Coryn Thalmann - Finding Time to Pay It Forward

Why do we volunteer?  How do we choose among the so many important causes?  Does it add to our lives or take time away from other things?  We asked Coryn Thalmann, CEO, COO of Jimcor Agencies, to answer a few questions for us on her personal thoughts about volunteering - thanks Coryn for taking the time to talk to us!

Q: What groups do you / have you volunteered for?
C Thalmann: Special Olympics, YIP's, UFO, Board of Directors for NAPSLO Education Foundation to name a few

Q: How do you find the time to volunteer with family and work commitments?

C Thalmann: First, I prioritize all the aspects of my life when making a decision to begin something.  Then, I work with my husband to schedule everything we need to do and continually communicate about changes.  Finally, I try to be 100% present wherever I am.  If I am home playing with my kids, I try and focus on them.  When I am at an event, I focus on those I am meeting.

Q: Do your children know you volunteer?  How do they feel about it?

C Thalmann: They know I am away at times, but don’t really understand what volunteering entails.  They are getting to an age where I will be able to take them to certain events so they can see versus hear about what I am doing.

Q: What is the best experience you have had from volunteering?  

C Thalmann: Seeing a smile on a person’s face!

Q: What would you say if someone said they didn’t have the time to volunteer for a cause?  

C Thalmann: Do what you can.  Every little bit helps so try and find ½ hour to help.

Q: In closing – is there anything else you would want to say?  Any cause close to your heart you would want to talk about?  

C Thalmann: The world is based on people helping other people.  I have been fortunate in my life and feel that paying it forward is a must for me.

So, in closing think about how you "pay it forward"!  What cause is important to you?  Do you volunteer your time?  Let us know :)

Know you want to volunteer but not sure where to start?  Try Volunteer Match! http://www.volunteermatch.org/

Did you know yesterday was Mandela Day? 

http://www.mandeladay.com/
An annual celebration of Nelson Mandela’s life (started in 2009) and a global call to action for people to recognize their individual power to" make an imprint" and change the world around them -- by giving 67 minutes of volunteer service. Celebrated on July 18 

Running for a Cause

According to Google community can be defined as:
 a group of people living in a particular local area; "the team is drawn from all parts of the community"
Insurance professionals have always been known for their sense of community, for giving back to the community, and for going above and beyond for their community. Jimcor Agencies has had the opportunity for many years to be involved with the NJ Young Insurance Professionals and their Fun Run which benefits the Special Olympics of NJ. Jimcor’s own sense of community was never so evident as the team (made up of Jimcor executives, staff, spouses and company representatives) ran for a great cause yesterday.
Special Olympics of NJ is an organization that provides sports training and athletic competition to children and adults with intellectual disabilities (http://www.sonj.org/). Since 1984 the Fun Run has raised over $2 million for SONJ and this year over $140,000 was added to that amount!
Held on the Boardwalk in Atlantic City, NJ, outside the Trump Taj Mahal which is where the Annual PIANJ / NY convention was still going on, the run started with warm-ups at 6:30 and concluded with a heart-felt awards breakfast where Jimcor Agencies was honored with a plaque for 1st place Overall Agency Fundraiser bringing in over $10,000.
Jimcor has always felt that our best asset is great people.
Tuesday morning, June 15th, on the boardwalk, as the sun was rising and people were stretching – we saw all the great people. Yes, the great people of Jimcor – not only the ones able to attend the event but all of those back at the office who bought a raffle ticket or contributed throughout the year to the many fundraising events held in our 7 offices – or even those lending a helping hand to the work piling up on desks and via emails. We looked around at the great people in the making up some of the best of our industry who gave up their morning to support the Special Olympics and run a 5k when others were sipping coffee and reading the paper.
That is what community is all about. That is what our industry is all about. And that is why our industry is the best. “The team is drawn from all parts of the community” and the team of insurance professionals we saw yesterday morning was pretty strong.

Thank you for allowing Jimcor Agencies to run along side you for so many years and be your partner – not only in this great event, but in this great industry of ours.