While winter weather has been lingering for a couple of months, there’s still more to come. Did you know that heavy rains, blizzards, and ice storms often arrive in February and March across many parts of the country?
Here are a few life-saving tips to remember as you get on the road this season.
Remove bulky coats/jackets when buckling children into car safety seats.
In an accident, the material will squish down and the harnessing system will be too loose to be effective. Layer blankets on your child’s lap after buckling them in.
A list of recommended warm clothing that won’t interfere with car seat safety can be found here.
Keep your gas tank at least half full.
This prevents water condensation from getting into and freezing up fuel lines. A frozen fuel line means limited gas supply to the engine, stopping you in your tracks.
Use wiper fluid that is formulated to NOT freeze.
Windshields coated with ice or splashback from roads create dangerous visibility. You will need to clean your windshield while driving, and only fluid that stays liquid will do the job.
Experts recommend carrying tire chains, jumper cables, a shovel, ice scraper, and even spare wiper blades. Otherlife-saving itemsinclude bottles of water, high-calorie foods and snacks, blankets or sleeping bags, a spare pair of boots, flashlights, gloves, solar cell phone chargers, and a first aid kit. Kitty litter for traction is also a good idea.
Be aware of deadly carbon monoxide in your vehicle(s).
If you can smell exhaust in your vehicle’s cabin, you should have your systems checked. Leaks in exhaust systems, defective ventilation systems, and even an unsecured back hatch or partially open trunk can allow carbon monoxide gas into your vehicle. Tailpipes blocked with snow or ice can send carbon monoxide into the vehicle too.
Also, warming a car in a garage, even with the door open, allows dangerous concentrations of the gas into the vehicle and even into your home.
It’s important that everyone knows the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Bring essential medications in case you get stranded.
Don’t venture out in extreme conditions unless it’s an emergency.
You are not only putting your life in danger, but also the lives of first responders who will have to venture out to search for you if you get lost or stranded.
Do you know the most popular time to receive jewelry? You guessed it – February. Now, do you know if your homeowner’s or renters’ insurance policy protects your jewelry? Whether you said “yes” or “no,” you are correct.
Here’s why: Your homeowner’s policy only provides limited coverage on certain high-value items. You may not receive the full value if a loss occurs. Scheduled Personal Property (SPP) insurance, sometimes called a floater, provides additional coverage of valuables – above and beyond what your home insurance provides.
Here are some very important advantages with Scheduled Personal Property plans:
Scheduled Personal Property (SPP) offers much broader coverage for your precious items – if you misplace a set of earrings, they are covered; if a diamond falls out of a ring, or a guitar neck breaks, they’re covered.
There is no deductible if the covered items are stolen, lost, or damaged.
SPP provides a replacement for the actual appraised value of the item.
SPP usually costs about one to two percent of the item’s value.
And, Scheduled Personal Property insurance isn’t just for jewelry; you might need the endorsement if you have:
Fine art
Furs
Coin or stamp collections
Expensive cameras
Firearms
Fine silverware
Sporting equipment
Antiques
And even if you already have gold and jewelryor a rare watch covered with Scheduled Personal Property coverage, you may need a review. Gold and diamond prices have climbed the past few years and you may not have enough protection for their new value.
By nature, many of us are collectors of stuff, and much of that stuff is valuable. Whether you have purchased your priceless items from exotic locations around the globe, inherited them or painstakingly monitored eBay to find them, you no doubt want to protect them.
TAKEAWAY: Don’t wait until your precious items are lost, stolen or damaged to find out if you have enough coverage to replace them. Contact CalCas Customer Service today, at 1.800.800.9410 option 3, or www.calcas.com/customer-service.
Super Bowl LIV: the San Francisco 49ers vs. the Kansas City Chiefs was a very special game for us here at California Casualty. Not only was it the biggest football game of the year, but it was also the most important to our offices
As you might know, our headquarters are in San Mateo (SMO), California, 30 minutes outside of San Francisco; however, we also have a service center located in Kansas City (KSC).
So, in honor of both of our favorite teams facing off against each other, we decided to come together and do the same. As a company, we created our own in-office Super Bowl named, “Super Bowl LIV: Battle of the Offices.”
The Battle of the Offices may not have been as aggressive as the big game, but it was every bit as intense, as the offices battled against each other to raise money for local charities. CalCas employees in each office put money down on their Super Bowl favorite, knowing all proceeds would go to a charity in the hometown of the winner.
To encourage participation, a CalCas executive in each office agreed to match each donation up to the first $100, but thanks to our amazing employees ‒ and the raffle of a Patrick Mahomes jersey ‒ donations started pouring in and those numbers were quickly bypassed!
To keep track of who was in the lead, daily emails were sent to employees, along with some “friendly” trash-talking, of course. As the week went on and anticipation for the Super Bowl grew larger, so did the Battle of the Offices. Remote employees and field marketing managers living in different states even started sending in their donations to join in on the fun.
