SERVE Letter June 2021
As we come upon Father’s Day this month, I think about how blessed I am as a father of four wonderful children and 10 grandkids. Dads, like moms, play a vital role in the development of their children. The father provides a feeling of security, both physical and emotional. He challenges his children to do their very best. Daughters find their love and affection from their fathers and their self confidence is nurtured by their father’s encouragement and love.
The Bible talks about the role of our heavenly Father. Psalm 103:13 “As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on his children who fear him. Proverbs 22:6 says "Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old, they will not turn away from it."
Not everyone has an earthly father to love and lean on. Some have died serving our great country. Others have left their families. Many have fathers who do not care or who have been abusive. There is one Father, our heavenly Father, who is always there, does not waiver, and has an unconditional Love for us, his children. Jesus Christ died on the cross to forgive us of our sins so we can have a relationship with our heavenly Father. As we celebrate Father’s Day this year, remember to thank your earthly father for all he means to you and also our heavenly Father who loves with His unconditional love.
—Mike Whitcomb
Firework Safety
Summer is synonymous with barbecues, parades and fireworks. Holidays like the Fourth of July and other celebrations can be fun times with great memories. But make sure everyone knows about fireworks safety.
In 2017, eight people died and over 12,000 were injured badly enough to require medical treatment after fireworks-related incidents. Of these, 50% of the injuries were to children and young adults under age 20. Over two-thirds (67%) of injuries took place from June 16 to July 16. And while the majority of these incidents were due to amateurs attempting to use professional-grade, homemade or other illegal fireworks or explosives, an estimated 1,200 injuries were from less powerful devices like small firecrackers and sparklers.
Additionally, fireworks start an average of 18,500 fires each year, including 1,300 structure fires, 300 vehicle fires and nearly 17,000 other fires.
If you are enjoying your summer nights with beautiful fireworks, be sure to follow the following safety tips:
- Never allow young children to handle fireworks
- Older children should use them only under close adult supervision
- Never use fireworks while impaired by drugs or alcohol
- Anyone using fireworks or standing nearby should wear protective eyewear
- Never hold lighted fireworks in your hands
- Never light them indoors
- Only use them away from people, houses and flammable material
- Never point or throw fireworks at another person
- Only light one device at a time and maintain a safe distance after lighting
- Never ignite devices in a container
- Do not try to re-light or handle malfunctioning fireworks
- Soak both spent and unused fireworks in water for a few hours before discarding
- Keep a bucket of water nearby to fully extinguish fireworks that don't go off or in case of fire
- Never use illegal fireworks
If a firework fire occurs at your property, please give us a call as soon as possible. We have someone ready to take your call 24/7. 1-800-699-1970.
Brookstone is so grateful to have been named one of the Nationwide Insurance Blue Hammer Award recipients for 2020. The Nationwide Blue Hammer Award is given annually to six contractors in the U.S. Each recipient represents one of six geographic zones, with Brookstone Restoration earning its award in the Southeast Region. Our Birmingham-based business competes with thousands of candidates from Louisiana, Georgia, Florida, and up to North Carolina. Nationwide then selects the winners by weighing assessment criteria such as customer and adjuster satisfaction, the timeliness of completed jobs, and assignment volume from the previous year.
Receiving The Nationwide Insurance Blue Hammer Award was such a proud moment for our company, as it truly reflects our commitment to serving our clients with the highest quality of work. In addition to providing quality work, this demonstrates our goal of continually providing services that are time efficient and that our clients are satisfied with. Thank you, Nationwide Insurance, for this incredible recognition!
