Allstate agency owners earn $29,000 grant for American Red Cross

HARTFORD, Conn. – Twenty-nine Allstate agency owners and licensed sales professionals from the Hartford area recently came together to volunteer and secure a $29,000 Allstate Foundation Helping Hands® Grant to benefit the American Red Cross of Connecticut. The grant will support the American Red Cross’ mission to respond to disaster in a moment’s notice by providing relief to emergency responders, as well as financial assistance to those affected by disaster.

Disasters affect nearly one million people each year, yet 85 percent of Americans are unprepared for one. In advance of severe weather events that occur in the fall and winter, Allstate agencies offered free Allstate Foundation disaster preparedness starter kits the week of Aug. 11. The kits included a first aid kit, an emergency blanket, and a flashlight, among other essential items, including local resources from the American Red Cross. The American Red Cross of Connecticut chapter will use the $29,000 grant to further its disaster relief work throughout the state.

The disaster preparedness kit distribution was part of a multi-state Allstate Foundation volunteer effort benefitting American Red Cross chapters in Connecticut, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington, D.C. In all, over 8,500 Allstate Foundation disaster preparedness starter kits were distributed and $131,000 was donated to the American Red Cross through the Allstate Foundation Helping Hands® grant program.

The Allstate volunteers are among thousands of agency owners and licensed sales professionals around the country working to build stronger communities by supporting the causes they care about most.

“Our Allstate volunteers see firsthand the opportunities and challenges facing the communities they serve when struck by the unexpected,” said Denise Paquette, Allstate agency owner in Bristol. “Giving back is core to who we are at Allstate, which is why we’re all proud to volunteer with the American Red Cross to help promote disaster preparedness, while raising funds to help residents who have been or may be affected by a disaster.”

The American Red Cross of Connecticut is one of thousands of organizations this year to receive Allstate Foundation Helping Hands Grants secured by agency owners, personal financial representatives, and licensed sales professionals on behalf of the nonprofits where they volunteer. The grants support organizations addressing domestic violence, youth empowerment, disaster preparedness, hunger and other causes.

The Allstate Foundation, an independent, charitable organization made possible by subsidiaries of The Allstate Corporation. The Allstate Foundation works to create more prosperous communities where people are empowered to fulfill their hopes and dreams by inspiring the next generation of leaders, breaking the cycle of domestic violence, closing the nonprofit leadership gap and honoring Allstate volunteers. More information on The Allstate Foundation is available at AllstateFoundation.org.

Participating Allstate agency owners and Licensed Sales Professionals include (in alphabetical order):

• Veronica Airey-Wilson, West Hartford
• Jeffrey Austin, Middletown
• Darleen Blakesley, Vernon
• Emanuel Bonatsakis, Tolland
• Paul Cullen, Manchester
• Jasmine Diaz, Bloomfield
• Eric Ekblade, Derby
• Theodore Gasparino, Norwich
• Nathan Gridley, Windsor
• Benjamin Hoisington, Bloomfield
• Andre Jett, Granby
• Husam Kader, Cromwell
• Thomas Lally, Enfield
• Edward McGovern, Unionville
• Jennifer Mclennan, Avon
• Franklin Osei-Assibey, East Hartford
• Miroslaw Panek, Vernon
• Denise Paquette, Berlin
• Wanda Robles, East Hartford
• Anthony Savio, Newington
• Arthur Schaller, New Britain
• Michael Skaling, South Windsor
• Paul Skaling, Windsor
• Joshua Sloat, Bloomfield
• Peter Snow, West Simsbury
• Robert Vaughan, Ellington
• Jennifer Zachorewitz, Manchester
• Thaddeus Zentek, Simsbury
• Andrea Zmenyak-Liberno, West Hartford