 Brian Edgren President EHL Insurance |
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Hi Everyone. Thank you for your very gracious response to our first three newsletters. We are pleased to present you with edition #4. Our purpose is to provide information that will help you protect your families and businesses, as well as to communicate information that better connects you to our communities and staff here at EHL. We are especially grateful for your referrals. Many of you have now received $5 gas cards for introducing us to people who have called and asked for a review of their insurance program. Please see the bottom of the page for the winner of this months’ drawing for a $100 gift card.
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 (back row, Rick, Patrick, Emily, Trish, middle row Matt, Caitlin, front row: Sveta, Marina and Oleg Maguire.) |
 By Jeff Ogard
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Following college graduation on the east coast, Rick and Trish were married and settled into the work-a-day world. However, from the very beginning, Trish felt she had been “hard-wired” with a heart for raising kids. Emily (now a nurse in Seattle), Matthew and Patrick (both full time college students) were the first three children to enter their family. While living in Northern California in the early 1990’s, the Maguires had acquaintances providing foster care for infants with AIDS. Two other couples they knew adopted children. Having seen the example of friends reaching out to children in need, a seed was planted. We fast forward the story as the family moved to Washington State and daughter Caitlin, now a high school student, joined the family. At church one Sunday, Rick and Trish read of the opportunity to host international students studying at Seattle area colleges / universities for a weekend. The “homestay” was the culmination of a semester of fellowship meetings and English studies offered through Seattle based “International Neighbors”. The Maguires hosted students from South Korea, Thailand, and Japan when their older children were still very young. In more recent years they have hosted four different exchange students from South Korea for 2 – 2 ½ years at a time. All four Maguire offspring attended King’s West in Bremerton, now Crosspoint Academy, with Trish working there part time in the Development office. It was through King’s West that they became aware of the plight of Ukrainian orphans. Matthew and Patrick travelled to Bucha, Ukraine with King’s West to minister to orphans. Trish visited the country in 2008 with the Eastern European Program Director of MLJ Adoptions Inc. and in 2009 all six Maguires felt called to open their home permanently to Ukrainian orphans. Theirs was to be a “blind adoption”; meaning they had no advance information about the children prior to making the trip. Nine lives were changed forever, when Rick, Trish, Emily and Caitlin visited Ukraine last October and met Oleg, Svetlana and Marina. Even though all three have the same birth-mother, the Ukrainian authorities placed them in different orphanages, hours apart. The potential existed that the three would never see each other again. In between these locations were miles of very windy, poorly maintained roads that made Caitlin’s plans for studying while in transit, nearly impossible. To complete this process meant dealing with massive bureaucracy, some corruption, cultural and linguistic differences, and a seemingly unending amount of paperwork. The Maguires would assure you that some of the protocol is worthwhile, as it minimizes the likelihood of those bent on child abuse getting a hold of these precious children. As the process in Ukraine was nearing completion and Rick, Emily and Caitlin had already returned to the US, Sveta had a panic attack. It was this incident that reminded Trish of the complexity of the relationship-building ahead. The children had been asked within moments of meeting Rick and Trish whether they wanted to be adopted by them – to completely trust total strangers who would take them from all that was familiar and bring them into a new country, new culture, new language, and new family. Trish was also aware of some children’s decisions being influenced by those at the orphanages who are not supportive of international adoption. Children are sometimes told untruths about what will happen when they arrive in the USA – even being told they will have their body parts sold off by their adoptive parents! It’s a wonder only one of the three children panicked! Having reached what they call the “end of the beginning”, the Maguires are full of praise for the many wonderful people they’ve met who have helped them navigate the process. They’ve made friends with marvelous social workers, teachers, counselors, translators and other workers who lovingly and professionally facilitated the adoptions. They are grateful for the support offered since they’ve been home and have begun the next phase of this adoption adventure. Seventy five days in, what are the biggest adjustments? For the children, it’s getting used to the food, culture and language. Their new mother wisely said, “Relationships are hard even when you speak the same language. The children can be easily misunderstood, and they are dealing with the emotional trauma from such a major change.” For the original six Maguires, the biggest adjustment has involved the change in the structure of their nuclear family. Even though there is a lot of excitement, it is natural for some to grieve the loss of the old structure when the transition to a new reality is so abrupt. Challenges aside, there is tremendous energy and self-actualization when human beings go about fulfilling the purpose for which they were created. Our staff at EHL is thrilled and inspired by this story of selfless love, and we are honored to be the personal risk advisors for the Maguire family. For more information about adopting children from Ukraine, contact: Lydia Tarr at MLJ Adoptions, Inc. - Lydia@MLJadoptions.com. |
