Clevenger Giving To Support First Responders And Local Businesses
March 21, 2020 at 12:54 a.m.
Clevenger Giving To Support First Responders And Local Businesses
By David [email protected]
Clevenger, who bought Clevenger Insurance from his father three years ago, purchased food from Oak & Alley Friday for Warsaw Police Department patrolmen and staff.
“It’s just me. A lot of this stuff is being paid through our business, because I can process it through there as our charitable-type giving, but it all comes out of the same pocket,” he said.
His staff are still working, from home, so they can take care of most of the stuff that comes up at his business, allowing Clevenger to go out and spend his time trying to help the community.
“I don’t know exactly what I’m doing most of the time,” Clevenger said. “Like yesterday, I called up to Peterson’s Fish and just said, ‘Hey, Turkey Creek Township Fire and Syracuse Police are going to stop in and get food. Is that OK if I pay for it?’ And in the morning yesterday, ‘I know that the grocery store workers have been working long hours, so how about I just drop some coffee off for them so that they can maybe get a cup of coffee before they have to go back out and stock shelves?’”
On Tuesday, Clevenger will be working with Bill’s Bar-B-Que in Elkhart to provide lunch for the Elkhart Sheriff’s Department. Clevenger Insurance has offices in Warsaw and Elkhart.
He’s working with Joy Lohse, of Kosciusko Community Hospital, to provide a taco lunch Monday to healthcare workers, with an evening drop-off for KCH’s second-shift. He was hoping to provide Winona Lake police with a meal Saturday from Cerulean. He’s talking with Jason Brown, of One Ten Craft Meatery, to figure out what they can do together to help. He was sure he would do something in Elkhart again with Iechyd Da Brewing Company.
“So I’m just kind of flying by the seat of my pants. If I hear of a business that maybe is struggling, I’ll try to figure out some way to help them out so they can keep chugging along,” Clevenger said.
He said he was working with locally owned shops as much as he could and was specifically looking for a place that’s open between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. to provide food to nightshift workers.
“Really what it came down to is, I know how much it’s going to hurt the workers here. It’s going to hurt these businesses. So, if I can draw some light on them and maybe give somebody the experience of an Oak & Alley burger, or a Three Crowns Coffee, and when it does come around, they’re like, ‘You know what, I had coffee from Three Crowns and it was really good, I’m going to go back and try it.’ Or, ‘I had the burger at Oak & Alley and it was phenomenal,’” Clevenger said. “So, it’s kind of twofold, it keeps these guys busy, it keeps their food moving; feeds our first responders, the people who are out every day, even if it’s the grocery shop people filling the store shelves. Or healthcare workers as they’re working longer hours. Anything to give them a little pep.”
If anyone wants to help, Clevenger said, “If you can order out, order out. If you don’t feel comfortable ordering out and getting food, maybe call up a Male Fashion or local shop and just say, ‘Hey, can I order clothes or can I do something locally here and buy from you? How can I get your product?’ The Village (at Winona), I’m sure, there’s a ton of shops hurting from it as well. Reach out to them.”
Instead of buying something online, like from Amazon, buy from a local shop, he suggested.
“Think about those shops. I know we do it around Christmas, but now’s the time to think of them as well. And I don’t know how long (the coronavirus pandemic) is going to last,” Clevenger said.
When he drops off food or coffee, or pays for first responders’ food that they pick up at a restaurant, Clevenger also hands them a flyer.
From Joe and Gina Clevenger of Clevenger Insurance, the flyer states: “We want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your service and call to action your organization is taking to protect our community members. COVID-19 will not stop our personal connections to our community members, nor will it stop us from showing (gratitude) to those who are sacrificing every single day to improve lives. Clevenger Insurance is committed to supporting the local businesses during this time of the unknown, and we want to share some goodies with you to offer a ray of sunshine in this time of darkness. Again, we thank you so much, and pray that this community stays well, and unites as one.”
Clevenger Insurance has 13 employees, and it’s still operating, remotely. It sells home, auto, life, benefits and business insurance.
“I’m hoping that this all passes, and as a community we come together and can help support each other. That’s what matters most. I love our community. I love our community, and that’s kind of what drives me to this: What can I do to help the people that are going to hurt the most. There’s people who are getting laid off, so that’s another thing I may try to tackle later,” he said.
