View this article online: https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/east/2005/09/06/59196.htm
Massachusetts insurance agents are taking the call to aid victims of hurricane Katrina seriously. The Massachusetts Association of Insurance Agents is sending a $20,000 check to the Big ‘I’ Katrina Relief Fund established just last week by its national organization, the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America, to help fellow agents and their employees affected by the disaster.
“We commend IIABA for establishing and coordinating a hurricane relief fund focused on our fellow independent insurance agents, their employees and families. MAIA will contribute $20,000 to the fund,” said MAIA President and CEO Frank Mancini. “We will also work with IIABA and the impacted state associations to assist independent insurance agents in every way possible.”
All donations received will assist insurance industry colleagues, including independent agents, brokers, their employees, and their families.
“We are trying to do all that we can to help our colleagues, friends and their families who have been affected by this terrible catastrophe,” said IIABA CEO Robert A. Rusbuldt. “In times of such hardship it is important that we band together as an industry, but more importantly, as Americans.
“We have received overwhelming inquiries from our members and state associations across the country looking for ways to help. These tax deductible charitable contributions will allow independent agents in these devastated communities to pick up the pieces and start helping their neighbors and customers,” Rusbuldt said.
The IIABA itself made a $10,000 initial contribution ot the fund. “Our contributions are not limited to dollar amounts, however. We have sent hundreds of catastrophe packs to our member agencies that include the basics for agents to work and serve their clients,” noted Thomas Grau, president of IIABA. “We have offered to send national staff to the devastated region to assist our member agencies, and we are working on several different methods to help our members handle claims as efficiently and as quickly as possible.”
Checks should be made payable to “Big ‘I’ Katrina Relief Fund” and mailed to:
Big “I” Katrina Relief Fund
c/o InsurBanc
10 Executive Drive
Farmington, CT 06032
To contribute via credit card, go to the Big “I” Katrina Relief Fund site on the InsurBanc website at
http://insurbanc.com/vsitemanager/smartforms/default.asp
All funds contributed to the Big “I” Katrina Relief Fund are tax deductible as charitable contributions.