This spring, the Westfield Insurance Foundation joined with Arthur Hall Insurance to donate $6,500 to North Star of Chester County to help families or businesses stabilize or recover from disasters as part of the Legacy of Caring program.

Presenting the check on behalf of Arthur Hall Insurance and the Westfield Insurance Foundation were Lucas Zeigler, API, market underwriter-personal lines, Westfield Group; Mark Sammarone, CIC, CISR, executive vice president, Arthur Hall Insurance; Nicole Grebloskie, CAPI, CIC, CISR vice president - personal lines; and Jim Denham, CPCU, CIC president, Arthur Hall Insurance. Accepting the check on behalf of North Star of Chester County were Don Neimetz, executive director; Nick Lohr, project manager; and Stuart Brooks, president of the board of directors.

Each year, Westfield's independent insurance agents are invited to nominate a local nonprofit in their community to receive a donation from the program. Grants were made to more than 100 nonprofits in cities within Westfield's national footprint.

The Westfield Insurance Foundation, an independent private foundation endowed by Westfield, awards the donation as an extension of the fundamental role that insurance plays every day in stabilizing families, businesses and communities in times of uncertainty. This year, the Legacy of Caring program donated $625,000 to nonprofits across the country focused on helping underemployed families overcome barriers in education, finance, housing and jobs and recover from disasters.

Working with its independent agents, Westfield has distributed more than $3.5 million since 2015.

North Star of Chester County supports single-parent families, helping them remain in their homes while guiding them to become self-sufficient. The agency provides rental assistance, financial guidance and counseling and workshops, as well as support for the whole family, including funding for children's programming and an emergency food pantry. Because they work full time, North Star participants frequently do not qualify for other assistance programs but cannot earn enough to get by on their own. Program participants may receive as much as three years of assistance.

Funding from the Westfield Foundation's Legacy of Caring Fund will provide rental assistance to prevent homelessness, as well as case management services to keep parents on the path to financial independence.

Neimetz reported that North Star served more than 30 Chester County families throughout the pandemic and that none of them faced eviction while enrolled in the program. Several participants found higher-paying jobs, and some were stable enough to leave the program early. A recent graduate just became a first-time homeowner. For more information about the organization, visit http://www.northstarofcc.org.

Arthur Hall Insurance is an independent insurance agent and broker providing complete risk management services and solutions to businesses, organizations, nonprofits, professionals and families. Arthur Hall Insurance offices are located in West Chester and Wilmington, Del. For more information about Arthur Hall Insurance, visit http://www.arthurhall.com.