ALLIANCE SPONSORS 2016 SEASON OF BOYS LACROSSE
Alliance Insurance is proud to be a Gold Sponsor for the 2016 season of the Lowell High School Boys Varsity Lacrosse Team, the Red Arrows.
Learn more about Red Arrow athletics by visiting www.redarrowathletics.com.
Alliance Cares is our initiative for community involvement and charity partnerships. Learn more about how our agency gives back and stays involved in our community!
ALLIANCE INSURANCE DONATES $470 FROM QUOTES FOR A CAUSE® TO KIDS’ FOOD BASKET
On June 8th, 2016, Alliance Financial & Insurance Agency was proud to present a check to Kids’ Food Basket for $470 to benefit elementary children in food-insecure households in West Michigan. This was the inaugural donation of what will be bi-annual check presentations.
Kids’ Food Basket serves approximately 7,500 meals per day to children (ages 5-12) in need in West Michigan. Today’s donation is equivalent to 470 Sack Suppers, or 470 children fed for a day.
Alliance is proud to support this organization through monetary donations as well as volunteer hours. Alliance employees have been excited to get involved by donating their time with monthly volunteer shifts at Kids’ Food Basket in Grand Rapids.
As of today, Alliance has donated $930 to local charities through its Quotes for a Cause® program.
Quotes for a Cause® is Alliance Financial & Insurance Agency’s charity partnership program. Through this program, Alliance donates $10 to its charity partners for each new customer’s online quote. Click here for more information on this program and how to get involved.
About Kids’ Food Basket
Kids’ Food Basket is a nonprofit organization attacking childhood hunger to help young people learn and live well. They began over ten years ago by serving 125 kids each school day through their Sack Supper program and now serve nearly 7,000 kids each weekday in West Michigan. Sack Suppers are well-rounded nutritious evening meals critical to the development of kids’ brains and bodies. Learn more
Alliance Cares is our initiative for community involvement and charity partnerships. Learn more about how our agency gives back and stays involved in our community!
ALLIANCE INSURANCE DONATES $460 FROM QUOTES FOR A CAUSE® TO MEL TROTTER MINISTRIES
On June 8th, 2016, Alliance Financial & Insurance Agency was proud to present a check to Mel Trotter Ministries for $460 to benefit the hungry, homeless, and hurting of the greater Grand Rapids area. This was the inaugural donation of what will be a bi-annual check presentation.
In 2015 alone, Mel Trotter provided over 84,000 bed nights for men, women and children; served over 134,000 hot meals; assisted over 200 families find permanent housing, and much more. Today’s donation from Alliance is equivalent to approximately 230 men, women, and children fed and cared for in the greater Grand Rapids area, contributing to Mel Trotter’s large bank of resources.
As of today, Alliance has donated $930 to local charities through its Quotes for a Cause® program.
Quotes for a Cause® is Alliance Financial & Insurance Agency’s charity partnership program. Through this program, Alliance donates $10 to its charity partners for each new customer’s online quote. Click here for more information on this program and how to get involved.
About Mel Trotter Ministries
Mel Trotter Ministries is a non-profit organization which exists to demonstrate the compassion of Jesus Christ toward the hungry, homeless and hurting of the greater Grand Rapids area. Through its many Programs, Mel Trotter serves individuals through its emergency shelter, food pantry, clinics, retail stores and its 4×4 Program which transitions homeless guests into permanent housing and employment. By extending hospitality and a bank of resources to men, women and children, we believe that through the power of Christ, we can bring an end to homelessness one life at a time. Learn more
Alliance Cares is our initiative for community involvement and charity partnerships. Learn more about how our agency gives back and stays involved in our community!
You watch your teen bound out of the door every day, car keys in hand, loving the new independence that a drivers license brings. But you can’t help but worry. You know you can’t shelter your teen from every driving risk they face, but you still want to make sure your young driver is as protected as possible.
