West Bend Names Spirit of the Silver Lining® Award Recipients

DETROIT, MI – West Bend Mutual Insurance recently presented the Spirit of the Silver Lining Award to three of its agents in Michigan. West Bend also donated grant funding to the nonprofit organizations the recipients of the Spirit of the Silver Lining Award support.

The Spirit of the Silver Lining Award honors West Bend agents and the nonprofit organizations they support for their dedication to delivering a silver lining to those in need.

The Michigan recipients of the 2020 Spirit of the Silver Lining Award are Kristen Goodwin for her work with HOPE Community Center, Tom Jager for his work with Inner City Youth for Change and Scott Rant for his work with Love in Action of the Tri-Cities.

Goodwin was presented with the Spirit of the Silver Lining Award for her work with HOPE Community Center in Adrian, an organization that supports Lenawee County adults with disabilities in pursuing an empowered, healthy and community-enriched life. Each week, 100 people are served through more than 120 programs offered monthly in life skills, arts, culture, recreation, wellness and community engagement. The $10,000 grant will be used to meet these critical daily needs of HOPE members.

Jager was presented with the Spirit of the Silver Lining Award for his work with Inner City Youth for Change in South Haven, where he serves as an active board member. Inner City Youth for Change’s mission is to equip and empower urban teens to learn, lead and serve in their schools, communities and around the world. The $10,000 grant will help fund teens to be mentored through the program, and with program expenses including mission travel and experience-based training initiatives centered around the local community.

Rant was presented with the Spirit of the Silver Lining Award for his work with Love in Action of the Tri-Cities in Grand Haven, where he serves on their fundraising and marketing committee, helping coordinate fundraising efforts and raising community awareness of the organization. The mission of Love in Action is to transform lives by empowering people to thrive. This $10,000 grant will help support the organization’s many services, such as providing meals to school children who do not have food on the weekends, purchase food to be distributed through a food truck program and add support staff to maintain its six buildings.

"At West Bend, we have a proud tradition of giving back to the communities in which we do business," said Kevin Steiner, president and CEO of West Bend Mutual Insurance. "The Spirit of the Silver Lining Award is a unique program that allows us to express our gratitude to our agent partners on whom we rely to identify the causes that matter most in our communities."

Since 2006, West Bend has awarded more than $1.5 million in grants for sustaining support, special projects, or capital projects to nonprofit organizations representing a broad field of interests, including, but not limited to, arts and culture; education; the environment; family, youth, and elderly; health and human services; medical research; and community development. Grants are made to organizations in several states in which West Bend operates.

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About West Bend Mutual Insurance

Founded in 1894, West Bend Mutual Insurance Company is headquartered in West Bend, Wisconsin, and provides property/casualty insurance products throughout the Midwest. The company offers a broad personal lines coverage package, a full range of commercial products and services, insurance for specialty lines, and a surety division. West Bend employs more than 1,300 associates and is represented by approximately 2,300 independent insurance agencies throughout Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Missouri, Kansas, Kentucky, Nebraska, Tennessee, Virginia, and North Carolina. The company has been rated A (Excellent) or better by A.M. Best since 1971. West Bend also consistently ranks higher than its competitors in an agency loyalty survey.