been received so far for Hurricane Ida-related damage, and every one of those claims is a life changed by this storm.

Being a good neighbor is about more than just one moment or just one act. For State Farm, it means continuing the work until every last claim has been handled and finding ways to help our communities thrive. When the unexpected happens, State Farm is there to help policyholders and communities recover.

State Farm’s response to Hurricane Ida began before the storm made landfall. Thousands of State Farm agents and employees began to mobilize and prepare to respond to our customers’ needs prior to the storm’s arrival.

The State Farm response to Ida is both local and national. It includes State Farm agents who live and work in the same neighborhoods as our customers; teams of claim specialists trained in disaster response traveling in to evaluate damage on site; thousands of employees in centralized care centers across the country helping answer customers’ questions and file their claims; remote claim teams conducting virtual inspections with impacted customers; and many other resources, all helping customers in their time of need.

Delivering on the promise

In the immediate aftermath of the storm, State Farm began claim inspections in areas safe for entry, focusing on the most severe damage first where possible.

Agents and Customer Care Center employees have responded to thousands of customer calls, helping customers understand their coverage and how the claim process works, including aspects of coverage that come into play when damage is especially severe.

When storms such as Ida cause severe damage to homes, customers may be displaced. Additional Living Expense (ALE) coverage under a Homeowners or Renters policy is triggered when a covered loss causes the residence to become uninhabitable. ALE can cover some increased costs such as housing, meals, and mileage.

Some media reports are incorrectly suggesting ALE does not apply without a mandatory evacuation having been ordered. These reports are seemingly focused on one portion of our ALE coverage for affected policyholders: Prohibited Use. We are addressing the needs of displaced customers. State Farm is paying, and will pay, thousands of Prohibited Use and ALE claims to our policyholders following Hurricane Ida

For customers who have a loss covered under ALE due to the extent of damage to their home, that loss adjustment occurs regardless of the type of evacuation order in their neighborhood. Once a State Farm customer reports a claim to us, we will evaluate their damage. The process from there depends on many factors including the extent of damage and accessibility of the property. (We’re working with local authorities for access when it’s safe.)

We are here for all of our customers and are committed to pay what we owe. State Farm’s policies in Louisiana, the Northeast and other states, are filed with and approved by state insurance regulators in each state, respectively. State Farm honors the terms of the contract with our customers. Altering the terms of the contract for one event would be unfair to all those who have experienced loss from previous disasters.

Getting a boost from technology

In addition to on-site physical inspection of claims and the service provided by local agents, State Farm is making the most of technology to reach customers in more ways and make the process of resolving claims even faster and easier.

• Virtual claim handling allows customers to conduct real-time inspections of damage with remote claim teams through their smartphone cameras.
• Use of drones and aerial imagery allow State Farm to quickly assess damage and accessibility of storm-impacted areas, and to conduct roof inspections in a way that is safe, efficient and supports social distancing.
• Digital pay options allow for claim settlements to be direct-deposited into customers’ bank accounts, getting funds to customers more quickly, whether or not banks are open.
• Customers are encouraged to use the State Farm Mobile App and online account access for many self-service options such as filing and tracking claims, uploading documents during the claim process, requesting emergency roadside service, setting up a rental car reservation, and setting up digital pay. 
   

 
Crews work to assemble the Customer Care Site in Gonzales, LA

Bringing in-person service where it’s needed most

To provide convenient local service to customers, mobile Customer Care Sites are being set up in multiple locations near the hardest-hit areas of Louisiana. These sites allow customers to receive in-person support with claim handling and disbursement of payments.