The offices were neck and neck all the way up until the end, much like the last half of the Super Bowl, but in this battle, California ultimately came out ahead.
The final tally was SMO: $640 – KSC: $623. Making the grand total = $1,263.
However, bragging rights is the only thing SMO will have to show for their victory, because the Kansas City Chiefs won Super Bowl LIV in a come-from-behind victory against the San Francisco 49ers! Meaning all proceeds raised from the Battle of the Offices will go to the Sunflower House, a non-profit children’s advocacy and abuse prevention center in the Kansas City metro area.
Thank you to both offices for all of the hard work you put in to make the Battle of the Offices a success, and congratulations to the Kansas City Chiefs ‒ your Super Bowl LIV Champions!
TAKEAWAY: To see what other fun activities California Casualty’s employees enjoy, follow us on Facebook, Instagramor Pinterest and visit our blog at MyCalCas.com.
School Lounge Makeover winner Mary Gregoski (center) with NSEA Representative Jen Dubas and California Casualty’s Stephanie Whitmore enjoying the new Palmer School lounge
Palmer, NE, December 12, 2019 – The staff at Palmer Public School in Nebraska will now have a quiet place to relax and recharge during the school day, thanks to a $7,500 School Lounge Makeover® from California Casualty. The new lounge was unveiled on Tuesday.
“We are very appreciative of California Casualty for providing this for us,” said Palmer Schools’ Superintendent, Dr. Joel Bohlken. “This will make a big difference because we really didn’t have a place for our staff to go for a moment to unwind and relax before heading back to the classroom,” he added.
Palmer English teacher and school librarian, Mary Gregoski, submitted the winning entry for the makeover. “This means we will now have a place of our own to get a short break before we return to the teaching environment. We are just so grateful that California Casualty thinks about educators,” she said.
The new staff lounge at Palmer School features a TV, two massage chairs, soothing “bubble water wall art,” coffee station, new tables, a refrigerator, and colorful paint and accessories. EON Office designers maximized the area for comfort.
The $7,500 School Lounge Makeover giveaway was created to provide educators a more conducive environment to take a break, share time, and revitalize during their long days at school. This is the 13th School Lounge Makeover provided by California Casualty since the program began in 2011.
“We’ve seen the dedication of administrators, teachers, and staff firsthand and we’re proud to show our appreciation,” added California Casualty Sr. Vice President, Mike McCormick.
California Casualty has other giving programs that benefit public schools and educators, including:
“Keep On Course” safe driving campaign where educators who take a pledge to avoid distracted driving can register to win a new Jeep Compass, WinAJeepCompass.com/NEA.
Thomas R. Brown Athletics Grants, providing $1,000 to $3,000 to middle school and high school sports and athletic programs in need, calcasathleticsgrant.com
Founded in 1914, California Casualty provides auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters and nurses across the country. Headquartered in San Mateo, California, with service centers in Arizona, Colorado, and Kansas, California Casualty has been led by four generations of the Brown family. More information about California Casualty can be found at www.calcas.com
San Mateo, CA, December 11, 2019– California Casualty congratulates the 45 public school educators named 2020 California Casualty Award for Teaching Excellence recipients.
The awards highlight educators from around the country cited by their peers for their dedication to the profession, community engagement, professional development, attention to diversity and advocacy for fellow educators.
“This year’s awardees are fulfilling the promise of public education in the classrooms, schools, and communities from coast to coast,” said Sara A. Sneed, President, and CEO, the NEA Foundation. “Each awardee has met a very high standard, and together, they are celebrated for a shared commitment to educational excellence, innovative approaches to student learning, and support for their peers. We are grateful to California Casualty for its recognition and celebration of the very best in education, and we look forward to honoring the 2020 California Casualty Awards for Teaching Excellence awardees.”
“We are proud to honor these exceptional educators and show our appreciation for their incredible work,” said Beau Brown, Chairman of the California Casualty Board. “The California Casualty awardees exemplify educators’ ability to be a positive force in their student’s lives.”
Each California Casualty Award for Teaching Excellence awardee’s school will receive a $150 stipend from California Casualty to purchase items to enhance classrooms. The awardees will also participate in the NEA Foundation’s Salute to Excellence in Education Gala, held February 7, 2020 in Washington, D.C. The gala will be live-streamed at neafoundation.org.
The NEA Foundation and the National Education Association jointly present the awards.
The NEA Foundation is a public charity founded by educators for educators to improve public education for all students. Since our beginning in 1969, the Foundation has served as a laboratory of learning, offering funding and other resources to public school educators, their schools, and districts to solve complex teaching and learning challenges. We elevate and share educator solutions to ensure greater reach and impact on student learning. We believe that when educators unleash their own power, ideas, and voices, communities, schools, and students all benefit. Visit neafoundation.org for more information.
