Uncategorized

By Lorie Ham

A record-high 653,104 people experienced homelessness in the United States on a single night in January 2023, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness. This is more than a 12.1 percent increase over the previous year. At a time when the problems of the unhoused seem to be getting worse, there is a group in Sacramento trying to make a difference for women and children in that situation. That group is called Bridging Initiatives International. They have been an official non-profit since 2017. 

According to their CEO and founder, Yene Wolteji, Bridging’s mission is to provide holistic and integrated services that address the diverse needs of vulnerable individuals and families experiencing instability as a result of domestic violence and/or homelessness, guiding them toward sustainable transitions to provide support and resources to individuals and families experiencing homelessness. We spoke with Yene recently to learn more.

Q: How did you personally become involved in this type of work and why?

Yene:  All my work life, I have been involved in social work, helping the needy and orphans in Africa. Later, I had the opportunity to educate others on poverty alleviation and holistic development. My doctoral research focused on work ethics and holistic development. I have been engaged in educating others in that sector as well. I am very much committed to standing by and supporting those who are hurting wherever they are found.

When I came to the US, I didn’t expect to see homelessness and I was shocked to see people struggling in the land of abundance. I immediately organized people and started street outreach, which laid the foundation for where we are today.

Q: Can you tell us a little more about what it is you do?

Yene: Seeing children on the street and the vulnerability of women prompted the creation of the Bridging House, a shelter for women and children. We also support families with children by providing rental assistance and motel vouchers during transitions and crises.

This support is very important because it impacts the next generation as well. Not only do adults benefit, but children also gain a safe place and experience love and compassion from the community, which can positively impact their lives. The trauma of homelessness is addressed through prayers, encouragement, and unconditional love, helping them to heal and remain hopeful.

Q: Why do you feel this is important?

Yene:  Homelessness can happen to anyone, especially if the immediate environment is not safe for children and women. Listening to the stories of people on the street changed my life. There are professionals and well-educated people, but something happens in their lives and they do not have a supportive environment to address the crisis healthily. The trap of homelessness and addiction keeps them in that cycle, generation after generation. They were once somebody, like any other successful person, but unfortunately, they got trapped in problems and they deserve to be listened to. I don’t think imposing decisions would help.

Q: How many people do you help each year?

Yene: In 2023, we supported 75 families and individuals with shelter, rental assistance, and motel vouchers. This year, we aim to help 80 people. Since the beginning of this year, we have focused on supporting women and children experiencing homelessness due to domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking. 

Q: What can others do to help?

Yene: Anyone can find us on our website and donate to support the ministry. We pay rent for the shelter and provide necessary care for the families. We are also happy to share our biannual newsletter with anyone interested. Let us know by email, and we will reach out to interested people. We are in need of more budget, volunteer counselors, fundraisers, and admin support.

You can learn more about Bridging Initiatives International, subscribe to their newsletter, and learn about what you can do to help them with their important work on their website Bridgingii.org.

[Periodically Mennonite Insurance features an organization with whom we have a connection.]

Should I Put That On My Lawn?

By Lorie Ham

Every profession has its own language and the insurance world is no different. While people in the profession may understand what different terms mean, the rest of us probably won’t. For example, if your agent recommended 15/30/5 coverage, it may sound more like something to put on your lawn than insurance. So this month we are asking Mennonite Insurance agent Yolanda Hernandez to explain some of that language in regards to auto insurance. 

Q: What do these types of terms mean 15/30/5 or 100/300/50? 

Yolanda: They mean: $15,000 coverage per person for bodily injury, including death, that you cause to others; $30,000 in bodily injury per accident, and $5,000 in property damage. With the higher limits: $100,000/$300,000/$50,000. If a person has a higher net worth, it is recommended they carry higher limits.

Q: What is the range of auto liability limits and what are the considerations in picking limits? Do the limits impact any other insurance? 

Yolanda: Depending on the company there are various limits of liability available. Common limits include 30/60/25, 50/100/50, 100/300/100, 250/500/100 and 500/500/100. Here at Mennonite Insurance the minimum we recommend for anyone is 100/300/100, more so if you are a homeowner. Ultimately you want to protect your assets or future earnings in case of a loss. The higher the coverage limits, the more protection for you and your assets.

Q: What do comprehensive, and collision mean? 

Yolanda: Comprehensive is also known as “other than collision” and it is a coverage that helps pay for damage to your vehicle caused by non-collision events such as theft, vandalism, fire, falling objects, glass breakage, windstorm, flood, hail, and hitting an animal. Collision helps pay for repairs or replace your car if it is damaged in an accident with another vehicle or object, such as a fence or tree. On both of these coverages, you are usually subject to a deductible that a client chooses.

Q: Do I have to carry comprehensive and collision on my vehicles? Should I? 

Yolanda: Carrying comprehensive and collision is optional, unless you are financing the car, then you are required to carry both to satisfy your loan requirements. Ultimately the client needs to determine if they can or would be able to replace their car out of pocket in case of a total loss.

Q: Underinsured motorist coverage (UIM) sounds like I am buying liability insurance for the other cars that might crash into me. Is that true? 