While parents can’t remove every risk from their children’s path, they can help to encourage good driving habits. And one of the most dangerous habits that teens are susceptible to involve their cell phones. But how can you control that, short of confiscating phones!? Luckily, today there are many apps available to help minimize the risks of distracted driving and the temptation of cell phones while driving.
Disabling Texts Apps
Texting is as disorientating as driving intoxicated, but luckily there are apps out there that can disable your teen’s ability to read or send texts while they are in a moving car. Key2SafeDriving and TextArrest are two examples. Some apps, like Drivesafe.ly Pro speak texts aloud and allow your teen to speak an auto response that the device sends on its own.
Riding Shotgun Apps
Anxious parents may wish they could monitor their teen while they drive on their own, and now you can! The Safe Driver app can send a text message to you every time your teen passes the speed limit in a given area. While this certainly helps you monitor your teen, it might also be the push your child needs to stay alert about the speed limit and avoiding accidents when they drive.
Phone Call Restrictive Apps
Sometimes taking a call, making a call, or even just talking on a cell phone can be enough to distract your teen from driving safely. The apps ZoomSafer and Key2SafeDriving can lock and prevent your teen’s access to their phone’s calling feature while they drive.
Educational Apps
Some apps can actually help teach your teen on how to drive safely, provide different tips, and react correctly to dangerous situations. The Dangers of Distracted Driving app demonstrates to teens how quickly accidents can happen while driving distracted. To give kids an interactive lesson in safe driving practices that they can apply when they drive, there’s The Steer Clear Mobile app.
There are plenty of apps coming out that can help your teen be a safer, more accountable driver. Be sure to check that your teen isn’t downloading apps that distracting your teen even more than they might already be. These apps can be an enormous sigh of relief for worried parents with new teen drivers.
There will always be risks that go along with driving. But do yourself a favor – your teens may have newfound independence, but you can still have peace of mind.
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For people living in a mild climate, their, springtime lawn care may only mean a few simple touch ups when spring arrives. But here in Michigan, our colder climate can make the job a bit more daunting. After spending months covered by blankets of snow, your yard may need some extra help coming back to life. Here are some tips to get back your healthy, hearty springtime lawn.
Create a Clean Slate
As the snow melts and spring starts blooming, it’s time to revive your yard from its slumber. Start by raking away debris, such as leaves, sticks and other dead vegetation, to give you a fresh palette for a new greenery creation. As a bonus, raking also loosens the soil surface, which encourages airflow and allows nutrients and new seeds to penetrate the soil.
Next, mow your lawn short so you can spot problem areas that need a bit of tender care. If you find bare spots, rake or till them to break up the soil. You can also add peat moss to enrich the soil and promote fresh growth. If you find any areas heavy with weeds, spray them with a nonselective herbicide designed to kill all plants, using caution to spray the problem areas only. When using lawn chemicals, wear appropriate safety gear—gloves, boots, long pants and long sleeves—and wash after use. After the weeds have died (this will usually take several days), rake the soil and remove the debris as you did before.
Start fresh!
Now you’re ready to reseed. Focus on bare spots and areas with weak grass growth, mixing the seed with fresh soil before spreading. When it comes to watering, it’s better to saturate your lawn fewer times per week than it is to use a small amount of water every day. This technique helps train the grass roots to grow deeper into the soil for more lush growth.
Once the growth picks up, you’ll have to regularly mow the lawn. Its’ recommended to keep grass between two and four inches, but remember that longer grass often grows thicker and healthier.
Apart from your lawn, you may consider mulching your flowerbeds. A good layer of mulch around shrubbery helps lock in moisture and protect roots from the elements. Your flowering shrubs will heal faster if you prune them in early spring, allowing their energy to be focused on fresh, new growth.
And what’s a yard without personal touches? Fill up those bird feeders, scrub out the bird baths, plant new seasonal flowers and stake in your favorite yard decorations. Spring is a time to celebrate rebirth and there’s no better way to celebrate than by bringing your yard back to vibrant life!
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This time of year, our homes are our havens from the cold world outside; but sometimes, if we aren’t properly prepared, the chill of winter can intrude. Following these 5 simple tips can help protect your home during the cold months, give you peace of mind when wintry weather strikes, and even save you money and reduce potential home insurance claims.
