PLUS foundation offers hurricane relief grants

The Professional Liability Underwriting Society (PLUS) Foundation recently granted over US$90,000 to support its members and other insurance related hurricane relief efforts. The PLUS Foundation identified all members residing in the federally designated disaster areas following the hurricanes of 2005 and offered an application for assistance. Those indicating significant uninsured loss were provided support through funds raised by individual PLUS members and professional liability companies, The Foundation first granted US$25,000 to individual applicants who suffered significant loss while US$39,255 was donated to the Big I Katrina Relief Fund operated by the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America (IIABA). The Big “I” Katrina Relief Fund has awarded grants to more than 70 applicants from the Gulf Coast insurance community. With more than US$400,000 in the fund from more than 470 contributors, the Big “I” Katrina Relief Fund grants have helped many individuals and businesses devastated by Hurricane Katrina in Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama, and there are plans to award more grants to those in need. Gilsbar, the largest employer of PLUS members in the New Orleans area, has an established employee Katrina Disaster Relief Fund that the Foundation supported with US$30,000. Located in the New Orleans area, Gilsbar has over 50 employees who suffered significant damage in the storms. Many were dislocated from their homes for several months, and some are still unable to return. The company started a relief fund, identified those hit hardest and with least means to recover.