Yolanda: Uninsured motorist (UM) coverage protects you if you’re hit by a driver who has no auto insurance. Underinsured motorist coverage (UIM), which is usually offered alongside uninsured motorist coverage, protects you if you’re hit by a driver who doesn’t have enough coverage to pay for the damages or injuries they caused. Both coverages are highly recommended. You must be offered the coverage when purchasing auto insurance.  We usually recommend these limits match the Bodily Injury (BI) section.

Q: What does “full coverage” and “all risk” mean? 

Yolanda: We don’t use “full coverage” in our office. Full Coverage insurance is a general term that many agents, lenders, and car dealerships use to describe a policy that includes certain coverages. It is NOT an actual type of coverage or policy. We prefer not to use this term in our office.

Added note on this from Jerry Linscheid, Chief Executive Officer for Mennonite Insurance Services/Mennonite Aid Plan : There is no such thing as “full coverage” or “all risk”, even though those terms still get used. Even “comprehensive” is often now referred to as “other than collision” because insurance companies don’t want to give the false impression that every bad thing that happens is covered.

Q: What does insurance not cover? 

Yolanda: An auto policy does not cover normal wear and tear of a vehicle. It is NOT a maintenance policy.

We hope that this was helpful, but of course, it only touches the surface as far as understanding insurance terminology. There are also many resources on the internet. A few of those can be found on this list of Insurance for Dummies on GeneralI.com, another great list can be found on TD Insurance in the article called “How to Speak Insurance”, and there is a glossary of insurance terms on NAIC.org.

The agents at Mennonite Insurance Services/Mennonite Aid Plan are also happy to answer any of your questions just give them a call at (559) 638-2327 or reach out on their Facebook page. 

[By the way, don’t put 15/30/5 fertilizer on your lawn.  30% Phosphorus is way too high and it will burn the lawn.]

Students must be members of an Anabaptist church, be at least a junior at a West Coast college or university and have a GPA of 3.0 or better.

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“It’s great to be able to help our recipients reach their educational goals. It’s very rewarding for us to have a small role in their success,” said Claudia Fletes, Mennonite Insurance Service’s scholarship administrator.

Each recipient receives a $1,000 scholarship.

Mennonite Insurance Services and its parent company, Mennonite Aid Plan, provide property insurance to churches and their members on the West Coast.

By Lorie Ham

With the costs of repairing a damaged vehicle rising just like everything else these days, the way insurance companies handle those cars has changed. “In the not-so-distant past, vehicles were totaled by insurance companies when the damage was so bad that the car probably would never be driven again,” states Jerry Linscheid of Mennonite Insurance Services. “That mindset has changed. The cost of car repairs has skyrocketed. So, insurance companies are looking at the repair costs compared to the total they would pay for the car. As those numbers get close, it makes sense to settle the claim quickly by ‘totaling’ the car and paying the customer.”

With more of these salvage vehicles available for purchase now, should you consider buying one? What does salvage vehicle actually mean? We chatted with Mennonite Insurance agent Claudia Fletes to learn more.

Q: What is a salvage vehicle? 

Claudia: An insurance company will determine when a vehicle is damaged beyond repair or the cost to repair it costs more than the vehicle is worth. In such cases, the company will pay out what the vehicle is worth at the time of loss. As a result, the vehicle is considered ‘Salvage.”    

Q: Can it be driven? 

Claudia: The vehicle can be driven again on public roads if it is properly repaired and passes a thorough inspection with CA Highway Patrol (this is for CA, you should check the rules for your own state). 

Q: How does an insurance company decide whether to have a car repaired or replaced after an accident? 

Claudia: An insurance company may determine that it is more cost effective to pay off the value of the vehicle rather than repairing the damages. With technology on vehicles getting more advanced and rising costs for parts and labor, even a minor accident may result in a salvage vehicle. 

Q: Can it be sold? 

Claudia: Yes, but the salvage title must or should be disclosed.

Q: Can it be insured? 

Claudia: Yes. However, some companies will not allow Comprehensive or collision coverage on a salvaged vehicle.

Q: A lot of totaled cars are still on the road. What should people think about when they are considering buying a car that may be salvaged? 

Claudia: Consider getting a CarFax (history report on the vehicle). Why was the vehicle salvaged? Often cars are salvaged in states where there are floods and transported to other states for sale. Consider the value of the salvage vehicle and if it is insurable with your auto insurance company. Would you feel safe driving or having your family in a salvaged vehicle? What is the value of the vehicle and can you add insurance on the vehicle? These are all things to consider if purchasing a salvage vehicle. 

So why would someone consider purchasing a salvage vehicle? According to a 2023 article on Edmunds.com, the main reason seems to be price. If you are on a budget, a salvage-title car can sell for twenty to forty percent less than the same vehicle with a clean title. The article also mentions some things you should do before purchasing such a vehicle, which include having the vehicle inspected, purchasing the vehicle from a reputable repairer, asking for the original repair records, and as Claudia suggested, getting the vehicle’s history report. 

