The Independent Insurance Agents of Texas is spearheading a relief effort of agent donations by contributing $25,000 to assist independent agents in Louisiana, Mississippi and other states who are victims of Hurricane Katrina.
“We have been in touch with the Big I offices in the affected states to offer aid and money to assist agents in the recovery. Unfortunately, communications in the affected areas are so poor that even those on-site don’t know what help is needed yet,” said David VanDelinder, IIAT executive director. VanDelinder said the donations will be a start in a process that may continue for a long time to come.
IIAT’s 1,800 agency members are being asked to contribute monetary donations to IIAT, which is coordinating this effort.
Checks should be made payable to the IIAT Agency Recovery Fund and sent to IIAT, P.O. Box 142363, Austin, TX 78714-2363.
The donations will be sent to the state Big I associations in Louisiana, Mississippi and other affected states.
“IIAT is joining a number of local associations from across the state to help deliver the maximum aid we can to both victims and fellow agents in the affected areas,” commented Randy Reynolds, IIAT president. “Any agent who has been through a disaster knows that many expenses associated with ordinary office operations and serving customers are not covered by insurance, or are too difficult to track. These agents need help now.”
“The outpouring of concern and offers of assistance for independent agents and the people of Southeast Louisiana from insurance professionals has been overwhelming,” said Jeff Albright, chief executive officer, Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of Louisiana. “Thank you for your kind and generous offers to help with the devastation from Hurricane Katrina.”
The Independent Insurance Agents of Mississippi is in the process of putting together an infrastructure for handling relief. “We will need all we can get and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts,” said Clinton Graham, executive vice president.
IIAT will report the latest information it receives about needs of agencies in the catastrophe areas. VanDelinder is asking IIAT members who may have direct contact with an agency in the affected areas to contact IIAT. “We will coordinate a response with the state independent agent’s office in the states affected,” he added.
“Also I am asking agents to report to us any organized insurance industry relief efforts of which they may become aware so that we can post the information on the IIAT Web site at http://www.iiat.org,” said VanDelinder.
More information is available online at iiat.org.
Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Agencies Louisiana Mississippi Hurricane
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