Louisiana Customer Care Sites include:

1. Gonzales: 306 Louisiana 30 W, Gonzales, LA 70737 (map)
2. Houma: 6795 West Park Ave, Houma, LA 70364 (map)
3. New Orleans: 8282 I-10 Service Rd, New Orleans, LA 70126 (map)
4. Covington: 69348 Louisiana State Hwy 21, Covington, LA 70433 (map)

Northeast Customer Care Sites include:

1. Livingston, NJ: 112 Eisenhower Parkway, Livingston, NJ 07039 (map)
2. Horsham, PA: 200 Blair Mill Road, Horsham, PA 19044 (map)
3. Queens County, NY: Opening soon

To help agents in impacted areas better serve their customers, agency “command centers” are being set up to provide office space and phone/internet connection to agents who have themselves been impacted by damage from Ida.

Being good neighbors in the community

In addition to assisting our customers directly, State Farm is also helping overall recovery efforts with charitable grants to assist with immediate shelter, food, water, and clothing needs in Louisiana.

State Farm has issued eight Disaster Recovery Grants, for a total of $900,000, to help those impacted by Hurricane Ida:

Louisiana:

• $400,000 to support the local Red Cross chapter of Southeast Louisiana
• $150,000 to support Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans
• $100,000 to support Northshore Community Foundation
• $100,000 to support The Catholic Charities Diocese of Houma – Thibodaux

Northeast:

• $50,000 to support American Red Cross New Jersey Region
• $50,000 to support American Red Cross Greater New York Region
• $25,000 to support American Red Cross Southeastern Philadelphia Region
• $25,000 to support the Philabundance organization

Along with these disaster grants, in the days following landfall, State Farm deployed its Customer Response Unit vehicles. These vans drive through impacted neighborhoods and hand out basic essentials to residents such as water, food, work gloves, flashlights, and first-aid kits. During their deployment for Ida, the CRUs have each covered more than 1,300 miles through 18 cities and eight parishes.

The response continues

The impact of Hurricane Ida continued after it moved on from the Gulf Coast, with effects reaching all the way into the northeast U.S., including intense flooding in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.

State Farm is the nation’s largest home and auto insurer, with the capacity to serve customers through multiple simultaneous disasters. Already, State Farm has received more than 72,000 claims related to the impact of Ida – more than 42,000 in Louisiana and more than 25,000 in the northeast. This is happening all while the same level of service is being provided to those suffering the effects of wildfires in the western U.S., and everywhere else severe weather is impacting State Farm customers.

The story of any major weather event is a long one. The process of recovering, rebuilding, and re-establishing a sense of “normal” can take weeks, months, or even years. State Farm is here to help our customers get through this difficult time.

“Please be careful on the roads and watch for deer,” she said.

In an instant, a deer bounded into the road and collided with their car, one of nearly 2 million crashes with animals every year.

“We weren’t going fast,” Rhodes Villa said. “It just happened so fast.”

It’s not an unusual occurrence, especially in October, November and December. U.S. drivers on average have a 1 in 116 chance of a collision with an animal, according to the State Farm^® annual study. There were over 1.9 million animal collision insurance claims in the U.S. between July 1, 2019 and June 30, 2020.

Pennsylvania ranks third in the country with drivers having a 1-in-51 chance of an animal collision. West Virginia (1-in-37) again tops the list, followed by Montana (1-in-47). South Dakota and Michigan round out the top five, followed by Wisconsin, Iowa, Mississippi, Minnesota and Wyoming.

The large majority of animal collisions are with deer. For the year July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020 there were estimated to be 1.5 million deer claims industry-wide.

“Claims after collisions with an animal range from small dents to totaled vehicles and injured drivers and passengers,” says Michael Braaten, director, Enterprise Research. “By sharing ways to help drivers be aware of the increased dangers this time of year – including inclement weather, shorter periods of daylight and students driving home after evening activities – State Farm hopes to help decrease the number of collisions and injuries.”

Hawaii (1-in-649), Nevada (1-in-551) and California (1-in-427) are the states where drivers have the least chance of an animal collision.

How Can You Avoid Deer in Your Headlights?

Growing deer and other animal populations combined with the displacement of animal habitats are making animal crashes more likely. There’s no real way to keep large animals like deer, moose, and elk off the road, but these safety tips can help you prevent animal-car collisions.