If you are considering purchasing one of these vehicles, feel free to reach out to Mennonite Insurance at (559) 638-2327 and they will be happy to try to answer any questions you might have in regards to insuring such a vehicle. 

By Lorie Ham

Summer is beginning to wind down and many of us are thinking about how to take advantage of the last of the warm weather. You may be thinking about doing some summer barbecuing or taking the family on a picnic. The first thing you should always keep in mind is food safety, especially on these hot days. You can check out one of our past articles for some food safety tips for picnics, and find more food safety tips in our article last winter about cooking safety. 

Beyond food safety, if you live in an area that produces a lot of fruit, such as the San Joaquin Valley of California, you may be wondering if there are ways to keep enjoying that delicious fruit after summer is gone. We chatted with some Valley farmers for some suggestions. 

Paul Buxman of Sweet Home Ranch farmed for 50 years and started making jam 25 years ago with his wife Ruth after a hail storm scarred their fruit and they weren’t able to sell it fresh. “We started by using commercial kitchens in restaurants nearby, then I built a commercial kitchen here on the ranch,” says Paul. “We make about 6,000 to 8,000 jars per year depending on orders. Our jam is mostly ‘soft set’ meaning that it is very spreadable.”

Their preserves are sold in bakeries, small independent stores, and from their home. Paul shares a bit of their jam making process. “When the fruit is ripe we pick it and then slice, peel, and remove the pits. The sliced fruit is then mixed with a small amount of sugar and ascorbic acid. We then put it into Ziplock bags which contain exactly ten pounds of fruit. The bagged fruit is then put into a three-door upright freezer with shelving. The freezer can hold 42 bags. The bags are patted flat and placed on aluminum pans, two bags per pan. Overnight the fruit freezes. We then transfer all the bags to our eight chest freezers which we fill each summer. When an order comes in, we thaw the number of necessary bags of fruit the night before and make the jam the next day. Some orders are small, like about 100 jars, but others may be for over 800 jars. Ruth and I can comfortably make about 150 jars per day so an order may take only one day to make or it may take up to a week. We hand-label each jar. Each label is hand signed.”

If you would like to try your hand at making jam, here is a simple recipe for apricot jam from the Buxman’s, which happens to be their most popular jam. 

Ingredients:

• Ten pounds of halved apricots (semi-firm)
• One cup of pectin
• Eight cups of sugar

You will need 20 half-pint mason jars or 10-pint jars. These will be put into an oven and heated to 250 degrees to sterilize. The lids should be placed in a pan of water and brought to a boil, then take them out of the water and put them into the rings, ready to put on to the filled jars. 

Cook the apricots in a large pot till soft. Use a potato masher to crush the fruit into chunks. If you prefer a smooth jam use an immersion blender. Now add in the pectin till dissolved. Next, add in the sugar and stir constantly till dissolved. Increase the heat and bring to a rolling boil. Stir often! 

Cook until the jam comes off the wooden stirring spoon in more than one place. Pour the cooked jam into three Tupperware type half-gallon pitchers. Pouring jam into your jars from these pitchers is much easier than using a ladle and jam funnel (and much less messy!)

The jam will seem runny when pouring but will firm up perfectly in the jar when it cools. This will be a “soft set” jam. Soft set jam is very versatile. It’s great on any kind of toast, in oatmeal, over ice cream, mixed into Cole slaw, baked into cookies, or basted on ham or roasted chicken.

Another way to enjoy fruit all year long is through dried fruit. Valley farm Blossom Bluff Orchards makes dried fruit on a large scale using multiple tons of fresh fruit each year. Bryce Loewen, who has taken on a leadership role at Blossom Bluff for the past 16 years, has been involved with the family farm for most of his life. According to Bryce, they sun dry and dehydrate multiple varieties of their leftover fruit each year, trying to use as much of it as possible. In the summer, they grow apricots, peaches, nectarines, plums, and pluots. They also dehydrate persimmons in the fall and mandarins and other citrus in the winter. The final product is then sold at farmers’ markets and through their website (blossombluff.com), as well as sold in bulk and pre-packaged products to some stores for resale.

When asked about the process for drying the fruit, Bryce shares that for sun drying they slice the fruit to remove the pit and then lay it skin down on wooden raisin trays. “They bake in the summer sun for 5-10 days depending on conditions and are then washed and re-dried for packaging/storage,” continues Bryce. “We have an industrial-grade dehydrator we use for fall/winter fruit, and for that, we wash the fruit first and slice it thin. That process is faster, it takes only about 20 hours to dry.”

Bryce recommends enjoying the dried fruit straight out of the bag, but also feels they make an excellent addition to a cheese plate or grazing board.

If you would like to try your hand at drying fruit yourself, this article on WikiHow has some simple instructions. Taste of Home has 50 recipes for cooking with dried fruit that include Date-Nut Pinwheels, and Moroccan Apple Beef Stew. 

So, as the summer begins to wind down be sure to make the most of it, be safe with your outdoor eating and cooking, and take advantage of some of the ways to keep enjoying summer fruit all year long! Do you have a recipe or suggestion you would like to share? We would love it if you would share on the Mennonite Insurance Facebook page.