1. Inspect your furnace
Do you know that musty smell that emanates from your furnace the first time you turn it on each winter? That might not be from dust that’s settled in the vents but could instead indicate a filtration problem. Change your furnace’s filter before turning it on for the first time, and continue to change it monthly throughout the winter.
2. Invest in a programmable thermostat
A programmable thermostat gives you better control over your heat while you are at home and away from home. The control offered by this inexpensive device can save you money while preventing the fire hazard sometimes presented by area heaters. Set your thermostat to lower temperatures at night when everyone is sleeping or during the day when the family is at work and school.
3. Keep your house heated to a minimum of 65 degrees
You might be tempted to forego a programmable thermostat and save on the heating bill by turning your heat all the way off when you leave the home, but resist that urge! A too-cold home could result in frozen, burst pipes and plenty of water damage. Also be sure you know where your water main is in case you have to turn off the water in an emergency. And speaking of water, if you’re planning a winter getaway, be sure to leave faucets on a very low drip when you’re away from home to keep the water flowing and the pipes unfrozen.
4. Remove snow quickly
If you live in a snowy area, be sure to shovel the snow away from your entryways. Not doing so could cause a tripping hazard and even expose you to a lawsuit if a neighbor falls when dropping by. Accumulated snow on the roof can cause a collapse while snow on your car can eventually ruin the paint or cause a malfunction.
5. Seal cracks and crevices
Caulk windows and install weather stripping in doorways, around pipe entryways, and anywhere else that opens your home up to the elements outside. Investigate the source of any cold air drafts you feel during the winter months. Attics and basements are likely culprits. These measures will also keep you safe from bug and rodent infestations during warmer months.
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Here in Michigan, winter can be the hardest season on your car. And with exposure to snow, sleet, ice, and frigid temperatures, the potential for major damage is high. Performing proper maintenance on your vehicle during inclement weather is the key to avoiding damage and costly repairs. Keep your vehicle in proper working condition this winter season by considering the following preventative steps.
Tires and Brakes
The tires you use during summer months are not appropriate—or safe—for winter use. Adding chains or updating your tires to specially made winter tires is your best bet to ensuring that your vehicle handles well on slippery snow or ice. Also, since the air in your tires contracts during the colder months, it is important to keep an eye on your tires’ air pressure. Properly inflated tires are not only better for gas mileage; they also help your brake system work more efficiently.
While it is certainly vital to maintain your breaks year-round, you should pay special attention to them during the colder months, since you may use them even more on the slick winter roads. Make sure your brake fluid stays adequately filled, and pay attention to any engine lights indicating your brakes or anti-lock braking system might need to be checked by a mechanic.
Vehicle Body
During the winter, automobiles are often covered with snow which can lead to rust on your vehicle’s body. In addition, salt or ice on the roads can contribute to undercarriage problems or even chipped and scratched paint. A good way to prevent this is to start the winter season with a detailed cleaning of the vehicle followed by a heavy wax job with the appropriate protection against winter weather perils. It is also a good idea to add a paint sealer to the vehicle to give it an added layer of protection. And when you’re at the car wash, consider adding an undercarriage wash. The few extra bucks now could save you hundreds in future replacements of rusty parts.
Battery and Motor
Colder temperatures can bring strain to your vehicle. The battery often feels the brunt of this strain. During the winter, watch for any abnormal hesitation and look for corrosion in the wires.
To help protect your engine, make sure all your filters, hoses and belts are supple, clean and not cracked. The harder your vehicle has to work to compensate for these types of problems, the more damage it may incur and the worse it will perform. It is also important to make sure you are using the appropriate oil for colder temperatures.
Finally, it is imperative that a sufficient amount of antifreeze is kept in your radiator to ensure that the coolant in your vehicle continues to move through the motor regardless of freezing temperatures.