Stay alert. Pay attention to "deer crossing" and other signs and be cautious in areas near woods or water.

Use high beams. Flicking your high beams on a deer in the road may cause the animal to scurry away. High beams also help illuminate dark roads.

Don't swerve. If an animal-car crash is inevitable, maintain control of your vehicle and don't veer off the road.

Brake as necessary. If you can avoid hitting the animal, reduce your speed, honk your horn and tap your brakes to warn other drivers. If there are no drivers behind you, brake hard.

Remember peak season. Deer crashes happen most during October through December, which is hunting and mating season. Collisions are most likely to happen in West Virginia, Montana, Pennsylvania and South Dakota.

Remember meal time. Watch for animals in the road between dusk and dawn.

Watch for herds. If you see one deer, there are probably more nearby.

Don't rely on a whistle. No scientific evidence supports that car-mounted deer whistles work.

Wear seat belts. Always obey speed limits and wear seat belts.

In the News

• AccuWeather.com:  Ways to steer clear of deer this year (11/10/20)

“Current State Farm driving data and claims experience show a considerable decline in miles driven and fewer accidents,” said Lyndsey Wellens, Vice President – Agency/Sales. “As a result, we’re looking for ways to continue supporting our Pennsylvania customers while we monitor and adjust to trends.”

Customer rate reductions will vary based on their individual renewals. Customers are encouraged to visit with their State Farm agent about individual policies, coverage and any opportunities for discounts, including Drive Safe & Save.

The effective date for new and renewal business is March 11. The last rate change in Pennsylvania was a decrease of 3 percent in July 2018. Combined, the two auto rate decreases will save Pennsylvania customers $81 million.

“State Farm is very pleased to be able to offer another auto rate decrease in Pennsylvania,” said State Farm Senior Vice President Chris Schell. “Improving expenses and losses were important factors, among many, that supported our decision to make this rate change."

Overall changes in premiums for individual motorists will vary. Rates depend on a customer’s policy and chosen coverage. Customers can contact their local State Farm agent to discuss their individual situation. Additional opportunities for discounts may apply.

A rate decrease combined with discounts offers exceptional long-term value to State Farm customers.

State Farm sponsored assist patrols in 18 states help keep the nation’s highest-trafficked roadways safe and clear. They reduce congestion, help stranded motorists, and provide traffic control and safety at incident scenes.

Safety patrols are operated by state departments of transportation and toll road authorities. They are known by a variety of names in 40 states. Their free services include changing flat tires, providing a jump-start or small amount of gasoline, and minor safety repairs.

“The safety patrols embody our ‘good neighbor’ philosophy and underscore our commitment to auto safety,” said Ed Gold, advertising director. “They help people recover from the unexpected, which is the heart of the State Farm mission.”

State Farm sponsorship helps increase coverage areas and raises awareness about the patrols. This helps the motoring public feel more secure when traveling the nation’s interstate system. Sponsored highway signs mark coverage areas. The bright red State Farm reflective markings also improve patrol vehicle visibility.

State Farm sponsors the safety patrols in Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

State Farm has been committed to roadway safety since its founding in 1922. The company seeks to increase the safety of all drivers and passengers from infancy to the driver’s seat.

*Safety Service Patrol Priorities and Best Practices: USDOT Federal Highway Federal Highway Administration, April 2017

“The company’s current financial strength is allowing us to pass along a rate reduction to our Pennsylvania customers," said State Farm Senior Vice President Chris Schell. “We continually evaluate how we can best serve our customers and are very pleased to be able to offer this rate decrease in Pennsylvania”

Overall changes in premiums for individual motorists will vary depending on the specific details of an individual customer’s policy and chosen coverages. The effective date for new and renewal business is July 15, 2018. Pennsylvania customers with questions can contact their local State Farm agent to discuss their individual situation.

In addition to this rate reduction, State Farm agents are able to review with new and existing customers the many opportunities for additional discounts that may apply to an individual’s unique circumstances. A rate decrease combined with discounts offers an exceptional long-term value to State Farm customers.

