Allen People

Allen Insurance and Financial recently delivered a donation to the Rockport, Camden and Rockland fire departments for their home inspection and smoke detector program.

“We’re in the business of helping people in our community protect their homes and their families – and so support for a program such as this, with its emphasis on health and safety, is very important to all of us at Allen,” said Dan Bookham, vice president at Allen Insurance and Financial. “This three-department cooperative effort is a project with an immediate impact and can continue to make a real difference.”

The donation is the result of a partnership between Allen Insurance and Financial and the community outreach program at MMG Insurance, the Presque Isle-based insurance carrier.

Chief Jason Peasley of the Rockport Fire Department says the program is ongoing, and donations will be accepted by any of the three departments at any time. He said that since the spring, 22 homes in the area have been inspected and fitted with smoke detectors – but that the need for this work continues.

Allen Insurance and Financial encouraged employees to use a paid community service day on Jan. 18  Amy Bowen and Sally Miles, members of the business insurance team in our Belfast office, put in some real elbow grease, volunteering for Waldo Community Action Partners in Belfast, assembling 20 conference room chairs and deep cleaning two of the organization’s transport vans.  Says Sally: “It was a great day – we did things that needed to be done!”

How do you find the words to describe an event where teamwork, generosity and community all come together to exceed a goal three times over? That’s what happened on Monday, Jan. 18, when a group of Allen employee-owners from our Camden and Rockland offices joined AIO Food and Energy Assistance’s team of volunteers at The Strand Theatre in Rockland, which hosted the event. Together we assisted in collecting food and funds in support of AIO’s Food Assistance, Energy Assistance and Weekend Meal programs.

In all, 2,219 pounds of food and $24,502 were collected. AIO’s original goal of filling the seats in the Strand was exceeded by three times, with a total of 1,128 seats filled – each with a bag of food.  (And the original funds goal of $10,000 was shattered, too!)

It was a day of community, connection and joy and a great way to celebrate Martin Luther King Day in Rockland.

We’re truly grateful for

• All who donated food and funds.
• Our fellow volunteers from AIO and The Strand.
• AIO for stellar event organization and for the opportunity to participate in this special event.
• The Strand for a warm, welcoming venue.
• Main Street Markets in Rockland, for being a food collection site and rolling a huge cart of donations down Main Street from the market to the Strand.
• Photographers Tara Rice, Leila Murphy and Dan Bookham for these photos we can share with you.

When the call came in  from the Waldo County YMCA in December 2020 about a food drive to help fill food pantries at schools in the county, our six-member Belfast office team leapt into action and as of Friday, Jan. 15, together had raised a total of $825 in cash donations, which includes donations from the entire office as well as additional contributions from a number of fellow employee-owners and a partial company  match in the form of Hannaford gift cards.

Shown here are, from left, are Libby Davis, Amy Bowen and Joella Rossignol, with just some of the groceries Amy was able to buy with those funds.