Giving Back Locally
Not a single month will pass in 2019, that a special group of co-workers in Mobile aren’t giving back in big ways to their community. And during some of that time, they will be giving back to our kids and moms in the care of Alabama Baptist Children's Homes (ABCH). Adjusters Give Back is a non-profit organization made up of about 1,000 employees of Pilot Catastrophe who share their time and dollars, year-round, to support causes they believe in.
Jennifer Bexley heads up this team and their efforts in the community. She says, “We were formed in 2012, and we are completely funded by employee donations. We do a lot of different things throughout the year, some events and some campaigns; some of the things we do are ongoing, and some we take part in as needs arise.” Last year alone, this group raised over $250,000 for local charities, with much of that used to ensure that every foster child in Mobile and Baldwin Counties had gifts to open at the holidays.
GETTING CONNECTED
“It was actually a recommendation from my mother, when I first heard about the Children’s Homes,” says Jennifer. “Her church does birthday cakes for the children, and she was telling me about that, and I thought it was a really cool thing to do. It made me wonder if there were ongoing or specific needs that we could help with through Adjusters Give Back.”
Jennifer says she then reached out and learned that, yes, there were some needs they could help fill. They got suggestions from staff of different projects, and now for the past few years, they’ve been involved with us during the Christmas season. They’ve provided for our children on campus with bigger items for the home that could be enjoyed by all—game systems and weight room items—and then for our kids and moms living at Grace’s House of Hope, with wish list items for the kids, and for the moms, personal and pampering items they enjoy.
ABCH social worker, Mandy Irby, shares, “The families that are served in Grace’s House of Hope are always so grateful for the generosity of Adjusters Give Back. This group takes special care to ensure that not only our children have an unforgettable Christmas but, also their mothers too, during the holiday season.”
CLOSE TO HOME
Helping children through her work is meaningful to Jennifer, but it also strikes a personal chord. She and her family have fostered and have now had custody of a family member for a few years, and she has seen directly, the challenges and joys that come with that journey. Walking this road herself, she values all the more, what we do through ABCH.
“What you guys offer is something very much needed, the care the children receive; these kids have a sense of home, and I think that’s important,” she shares, “They have supportive foster parents and house parents, and they’re not floating from place to place. They’re in a Christian home, and many are not exposed to that. And anything we can do as a community to help, what we can help today, to change, even just a small percentage . . . I think that’s something we all need to focus more on.”
EXPANDING THEIR INVOLVEMENT
In addition to directly helping those in our care, this December, Adjusters Give Back are also getting involved with our third annual Trees for Hope event in Mobile! Jennifer says they’ll be doing an event sponsorship and also providing at least one tree, which they will decorate and set up as part of the auction, with proceeds benefiting our Mobile campus.
This is a group that cares year-round, and they care through their financial gifts as well as through their gifts of time. Jennifer says, “We have teams that volunteer on their off days . . . our adjusters are very involved in all aspects, not just giving. They show up and help, or they attend events, whatever the need may be. I feel like it (this charitable work) is something they’re excited about and are really proud to be a part of through their work.”
If you’re looking for ways to get involved too, check out this list of 13 ways to help children in our care.