Windshield
With snow and slush flying and ice chunks on the road, winter debris can seriously impair your vision and your ability to drive safely. Ensure that you have plenty of windshield wiper fluid on hand during the winter to help keep your windshield clear of this debris. This fluid works better to clean your windshield than plain water because it contains a special soap that helps remove the small pieces of debris that might otherwise result in a scratched windshield. It is also important to check your wipers. Cracked or stiff wipers might not clean effectively which could result in a cracked windshield.
As Michiganders, we’re used to harsh winters. Make sure your car is as prepared as you are, and ensure that your family travels safe and warm during these snowy months.
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Happy New Year! If you’ve made a resolution to hit the gym in years past, you know just how hard this goal can be to keep. In fact, approximately 88% of people fail to stay true to their resolutions. Why is it so hard!?
Let’s face it, the goals of a resolution are often too bold, too fast. It’s easy to burn out if you try to go from the couch to the visiting the gym four days a week.
Instead of setting an unrealistic exercise goal, it’s easier on your body (and your willpower) if you resolve to gradually incorporate fitness and health goals into your overall lifestyle. Here are some tips to start:
Start Slowly
Rigorous goals tend to lead to sporadic workouts – you might workout 4 times one week and then skip the next two! It’s actually better to exercise less, IF you continuously keep up with it. For instance, your busy schedule may make it unrealistic to visit the gym every weekday, so don’t try to. Instead, make it goal to get in three workouts per week.
And your workouts don’t even have to involve the gym at all! Find treadmill and weights tedious? Exercise in other ways, such as walking around your neighborhood, hiking, gardening, taking a dancing class… Choose activities you enjoy and they won’t be such a chore. Just make sure to add it to your calendar so you don’t forget to stick to your new routine.
Maintain Your Goals
At some point, everyone starts to feel burnt out. But that doesn’t mean you should give up. Remind yourself why you’re doing this—regular exercise helps prevent illness, depression and reduces the effects of aging. If you need some extra encouragement, use a support system of friends and family. Tell people what you’re doing so they can cheer you on and celebrate your milestones with you. Hiring a personal trainer or scheduling workouts with a friend can be a huge motivator as well, since this adds accountability (and maybe even some friendly competition) to your sessions.
Make your workouts as convenient as possible to minimize excuses. Find a gym close to your home or work and pack your gym bag the night before so you’re ready to go in the morning. If you prefer to work out in privacy, buy a few hand weights and exercise DVDs and start exercising on your own timetable.
If you feel yourself slipping, try recommitting yourself with shorter goals. It’s much easier to say “I’m going to work out twice this week” than “I’m going to work out twice every week for the rest of my life.” Shorter goals get accomplished faster, giving you the satisfaction you need to set another short goal, then another… These goals will help build the momentum to carry you forward.
It takes 21 days to form a new habit and 6 months for it to become part of your personality. Push yourself until it becomes second nature!
Reward Yourself
Accomplished goals should be celebrated so you can start to associate exercise with more pleasant things. Reward your weekly milestones with something small, like treating yourself to a nice dinner. Bigger monthly goals can be rewarded with a massage, manicure, new clothing or something equally enticing. You should always have something pleasant to look forward to, besides being in better shape of course.
Improve Your Overall Health
Once you feel confident that you have a good grasp on exercising, it’s time to start thinking about more ways you can live healthier. The first natural step is to improve your diet. But forget crash diets full of strict rules. Instead, simply add healthier foods into your diet and avoid unhealthy foods.
For instance, rather than giving up carbs altogether, try cutting them out of one meal per day. Replace that breakfast bagel with low-fat yogurt and fresh berries. The effort of eating at least one healthy meal per day is much easier than trying to follow the rules of a diet for every single meal you eat. As time progresses, you can incorporate more and more healthy foods into your diet. But remember to let yourself cheat one day per week so you can keep your cravings satisfied without letting them rule your daily diet.
On top of diet, getting a full eight hours of sleep each night improves your clarity, mood and stress levels. Even on your busiest days, leave yourself adequate time to get a full night of sleep so you can tackle your to-do list with renewed energy the next morning.