There is crime-fighting hero protecting the citizens of Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania. His name is Judge and his super nose helps find evidence at fire scenes.

Arson K9 Judge is a 7-year-old, yellow Labrador retriever. He has been in service since early 2011. His handler and partner, Allentown Fire Chief Lee Laubach, met Judge for the first time in the spring of 2011. That's when they first began training together through the State Farm Arson Dog Program. They have been investigating fires for the Allentown Fire Department ever since. In 2016, the duo were recognized as the Arson Dog of the Year during the annual American Humane Hero Dog Awards™.

Paws for a Cause in Wayland, MI raised him to be a disability assistance dog. At a year old, it became apparent that Judge’s enthusiastic work drive and personality wasn’t a service dog fit. However, he did have a strong prey drive – the desire to chase and find things. This made him ideal for accelerant detection. He went to Maine to train for a career change.

As an arson dog, Judge is thrives in three major areas: investigation, deterrent, and education. As an investigator, Judge has worked over 275 fire scenes. The evidence he found has led to multiple criminal arrests and civil penalties for fraud cases.

As a deterrent, the numbers speak for themselves. Arson fires have dropped 53% since began service in Allentown. Media reports of his assignment led to quick closure of a recent case. Juveniles who set a house fire returned to the scene of the crime. When they saw Judge, they confessed and turned themselves in to detectives. They knew it was just a matter of time before they were caught.

As an educator, Judge has done nearly 540 fire safety programs. Crime watch groups, specialty dog shows, elementary and high school programs are among the audiences for his demonstrations. Chief Laubach gets calls from parents letting him know their children remind them to change the smoke alarm batteries – because “Judge said so!” The Allentown Fire Department even also has a pilot program where Judge helps convey safety messages to autistic children. He has been instrumental in making the entire Lehigh Valley and neighboring communities more aware of fire and life safety.

Intentionally set fire losses cost billions of dollars in property and hundreds of lives annually. State Farm helps combat arson fraud and assists law enforcement investigations through its Arson Dog Program. Since 1993, 370 dogs and their partners have gone through the program. An “arsonist’s worst nightmare”, they work in 44 states, the District of Columbia and three Canadian provinces.

State Farm has also been a sponsor of the American Humane and the Hero Dog Awards since 2012. The annual event recognizes and celebrates the contributions and bravery of canines. Eight amazing dogs took home top honors in their individual categories. Named as the overall 2016 American Hero Dog of the Year was an English Mastiff named Hooch. He overcame horrific abuse and disfigurement and became an inspiration for autistic, abused, and special needs children. All of the heroic canines and their human partners joined celebrity guests in Beverly Hills, CA, this past September. The emotional awards ceremony aired October 28 on the Hallmark Channel.

2016 American Humane Hero Dog Awards Category Winners

Emerging Hero Dog category and 2016 American Hero Dog of the Year

• Hooch (Tehachapi, CA)

Arson Dog category (sponsored by State Farm)

• Judge (Allentown, PA)

Guide/Hearing Dog category

• Hook (Sacramento, CA)

Law Enforcement Dog category

• K-9 Edo (Los Angeles, CA)

Military Dog category

• Layka (Galena, KS)

Search and Rescue Dog category

• Kobuk (York, ME)

Service Dog category

• Gander (Great Lakes, IL)

Therapy Dog category

• Mango (Las Cruces, NM)

For firefighter David Seidl and his new partner, their good days result in lives saved and criminals behind bars. Safe transportation is a necessity for them to fulfill their important community safety role. In fact, adequate transportation for his new partner was one of David’s first concerns. His partner, Patty, is loyal, eager, has an outgoing personality. She also has the most important nose in the fire department.