Clevenger, who bought Clevenger Insurance from his father three years ago, purchased food from Oak & Alley Friday for Warsaw Police Department patrolmen and staff.
“It’s just me. A lot of this stuff is being paid through our business, because I can process it through there as our charitable-type giving, but it all comes out of the same pocket,” he said.
His staff are still working, from home, so they can take care of most of the stuff that comes up at his business, allowing Clevenger to go out and spend his time trying to help the community.
“I don’t know exactly what I’m doing most of the time,” Clevenger said. “Like yesterday, I called up to Peterson’s Fish and just said, ‘Hey, Turkey Creek Township Fire and Syracuse Police are going to stop in and get food. Is that OK if I pay for it?’ And in the morning yesterday, ‘I know that the grocery store workers have been working long hours, so how about I just drop some coffee off for them so that they can maybe get a cup of coffee before they have to go back out and stock shelves?’”
On Tuesday, Clevenger will be working with Bill’s Bar-B-Que in Elkhart to provide lunch for the Elkhart Sheriff’s Department. Clevenger Insurance has offices in Warsaw and Elkhart.
He’s working with Joy Lohse, of Kosciusko Community Hospital, to provide a taco lunch Monday to healthcare workers, with an evening drop-off for KCH’s second-shift. He was hoping to provide Winona Lake police with a meal Saturday from Cerulean. He’s talking with Jason Brown, of One Ten Craft Meatery, to figure out what they can do together to help. He was sure he would do something in Elkhart again with Iechyd Da Brewing Company.
“So I’m just kind of flying by the seat of my pants. If I hear of a business that maybe is struggling, I’ll try to figure out some way to help them out so they can keep chugging along,” Clevenger said.
He said he was working with locally owned shops as much as he could and was specifically looking for a place that’s open between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. to provide food to nightshift workers.
“Really what it came down to is, I know how much it’s going to hurt the workers here. It’s going to hurt these businesses. So, if I can draw some light on them and maybe give somebody the experience of an Oak & Alley burger, or a Three Crowns Coffee, and when it does come around, they’re like, ‘You know what, I had coffee from Three Crowns and it was really good, I’m going to go back and try it.’ Or, ‘I had the burger at Oak & Alley and it was phenomenal,’” Clevenger said. “So, it’s kind of twofold, it keeps these guys busy, it keeps their food moving; feeds our first responders, the people who are out every day, even if it’s the grocery shop people filling the store shelves. Or healthcare workers as they’re working longer hours. Anything to give them a little pep.”
If anyone wants to help, Clevenger said, “If you can order out, order out. If you don’t feel comfortable ordering out and getting food, maybe call up a Male Fashion or local shop and just say, ‘Hey, can I order clothes or can I do something locally here and buy from you? How can I get your product?’ The Village (at Winona), I’m sure, there’s a ton of shops hurting from it as well. Reach out to them.”
Instead of buying something online, like from Amazon, buy from a local shop, he suggested.
“Think about those shops. I know we do it around Christmas, but now’s the time to think of them as well. And I don’t know how long (the coronavirus pandemic) is going to last,” Clevenger said.
When he drops off food or coffee, or pays for first responders’ food that they pick up at a restaurant, Clevenger also hands them a flyer.
From Joe and Gina Clevenger of Clevenger Insurance, the flyer states: “We want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your service and call to action your organization is taking to protect our community members. COVID-19 will not stop our personal connections to our community members, nor will it stop us from showing (gratitude) to those who are sacrificing every single day to improve lives. Clevenger Insurance is committed to supporting the local businesses during this time of the unknown, and we want to share some goodies with you to offer a ray of sunshine in this time of darkness. Again, we thank you so much, and pray that this community stays well, and unites as one.”
Clevenger Insurance has 13 employees, and it’s still operating, remotely. It sells home, auto, life, benefits and business insurance.
“I’m hoping that this all passes, and as a community we come together and can help support each other. That’s what matters most. I love our community. I love our community, and that’s kind of what drives me to this: What can I do to help the people that are going to hurt the most. There’s people who are getting laid off, so that’s another thing I may try to tackle later,” he said.
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