With these tips in mind, we are wishing you a happy, healthy New Year and the best of luck on your fitness goals for this and every year going forward!
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Everyone celebrates New Year’s Eve, regardless of religion. With a boisterous national celebration occurring, it’s only right that you cut loose and have fun with friends. New Year’s Eve is a time to celebrate a year gone by and another year to come. The festivities should be enjoyed to their fullest, with a few precautions of course to protect you and your loved ones. Let’s take a look at 5 important safety tips to keep in mind at the end of the year.
1. Never leave your drink unattended.
Remember this particularly if you go out to a bar, club or party with company you don’t know well. In public venues, you should always keep your drink with you or within your site at all times. If you need to excuse yourself from the table you should finish a drink, or leave it with a trusted friend, before getting up and leaving it unattended. You’d be surprised how many people consider spiking drinks to be a good time.
2. Never drink and drive.
This one goes without saying, but we would be remiss if we didn’t remind everyone to drink responsibly. This is dangerous every day of the year, but it becomes increasingly more common on New Year’s Eve. Always appoint a designated driver, call a cab, Uber or Lyft, or use the AAA Holiday Safe Ride Program if it is available in your area. And even if you yourself are being responsible, be wary of those around you who may be less responsible. With so many intoxicated drivers on the roads, you may choose to avoid driving all together and opt for a small get together at home instead. If you do go out, try to avoid driving during peak hours such as right after midnight and around 2 a.m., when the bars shut down.
3. Never attend parties alone.
If you happen to be celebrating out on the town, remember the simple phrase “safety in numbers.” A group of friends can keep you safe from a variety of dangerous situations. Make sure everyone in the group has a charged cell phone in case you get separated from each other.
4. Be aware of your surroundings.
It’s safer to be in well-lit areas with your friends than it is to be in dim, sparsely populated areas. If you notice something potentially dangerous occurring, do your best to prevent it and alert a security guard or police officer if needed.
5. Remember your pets!
If you’re hosting a party at home, don’t forget about the well-being of your furry friends. Even though fireworks are illegal in residential areas, some people set them off regardless. The loud noise from the fireworks, or even the ambient noise of the party itself, could be frightening for some pets. Your pet may feel safer tucked away in its kennel or in your bedroom, where it’s quieter.
With safety in mind, enjoy this fun, exciting night of celebrations.
Happy New Year!
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As part of our Alliance Cares program, every year, Alliance Insurance partners with Harrison Park Elementary to spread Christmas joy during the holiday season with our Christmas Turkey Giveaway. On Christmas Eve, the whole office gathers together, bringing our family and friends, and assembles 100 turkey dinners, which we then provide to 100 families who would otherwise have no Christmas dinner for their children.
This tradition began after Ryan Kyes, the president of Alliance, adopted his young children, who grew up in the low income Harrison Park area. Ryan wanted to help his children give back to the community that helped raise them, making sure that gratitude and charity were central to their outlook. He also wanted to make sure he raised his young children with an understanding of what Christmas is really about. So, he combined these two goals and began what would become a beautiful tradition. Every year, the Kyes children “adopted” a family in need from their old neighborhood, sharing half of their presents with this family and helping them experience the joy of Christmas.
After starting Alliance Insurance, Ryan wanted to expand this opportunity to give. Beginning with that first family, the turkey giveaway has grown each year, now reaching 100 families from the community where his daughters spent their elementary years.
But this program does not just benefit the families receiving. It has grown into a wonderful annual experience for our whole office. We have the opportunity to begin our Christmas Eve remembering what the holiday is truly about – Christ’s birth. By beginning our Christmas celebration with acts of generosity and compassion, we are able to experience the joy of giving and see the joy of receiving in the happy faces of those we help.
With a small sacrifice of our time, we receive something much greater: a beautiful reminder of the reason for the season. What a priceless moment, providing 100 families with the opportunity to give thanks to Him as they enjoy a meal that is offered in celebration of His birth.
Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!
Some verses given to the family with their meal:
Hebrews 13:16 “Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.”
1 John 3:17 “But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?”
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