K9 Patty is an accelerant detection canine, commonly referred to as an arson dog. She is the Beaver Falls Fire Department’s not-so-secret weapon. David and K9 Patty search through burnt debris while investigating fire scenes throughout western Pennsylvania. They look for the presence of accelerants (i.e. gasoline or fuel) which may indicate an arson fire. This evidence is critical in determining how a fire was started and ultimately bringing the arsonist to justice.

Trained through the State Farm Arson Dog Program in April 2015, David and K9 Patty made an immediate impact in their community. Beginning in late August of the same year, abandoned homes in Beaver Falls and neighboring White Township were being burned to the ground. Over the course of a month, at least 11 abandoned homes or other buildings were torched. K9 Patty did her job. She found evidence of accelerants at several of the fire scenes, indicating that the fires might be the work of a serial arsonist.

Because of her work, community fear turned to relief on September 29, 2015. Officers noticed a suspicious individual at an abandoned home that had just been set on fire. Apprehended at the scene, detectives had K9 Patty sniff his clothing for possible evidence. The canine hero alerted to accelerant on his shoes. Based on her alert and other information gathered at the scene, the suspect was arrested and charged with arson

K9 Patty was definitely showing her skills and value to the community. However, there was still a big problem. K9 Patty needed safe and comfortable transport to fire investigations.

Surrounding communities and counties called in the team to investigate fire scenes because of their early success. The City of Beaver Falls didn’t have a car or truck with a dog cage or a heat alarm system for K9 Patty.

Once again, State Farm was there to help. State Farm agents Brian Wozniak, Bethanie DeLuca, and Eddie Isabella attended a community event where K9 Patty demonstrated her skills. They also learned of her need for safe transport. The Beaver Falls-based agents reached out to State Farm Public Affairs Community Specialist Dwayne Redd, and the search was on for a respectable “K9 mobile.”

State Farm associates up and down the East Coast were alerted to the need for a salvage vehicle to donate to the fire department. Claims Salvage Monitors Steven Wisotsky and Bob Jena located a 2013 Ford Taurus in a Long Island auction yard. It had been part of a recovered theft case. Steven and Bob began networking to raise money for upgrades to the Taurus through the Recycled Rides program.

“There were many issues with creating a police or fire vehicle from the civilian version of the Ford Taurus,” Steven said. “Special mounts for the dog cage had to be custom made and welded to the interior. There were issues with the civilian version of the front console verses the police interceptor package. Headlamps and tail lights needed retrofitting to accept emergency lighting. There were endless challenges but we found ways to make it all work.”

After several months of hard work, the team had the vehicle and parts, but still needed donations to modify the car for maximum safety. Steven called State Farm Agent Stephanie Sgroi in Port Jefferson Station, NY and she became involved in the project too.

“I’ve worked with Steven for a couple of years on similar donations,” Stephanie said. “When he asked me to help, it was a no brainer. I hooked him up with the local fire chief and a customer who handles fire equipment for municipalities.”

“Donations started pouring in,” Steven says, “more than we could have hoped for. We had enough to install the dog safety cage to protect the dog from injury resulting from a crash or roll over. We also installed a heat alarm system which has temperature sensors that open the windows and set off alarms when the temperature escalates. We even installed equipment that the fire department needed, but didn’t have a budget for - a light bar, siren, front and rear strobe lights, ghost lettering, and a two-way radio.”

For State Farm Agent Brian Wozniak, it was a special moment when the vehicle was finally completed and put into service.

“It was great to see everyone come together,” Brian said. “New York agents and businesses donated even though they’ll never see the Pennsylvania team in action. We wouldn’t have been able to fund the vehicle by holding raffles and spaghetti dinners. It’s pretty special, and I’m proud State Farm was a part of it.”

Beaver County Commissioner Sandy Egley summed up the donation event perfectly. “Beaver County doesn’t have very many good days, but this was a very good day.”

The following businesses donated either monetarily or in-kind. 

