How can it be that in spite of our best measurements and calculations, time does seem to be speeding up. Yet, if you’re sitting and watching the clock, anxiously waiting for the end of the day, it’s a completely different story. As we begin to count down the final days of this year, 2008, bewilderment at where these past twelve months have gone can send heads spinning.
Obviously, a lot has happened, on historic levels on the national stage, but more directly, even, within our local community, albeit in much less dramatic fashion. The Northern California claims community has made a difference to a lot of people, and in numerous ways, in 2008.
Insurance companies, generally perceived by the public as, shall we say, less than compassionate, can do well to encourage the involvement of their claims department professionals in industry activities. Most claims professionals, it turns out, are very lovely people who, individually can help soften that negative notion, just in the job they do. Multiply your results with a big group of people.
Where it was once a mandatory element to the job, being a member of a claims association has been largely frowned upon by many carriers in recent years. Even today, there are a few companies that still flatly refuse to allow their people to participate in association events. That said, the trend seems to be shifting a bit, as a wave of companies are actually beginning to encourage or at least support their people in their desire to play a role in their professional community. And, when considering some of the accomplishments these groups have been achieving, increased involvement makes good practical business sense. And, when it makes good sense for a carrier to do something, they generally jump onboard.
There are numerous examples of community uplifting successes by associations from which to draw. The Sacramento Claims Association, for example, using funds raised by their very popular golf tournament in June 2008, was able to help a child diagnosed with a terminal illness fulfill a dream through the Make a Wish Foundation, donating $5,000 to that respected organization.
The Central Coast Claims Association in San Jose raised money for the second year in a row for Angel Flight West, through proceeds generated from their afternoon bowling tournament in October. A presentation of $4,500 was made at their luncheon meeting in November. That amount was a bit of an upgrade even over the previous year. The two year sum surpassed $8,700; a sizable contribution to a mostly volunteer organization dedicated to helping those in need of medical treatment, primarily from outlying areas, get to a doctor. All the pilots involved with Angel Flight West donate one hundred percent of their time, as well as their aircraft, fuel, etc. However, the organization as a whole experiences pretty high overhead with its support staff. The CCCA contributions go a long way toward helping them complete more missions.
The East Bay Claims Association has taken on helping the Bay Area Crisis Nursery in their efforts to support the needs of families in crisis. Through golf tournament fund-raising, the CCCA actually joined-in with the EBCA effort, donating a lot of toys for the children at the Nursery.
EBCA raised a good sum of money from their golf tournament, as well, allowing them to share generously, along with all the contributions coming in from the membership. There is a Crisis Nursery wish list of items needed on the EBCA site: EastBayAdjusters.org.
Aside from the always valuable continuing education claims-people receive at regular association luncheon meetings, a worthy resource in and of itself, the greater community support and networking is further elevating the stature of these non-profit groups.
In these increasingly difficult economic times, groups like these will become even more important to their communities at large.
By playing an active role and supporting the local associations, carriers can not only make good use of the positive PR, serving to help soften the stigma that haunts them, but through their people can actually affect very positive change to the world around them.
Measuring the true net value, like counting time, may be an elusive endeavor, but knowing you’ve made a positive difference for others - now that’s priceless. |