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 Barbara Rinnert Personal Risk Advisor |
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Barbara Rinnert, of our Poulsbo office, is a Personal Risk Advisor for EHL Insurance and has been with our company since 1991. Barbara attended Holy Names Academy & Seattle University where she earned a BA in Political Science & International Relations. She currently is licensed in Property, Casualty, Life and Disability in the state of Washington. Barbara lives in Poulsbo and in her free time she enjoys a variety of hobbies including travel and gardening. She is also an avid outdoors enthusiast. |
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 Olympic Medical Center Foundation |
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Mission Statement: The OMC Foundation Exists To Improve the Lives of Patients at Olympic Medical Center Olympic Medical Center is one of the best rural hospitals in the United States. A comprehensive health care provider with a network of regional facilities including Olympic Medical Cancer Center, Olympic Medical Center relies on the dedication of the many volunteers of the Olympic Medical Center Foundation. The Foundation’s support comes from the many volunteers and donors who make the Great Olympic Peninsula Duck Derby, Festival of Trees, Sequim Harvest of Hope Winemaker’s Gala, Team OMC, Hollywood Nights and the Red, Set, Go! Women’s Heart Luncheon, enjoyable and empowering events involving people who are truly making a difference for Olympic Medical Center and Olympic Medical Cancer Center. The Foundation is dedicated to providing equipment and services that will bring the most benefit for patients. For more information on the foundation call 360-417-7144, or send an email to contact@omhf.org. |
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A 2009 survey shows that identity theft is on the rise – and it’s more likely to start with a stolen wallet than an online phishing expedition. Researchers at Javelin Strategy & Research reported that the number of identity theft cases increased 22%to 9.9 million in 2008. Crimes of opportunity, such as stolen wallets, represented 43 percent of cases, compared to 33 percent in 2007, indicating an increase in the desperation of criminals. Women were 26 percent more likely to be victims of identity theft, reporting a higher incidence of lost or stolen information during purchases in stores. Only 11 percent of cases involved online access. The smartest way to protect yourself from identity theft is to prevent it from happening to you. However, if your identity is stolen, you’ll be able to lessen problems by acting quickly. 1. Call your credit card companies immediately. Explain what happened, and ask where to send a copy of the police report. 2. Call and report to the police. Make several copies of police report. 3. Complete a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Theft Affidavit and FTC report. 4. Call your bank. They can place an alert on your Driver's License number and Social Security Number, and freeze your account. 5. Call fraud units of credit report agencies: Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. Fortunately, reactive identity theft protection is available on most homeowners’ policies at a small cost. The coverage reimburses certain expenses associated with identity recovery. Customers can also get guidance on how to protect themselves from ID theft before it happens and may receive assistance with identity restoration. Contact an EHL personal risk advisor at 800-929-1669 if you want information regarding identity recovery from a homeowners policy.  For proactive prevention of identity theft, services such as those provided by a company like LifeLock can provide even more peace of mind. If you link to LifeLock from ehlinsurance.com (click on the LifeLock logo above), you will receive a discount on their fees. An additional benefit - Our clients who have secured their services have also reported a reduction in junk mail and telemarketer phone calls. That was enough in and of itself to persuade your correspondent to buy their program! |
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While repealed for 2010, the federal estate tax is currently scheduled to institute a 55% tax on estate assets in excess of $1 mil as of 1/1/11. The tax is due within nine months following the second death within a marriage, or following the death of a single individual. This is particularly a problem for beneficiaries of estates heavy with non-liquid assets such as real estate or stock in a privately held business. Fortunately, holistic, high-quality advance planning potentially involving your estate planning attorney, CPA, financial advisor and professional risk advisor, can reduce the tax liability as well as create liquidity ear marked to fund part or all of the remaining liability. Contact Jeff Ogard at 800-929-1669 or jeff@ehlinsurance.com for further information. He can fill you in on the services we provide that are especially beneficial to our high net worth clients. |
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Your referrals are our company’s life blood. We work hard to earn each referral with great service every day. You have introduced your friends to us for over 70 years, and we are pleased to say thank you in a tangible way. Refer someone to EHL Insurance and you get a $5 gas card. A referral is when we get a call for a quote from someone saying you referred them to us.  You will also be entered into our bi-monthly drawings for prizes. We draw for a $100 gift card from everyone who referred someone to us. Refer two people and receive $10 plus two entries into the drawing. We are pleased to announce this month’s winners. Chuck Getter’s name was drawn from all clients and other friends who referred someone to us. And, the Olympic Medical Center Foundationis also receiving a $100 contribution from EHL on behalf of our clients for the great work they are doing in our communities. |
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