• Pennsylvania Donors: Beaver County collision Center, Brady’s Run Veterinary, Glick Fire Equipment, Hutch Homes, Jims Visionary Auto + Best Buy Motors, MSA Mine Safety Equipment, Oram’s Doughnuts, McElwain Brothers Body Shop, Novak Auto Wrecking, Zignature Pet Foods and several local State Farm Agents
• New York Donors:  Proliner Rescue, Scotsman Collision, A Plus Auto Salvage, Code 3 Emergency Lighting, LIABRA Long Island Auto Body Repairman’s Association, Charity Cars Inc, Relay Communications, Act 2 Towing, State Wide Auto Detailing, A+D Auto Repair, Lange Technical Forensic Specialists, Suffolk County Police Department, Mt. Sinai Fire Department, Sunken Meadow Auto Body, Insurance Auto Auctions, LT Auto Glass Installed the windshield, North and Sons Emergency Lettering, Ultimate Window Tinting, and State Farm Agent Stephanie Sgroi

Today’s youth want to create positive change in their communities, contrary to some opinions of this generation. They are more than just social media and phone obsessed teens. In fact, 23 student leaders from Pennsylvania want their peers to put down those very phones and just drive.

This group of inspiring leaders are part of SADD – Students Against Destructive Decisions, supported by State Farm. In April of 2016, the group attended the Pennsylvania SADD Youth Safety Summit. There they spoke about wanting to prevent tragedies in the form of auto crashes from happening to their peers. They want to make sure new drivers get the experience behind the wheel they need and to help enact policy changes that will keep them safe.

The Pennsylvania high schoolers, equipped with relevant information, candidly discussed teen driver laws, specifically an amendment to a larger distracted driving bill. The bill, if passed, would require a zero tolerance policy for teen drivers when it comes to electronic devices (phones).

After a serious and thoughtful discussion, the teens decided to not only back the bill but share their opinions with decision makers – Pennsylvania state legislators.

Real life throws you curve balls. Some of the most challenging are financial. Even with age and experience, adults can quickly find themselves in jeopardy. So it’s not a surprise teens, who are inexperienced and unaccustomed to making decisions with long-term consequences, are especially vulnerable.

Unfortunately, most teens have little financial instruction or experiences to help them form a strategic financial game plan. That can have catastrophic impact on recovering from debt or financial burdens as an adult.

Students at high schools in Pennsylvania are learning ways to get ahead of the game by playing Real Life.

Team competitions make Real Life scenarios fun

Real Life helps students understand the importance of the financial decisions key to future success. It is presented by Junior Achievement (JA) of South Central Pennsylvania and led by local business people.

Through games modeled after those they know and love, teens play Financial Jenga, The Price is Wrong, Real Life, and Insurance Jeopardy. They also participate in a Budget Builder activity as a part of the daylong Real Life experience.

“Real Life provides high school seniors with a glimpse of the financial decisions they will soon be making as young adults,“ said Tom Russell, President of the Junior Achievement of South Central Pennsylvania. “It’s also a fun way for students to begin a conversation about insurance which plays an important role in those decisions.”

The popular Insurance Jeopardy component is similar to the game show. It is a team-based competition intended to help students understand basic insurance concepts.

“Insurance Jeopardy was really fun and a big learning experience. It helped me to learn about insurance policies and terms that I’d heard but never understood,” said one Central York High School student.

Game co-hosts Steve Horning and Trish Howser, real-life State Farm agents, helped students learn about discounts and policy limits, but they also learned from the students.

“It was fun to see them engage in real life decisions and realize that insurance impacts everyone’s life, young and old. The students were very interested in how not having the proper insurance can hurt them and their family and were truly concerned about the choices they will be making beyond high school,” Howser said.

Play to win

Private and public classroom partnerships can strengthen students’ financial confidence. However, failing to plan weakens even the best financial advice. Financially smart students do plan and do make good decisions – and they retain and share that knowledge.

The principal at Central Dauphin High School shared with Junior Achievement an email received from a parent after a Real Life session:

“The seminar the school held for the students last week regarding finances was amazingly eye opening for Haley and her friends. I truly hope that CDHS continues to provide this for the students going forward (I have a 7th grader this year and would love her to be exposed to this as well).

