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Mennonite Insurance Feeds the Homeless

By Mac McLean, freelance writer for Mennonite Insurance Services

A simple twist on an annual tradition of feeding local families, Mennonite Insurance Services helped provide a warm Thanksgiving meal to about 25 homeless San Joaquin Valley residents.

“They were like, ‘Wow, you brought us food,’” said Mary Lou Iniguez with Centro Christiano Familiar, a church that prepared the meals with Mennonite’s donation and delivered them to a camp in Parlier.

For the past four years, Mennonite employees purchased groceries for needy families during the Thanksgiving season. But they switched things up this year after Claudia Fletes, one of the company’s insurance agents, talked to Iniguez about her church’s homeless outreach program.

Staff used half the money to buy food for Centro Christiano’s outreach program. They purchased three turkeys, 20 pounds of potatoes, stuffing and gravy that Iniguez and fellow church members prepared the weekend before Thanksgiving and delivered to the homeless camp’s residents.

Their partnership and generosity do not end there. That’s because Mennonite Insurance staff will use the rest of the money to buy hats, gloves, toothbrushes and other necessities Iniguez will deliver to residents of the Parlier camp later this month.

Package theft is a problem: Here’s how you can stop it

By Mac McLean, freelance writer for Mennonite Insurance Services

Americans bought nearly $7 billion worth of gifts for their friends and loved ones this past Cyber Monday1 and had them shipped across the country in boxes and envelopes at the click of a mouse.

And those packages – which could carry anything from a simple toy to the latest iPhone – are the perfect target for thieves if they arrive on their recipient’s front porch when he or she is not home.

“It’s an ongoing problem that we face,” said Fresno County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Tony Botti2. “People will follow the UPS truck and wait to see what gets dropped off.”

Nearly a third, or 31 percent of Americans, have personally experienced package theft according to a recent survey conducted by the Shorr Packaging Corporation3. This crime is so common that 41 percent of Americans said they’ve avoided ordering high value items like electronics when they shop online out of fears these items might get stolen.

But these statistics don’t mean people have to risk being the victims of theft if they want to get a package delivered to their door. The survey found 53 percent of Americans have changed their schedules so they’re home when a package arrives. Other tips to avoid package theft include:

Shipping the package to your place of work, a UPS store, a FedEx store, or another location where someone can watch over it until you pick it up,

Requesting a signature delivery option so the driver won’t leave a package at the recipient’s house unless someone signs for it, and

Leaving special instructions for the delivery person asking him or her to place the package on your back porch or another location that’s not easily visible from the road4.

Botti said asking your neighbors to look out for your packages and pick them up when they arrive is another common way to avoid theft. Many people have also installed security cameras over their front door to deter package thieves, he said.

“The awareness has definitely been heightened,” Botti said, adding more and more Fresno County residents are taking steps to keep their packages safe.

Sources:

  1. “Cyber Monday sales set to hit $6.59 billion, the largest ever online sum for a U.S. shopping day,” CNBC.
  2. Phone interview, Tony Botti with the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office
  3. “The 2017 Package Theft Report: Porch Pirates, Purchase Habits, and Privacy,” Shorr Packaging Corporation.
  4. “Seven Tips for Keeping Your Packages Safe This Holiday Season,” FedEx Global Media

Home constructions costs rise due to hurricanes

Picture of flooded homes

Do you live in an area impacted by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma or Maria.  Are you sure?

The ripple effect can spread far and wide.

Houston alone has over 200,000 homes that need flood renovations. In addition, businesses need repairs. Almost every building in the Caribbean needs repairs. The Florida Keys were also impacted. There is damage from Texas to Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.

Will there be a spike in costs as a result of imbalances between demand and supply? How much and for how long? For the next couple of months we expect no significant impact. Then over the next 6 to 18 months we expect to see an increase in costs in both labor and materials.

The economic conditions, new home market and demand for contractors before the storms were already inflating prices. This will further increase prices.

Flooded Cars are Flooding the Market

Picture of flooded carsYou have seen news reports of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and now Jose.  In those videos you often see pictures of submerged cars.  Some of those cars will wind up on used car lots near you.  Flood-damaged cars can appear pristine on the outside, but damage to the engine, electronics or other components can remain hidden for a time.  Water can even pose a health threat if mold starts growing in the interior.  Here are some helpful hints to avoid becoming another hurricane victim:

  • Check the vehicle history.  Carfax is currently offering free information on flooded cars.
  • Ask a mechanic to go over the vehicle and ask him to specifically look for flood damage.
  • Look in out-of-the-way places where water might have left mud, sand or other evidence.
  • Check for musty smells.  Sellers may try to cover odors with strong scents, but may not think to treat trunks or glove compartments.
  • Make sure all the electronics work.  Try locks, windows, mirrors, sound system, AC and heater, lights and monitors.

For more information, try these links:

How to avoid buying cars damaged by hurricane flooding

Experts warn potential increase of flood damaged cars hitting the market