Town gets a grilling after the storm

When a June tornado wiped out two blocks of Chapman, Kansas (pop. 1,300), the catastrophe set in motion the caring, professional network that exists between Allied agencies. Jena Psota, Allied sales manager, joined 10 other Central Kansas agency principals plus Allied regional staff from Lincoln, NE, to host a barbecue for the town’s residents. A week after the storm Psota and friends served up grilled hamburgers and hot dogs to 500 people who were still in shock from the destruction.

Chip Edwards, principal of Insurance Store Edwards Agency in Chapman, was grateful for the support from out of town. “Fellow agents were concerned about us and were asking what they could do. These are people who want to help each other,” Edwards says. Thankfully, his agency and home were spared in the storm, but many of the losses resulting from the storm were Allied insureds. Edwards says, “One agent even offered their office for me to use because we were without electricity for awhile, but I wanted to stay put and be there when customers walked in the door.”

Psota appreciated the willingness of other Allied agencies to help. “During a catastrophic event, it’s our time to shine as an organization and we did just that. It was a humbling experience to see how much a simple barbeque could lift people’s spirits.”