Haley learned so much. She now has a better understanding of the reality of life, money, jobs, income, prices of products, utilities, etc. We spoke in depth that night and the sweet child expressed how much she respected me for being able to be a single mom and make everything come together.

Haley said, “I am never moving out! I won’t be able to afford anything. It really helped to understand why College is a MUST!“

Risk is part of the game of life

As these young adults go out into the “real world,” the skills they learned through Real Life will help them become financially savvy adults. They will think twice before purchasing new iPods, laptops or cars. Those new experiences and new purchases will come with new risks that require a financial and insurance plan.

These students are prepared to play. After all, in the real game of life, no one wants to be in jeopardy.

State Farm supports Junior Achievement on the national and local levels through philanthropic outreach and volunteerism. In addition to Real Life, agent and employee support of JA programs like Finance Park and BizTown earned the company the Bronze Level U.S. President’s Volunteer Service Award for contributing over 5,000 service hours annually.

Most people have at least one teacher who really stood out to them during their education. Was it the math teacher who stayed after hours to help you understand Geometry? Or was it the English teacher who sparked your passion for writing?

Since 2007, State Farm has worked with the National Liberty Museum to recognize more than 100 outstanding educators in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and beyond. Each spring, they recognize educators who have affected positive change in their schools and communities with the Teacher as Hero Award.

Educators are honored for excellence in:

• Fostering an appreciation for diversity in the classroom;
• Teaching students how to resolve conflicts respectfully;
• Giving students a deeper understanding of the relationship between rights and responsibilities;
• Honoring student voice in the classroom and in public spaces;
• Having taken a risk in order to remove an obstacle to a student’s liberty; or
• Successfully incorporating the above concepts in their relationships with colleagues and community members.

One teacher who exemplifies those traits is Sherry Paris. Sherry is a 9th through 12th grade math teacher at Strath Haven High School in Wallingford, PA. She received the Teacher as Hero Award in 2013 for being both a strong advocate for all of her students and an incredibly passionate, welcoming, and caring teacher in the classroom.

“I teach because I want to make a difference in the world. I enjoy helping students develop their critical thinking and problem-solving skills as they communicate and collaborate with each other,” shared Sherry. “Teaching, for me, is a form of self-expression. I love to witness and participate in helping people figure things out. I teach because I love to educate, and I love my students.”

For years, Sherry has advised the after-school Diversity Trainers Club (DTC), which is her school district’s largest anti-bullying program. Each fall, she coordinates training sessions with representatives from local organizations to teach more than 200 high school students communication skills – helping to prevent and defuse intolerant and bullying behavior in the school.

“In this group, students think about social issues and communicate across their own differences. So many students are inspired to help others,” said Sherry. “They recognize that they can be a positive role model for a middle school student. For instance, they may have been bullied in middle school or struggled with self-esteem. They find empowerment in acknowledging what was difficult for them and take pride in knowing they may have made someone else’s experience a little easier or helped someone come to an important realization about themselves,” Sherry continued.

Sherry’s work reaches beyond the walls of her own school, allowing her to make a positive difference in the lives of so many students. Many of the students who attend the annual Diversity Trainers Conference have expressed how important DTC and Sherry are to the community.

In addition to the recognition at the awards ceremony, honored teachers receive:

• a free family membership to the National Liberty Museum;
• a free guided tour of the Museum for their class;
• their story featured in the Museum’s Teacher as Hero exhibit;
• participation in a Museum Act 48 teacher training workshop of their choice at no charge; and
• various other gifts from the Museum.

Located in historic Philadelphia, the National Liberty Museum brings liberty to life by fostering strong character and civic engagement, inviting visitors to explore liberty and discover their inner hero. For more information, or to submit a nomination, visit www.libertymuseum.org.

