Safeco - WKTV Journal

The Del J. and Jean B. Doyle Family Foundation was awarded a $10,000 donation from Doyle & Ogden Insurance through the 2017 Safeco Insurance® Make More Happen Award program. (L to R) – Celine Sommerdyke, Safeco Insurance Territory Manager; Mike Doyle, Doyle & Ogden Insurance President; Marie Smith, Doyle & Ogden Insurance Accounting Manager; and Sara Rouse, Doyle & Ogden Insurance Commercial Lines CSA.

Del J. & Jean B. Doyle Family Foundation will receive a $10,000 donation from Doyle & Ogden Insurance in celebration of the agency earning a 2017 Safeco Insurance® Make More Happen Award for demonstrating extraordinary volunteerism to make positive change happen in their community. The donation will assist with the non-profit’s mission to unite in transforming our world.

Doyle & Ogden Insurance originally received $5,000 for Del J. & Jean B. Doyle Family Foundation through a submission process, and this year, Safeco offered agents an additional opportunity to help the causes they care about most. Sara Rouse, an independent agent for Doyle & Ogden Insurance, and Del J. & Jean B. Doyle Family Foundation had a story about positive community change featured on Safeco.com. Together, they were able to raise an additional $5,000 by their story being shared on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn at least 50 times.

“We appreciate the community support to raise the additional funds and we are honored to be able to provide Del J. & Jean B. Doyle Family Foundation with an even larger donation,” said Richard Smith, Safeco Insurance Midwest Region territory manager. “Safeco’s Make More Happen Awards recognize agents who are committed to making a difference in their local communities, and we want to encourage them and citizens in their area to directly support local charities.”

Read their full story and more about the awards program at www.safeco.com/make-more-happen/winners.

Safeco’s Make More Happen Awards focus on non-profits in the areas of health and safety, education and civil service. Doyle & Ogden Insurance was originally selected for a Make More Happen Award based on a photo and application demonstrating its commitment to Del J. & Jean B. Doyle Family Foundation, which serves all of Michigan with a specific focus on Grand Rapids.

The $10,000 donation awarded to the Del J. & Jean B. Doyle Family Foundation will enable them to purchase over 600 coats this winter. This allows the organization to broaden its scope and donate to additional elementary schools in the greater Grand Rapids area.

“It brings our team pure joy to see the excitement in the kids’ eyes when the coats are delivered,” said Rouse. “Coats for Kids is able to give back to a community that we all live and work in.”

Throughout 2017, Safeco will select a total of 23 independent agents for the awards and donate up to $230,000 to the charitable organizations they support. The Make More Happen Awards are a part of Safeco Insurance’s Agent Giving Program.

A family-owned and run business started in 1958 by Del J. Doyle and Bob Ogden selling insurance to individuals based in Grand Rapids. With locations in Grand Rapids and Rockford, Doyle & Ogden has more than 30 licensed professionals serving their customer base to help people make better informed insurance decisions, making the company a single source solution for any insurance need. The company is currently run by Michael K. Doyle, the eleventh of twelve children in Del and Jean’s family, and is preceded in his time as president by his brother John W. Doyle.

(L to R)- Melony DeYoung, an employee of Doyle & Ogden Insurance, helps Leysha Ortiz, secretary at Cesar E. Chavez Elementary School, and Samariz Hernandez, community school coordinator, hand out coats collected during their Coats for Kids drive. In 2016, the agency donated 450 coats to four schools in the Grand Rapids area.

Doyle & Ogden Insurance has earned a 2017 Safeco Insurance Make More Happen Award for demonstrating extraordinary volunteerism to make positive change happen in their community. The award includes $5,000 to use towards its community work with Del J. & Jean B. Doyle Family Foundation, a multi-generational family foundation whose mission is to unite in transforming our world.

This year, Safeco is offering agents an additional opportunity to help the causes they care about most. Sara Rouse, an independent agent for Doyle & Ogden Insurance, and Del J. & Jean B. Doyle Family Foundation will have their stories featured on Safeco.com, with a chance to raise an additional $5,000. (As of Nov. 13, they has 189 Facebook shares.) If the story is shared from Safeco.com at least 50 times on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn, the total donation will increase to $10,000. Help them reach their goal by sharing their story at www.safeco.com/make-more-happen/share.

“We are excited to offer agents the ability to raise even more funds through social media sharing, and we hope their stories inspire others to volunteer in their communities,” said Richard Smith, Safeco Insurance Midwest Region territory manager. “Safeco’s Make More Happen program recognizes agents who are committed to making a difference in their local communities, and we want to encourage them to directly support the local charities where they see the most need.”

Safeco’s Make More Happen Awards focus on nonprofits in the areas of health and safety, education and civil service. Doyle & Ogden Insurance was selected for a Make More Happen Award based on a photo and application demonstrating its commitment to the Del J. & Jean B. Doyle Family Foundation, which serves all of Michigan with a specific focus on Grand Rapids.

In 2009, the staff at Kentwood’s Doyle & Ogden Insurance realized that many students in the Grand Rapids area lacked proper winter wear. That year, the team partnered with the Del J. & Jean B. Doyle Family Foundation to launch the “Coats for Kids” program and rallied to donate 50 coats to local elementary schools. Through continued fundraising and volunteer efforts, the group has been able to increase its impact—in 2016 alone, they were able to donate 450 coats through the program. Everyone at the insurance agency volunteers with the program, from coordinating with schools on the sizes needed for students to shopping for the coats.

“The most rewarding part of the Coats for Kids program is seeing the smiles on the children’s faces who receive a brand-new winter coat,” said Rouse. “Knowing that we have helped local families during difficult times is an absolutely amazing feeling.”

Throughout 2017, Safeco will select a total of 23 independent agents for the awards and donate up to $230,000 to the nonprofits they support. The Make More Happen Awards are a part of Safeco Insurance’s Agent Giving Program.