ABOUT CALIFORNIA CASUALTY:
California Casualty has been serving the insurance needs of educators since 1951, and is the only auto and home insurance company to earn the trust and endorsement of the NEA. As a result, NEA members qualify for exceptional rates, deductibles waived for vandalism or collisions to your vehicle parked at school, holiday or summer skip payment plans and free Identity Defense protection – exclusive benefits not available to the general public. Learn how to save by getting a quote at www.calcas.com/NEA, or by calling 1.800.800.9410.
Working with you at schools, higher ed campuses, law enforcement offices, fire stations and hospitals provides us many opportunities to give back. Staff members at our Service Centers, Home Office and our Partner Relations team live in your communities, and we all pitch in to help with various fundraisers and recognition events.
We recently celebrated the extraordinary care that nurses give to others with $1,000 Nurse’s Night Out awards that went to Ohio RN Marie C. and Oregon RN Dina D. Both are members of their respective nurses associations. With holiday shopping and travel, both nurses said the money comes at a great time.
Marie (second from left) receiving her Nurse’s Night Out award
Dina (center) receiving her Nurse’s Night Out award
Our Illinois Field Marketing Manager, Katie Dunn, was given a great honor this fall by the Illinois Firefighters Association. As a token of appreciation for all the dedication she has shown to IFA and their members’ safety, they presented Katie with a white helmet naming her an honorary fire chief of the IFA. “Katie is always there to support the IFA in its efforts to make the fire service better for the men and women who wear the uniform,” remarked Terry Ford, VP of the IFA. “Her tireless energy, dedication and willingness to help with IFA programs and events demonstrate her caring for our members.”
Alina with Louis Manzione, President of the Independent College Fund of New Jersey
Another prestigious honor was given to Accounts Relations Manager Alina Fayerman. Alina works incredibly hard for the New Jersey groups that California Casualty serves and was named this fall to the Board of Trustees of the Independent College Fund of New Jersey. Alina, who received a scholarship from the fund when she attended Drew University, will actively give back by helping with marketing expertise and support for the state’s independent colleges and universities.
California Casualty employees also participated in charity events, giving back to their communities. One was the very moving “Out of the Darkness” walk to prevent suicide. California Casualty Senior Field Marketing Manager, Sherry Hanacek, joined hundreds of people on a drizzly, cold September morning. She was supporting past president of the Oregon Volunteer Firefighters Association Dave Butler and his wife, Anita, who suffered the loss of their son. Dave organized the walk, which raised more than $20,000 for the cause.
At our Colorado Springs Service Center, the November fundraiser was for Silver Key Senior Services. Every day can be difficult for elderly shut-ins, but the holidays can be especially tough. Hundreds of pounds of food, kitchen necessities, and personal care items (enough to fill a pickup truck) were collected and donated to help seniors in need. The donations will supplement Silver Key’s food pantry and home-delivered meals program.
And through our many visits to schools across the nation, we created a new Music and Arts Grant program to aid creativity in schools, such as choir, band, dance, film, theater, computer arts and graphics, or any K-12 curriculum that employs art for learning. After we reviewed nearly a thousand applications, 139 public schools in 31 states received a total of $34,000 to help provide music, instruments, and art and performance necessities. Some of those included:
Purchasing special adaptive instruments for the Special Education Center at Mark Twain School in Garden Grove, CA, that serves special needs and medically fragile students
Supplying watercolor sets for third-grade students at Homer Davis Elementary School in Tucson, AZ
Reestablishing the art program to third graders at Arcadia Elementary School in Deer Park, WA
Providing adaptive instruments and technology to expand the music therapy program for students at the ACES Village School in North Haven, CT
Buying an additional camera to allow more students to participate in the photography program at Filer High School in Filer, ID
Public K-12 schools needing funding for an arts or performance program can apply for the 2020 Music and Arts Grant from California Casualty at www.calcasmusicartsgrant.com.
Do you know the most popular time to receive jewelry? You guessed it – February. Now, do you know if your homeowner’s or renters’ insurance policy protects your jewelry? Whether you said “yes” or “no,” you are correct.
To keep track of who was in the lead, daily emails were sent to employees, along with some “friendly” trash-talking, of course. As the week went on and anticipation for the Super Bowl grew larger, so did the Battle of the Offices. Remote employees and field marketing managers living in different states even started sending in their donations to join in on the fun.
Our Illinois Field Marketing Manager, Katie Dunn, was given a great honor this fall by the Illinois Firefighters Association. As a token of appreciation for all the dedication she has shown to IFA and their members’ safety, they presented Katie with a white helmet naming her an honorary fire chief of the IFA. “Katie is always there to support the IFA in its efforts to make the fire service better for the men and women who wear the uniform,” remarked Terry Ford, VP of the IFA. “Her tireless energy, dedication and willingness to help with IFA programs and events demonstrate her caring for our members.”