More and more baby boomers are discovering the benefits of shared housing in their golden years. After all, more than a third of baby boomers - the generation moving into retirement age - are unmarried. Single boomers are also overwhelmingly female - just like Blanche, Dorothy and Rose, and just like three real world women from Pennsylvania.

Karen Bush, Louise Machinist and Jean McQuillin met in early adulthood. Their lives followed the usual trajectories: marriages, children, careers and houses.

“All of us owned our own houses. We each lived independently-comfortably, modestly, but securely,” Louise says.

However, children grew up and moved away, marriages ended, and soon the friends found themselves in their 50s, living alone, and facing retirement. That’s when Karen had an idea.

“I was happy living the way I was,” Karen recalls. “But I thought when I did retire, I could see myself becoming isolated.”

Retirement comes with risks, and adjusting to life without a paycheck can be challenging. It can also be lonely. “Many retirees face a lack of community, a lack of people around during the day or evenings,” Karen points out.

Early in 2004, Karen turned to Louise and asked if she would go in on a major investment with her: a house. But not just a house, a home they would live in together.

Louise was game and pulled Jean into the conversation. “We identified what we’d want, in terms of geography, culture, educational opportunities, hobbies - all sorts of things,” Karen says. “We had remarkably similar lists.”

“The punch line,” Louise says, “was ‘Why wait?’” Three months later, they closed on a new, co-owned house.

“It was ridiculously fast,” Jean agrees, “but we laid lots of groundwork. We consulted a financial planner and a lawyer. Here we are - nine years later!”

Louise ticks off the many benefits, expected and unexpected, of living with housemates:

“The environment: We feel good we use fewer utilities. The social support system and community. And definitely the money - I’ve saved more for retirement, which is paradoxical because this was supposed to be retirement!”

The three women share their experience and advice in a collaboratively written book: My House Our House: Living Far Better for Far Less in a Cooperative Household.

They all agree collaboration is what makes a shared housing arrangement succeed. “It’s imperative for people sharing a home to make sure they respect healthy boundaries that ensure everyone’s wellbeing. You need to be on the same page about lifestyle,” says Louise.

There’s something about their age group that helps too. “It seems to be the boomers that drive shared housing,” Louise says. “It’s something we did when we were young, and we just don’t have the barriers other generations have.”

Paki Wieland, another boomer, met her housemate, Francis Crowe, as their generation was driving the counterculture of the 1960s.

“When I first visited western Massachusetts in 1968, Frances was one of the first people I met,” recalls Paki, now in her early 70s. It was the height of the Vietnam War, and Paki and Frances, were passionate activists, working together at demonstrations and peace committees.

When the war ended, Paki went to college and became a professional. Frances continued working at a peace center, supported by her husband, a radiologist. The women lost touch. Neither had any idea their lives would once again converge.

But Paki’s marriage ended and Frances’ husband died. Paki was preparing to retire from a teaching position at Antioch New England Graduate School but had not thought about what retirement would look like. Frances started renting out the downstairs of her house. Just as Paki put out the word she needed a place to live, Frances’ tenant moved out.

Frances suggested that her long-ago acquaintance move in. When Paki showed up with her bags in the fall of 2002, both women considered it a tenant/landlord relationship. It hasn’t stayed that way.

“We became more and more involved in our lives together. It was very gradual,” Frances says. We each have our own living space, but we share the house, and she’s good company,” Frances says of Paki. “We read the same books. I pass the paper on to her.” Paki agrees. “If we go somewhere together to a film, I’ll organize us to do that,” she says.

Considering Paki is younger than Frances, you might guess she’s Frances’ caretaker - but you’d be mistaken.

“My physical abilities have diminished in the last 10 years,” Frances concedes, “and Paki is mindful of that. She checks in on me.” Still, Paki isn’t Frances’ nurse.

“Increasingly I became aware of the way our lives overlapped,” Paki explains. “When I first moved in I didn’t imagine living here this long. But it’s worked very nicely. Frances certainly doesn’t plan to go into any retirement - age place, so as long as we can both stay here, we’ll do that.”

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