On Monday, Aug 15th, 2022, nearly five years after Hurricane Harvey destroyed the greater part of Southeast Texas, SBP hosted volunteers from Farmers Insurance for a day rebuilding the home of Ms. Swearington, a mother of two disabled children, who has been displaced from her home for far too long. Ms. Swearington is one of over 830 homeowners who have benefited from SBP's Hurricane Harvey Home Rebuilding Program. Over the past five years, these 830 families have returned home thanks to the compassion and dedication of a group of people they had never met. Volunteers traveled from all over the world, taking time away from their families and careers to help Hurricane Harvey survivors rebuild because they believed people deserve to live in a safe and secure home with dignity. It's not in their DNA to stand idly by while people suffer from conditions that are within society's control to remedy.
While many individuals are driven toward service, it is not common for an entire organization to be committed to walking the walk of service. That is where Farmers Insurance breaks the mold. Over the last decade, you'd be hard-pressed to visit one of SBP's recovery operations and not run into a volunteer from Farmers Insurance. Since our days in Joplin, MO, in 2014, Farmers Insurance has sent more than 2,000 individuals to volunteer nearly 64,00 hours on SBP's worksites. While some of these folks worked for one day, most served in two-week increments. That's two-weeks absent from the responsibilities of their careers, paired with the substantial investment in securing accommodations and travel for team members.
The investment of the organization's greatest asset - its people - demonstrates a profound commitment to human connection and the physical manifestation of its values. Over the past eight years, Farmers Insurance volunteers have left their fingerprints and hearts on the homes of more than 60 disaster-impacted families. But Farmers Insurance didn't stop there - over the years, the organization has invested millions of dollars into SBP's national programs - an investment that can be credited with SBP's growth and influence in the disaster recovery industry.
As part of its ongoing commitment to build equity and resilience for our country's most vulnerable families, Farmers® recently announced a new three-year, $4.5 million investment in SBP. This funding helps expand programs that provide an equitable path to recovery for low-income families and communities of color. When an organization invests unrestricted funds into SBP, it opens the opportunity for what's possible, giving our team resources to tackle big problems and accelerate our systems change work. We are so grateful to Farmers for this long-term partnership and commitment to a better future for vulnerable families impacted by disasters.
On the same day the Farmers Insurance team rebuilt Ms. Swearington's home in the Texas heat, they also attended a Welcome Home Party for Ms. Claudette, a client who also struggled to rebuild following Hurricane Harvey. At the event, SBP presented Farmers with a commemorative plaque in honor of their exemplary commitment to disaster-impacted families across the country. During the remarks, Suzanne Turner, Head of Territory at Farmers Insurance, shared, "It has been our honor to work with SBP and help communities in Houston, Joplin, and Florida recover from devastating catastrophes such as Hurricane Harvey. We're honored to continue on that mission and we will be there should another disaster happen. Thank you. It is truly an honor to be a part of Ms. Claudette’s Welcoming Home."
