Arbella Insurance Foundation Supports !MPACT With $50,000 Donation

HARTFORD, Conn., July 26, 2013 – The Arbella Insurance Foundation today announced a donation of $50,000 to Mourning Parents Act, Inc. (!MPACT) of Coventry, Connecticut. The nonprofit organization’s mission is to eliminate tragedies caused by inexperienced drivers through awareness, education and legislation.

“We’ve worked with the folks at !MPACT in recent years, and the work they’re doing is so important,” said Tom Pozzo, AVP president of Bearingstar Insurance, a member of the Arbella Insurance Group. “When we brought the !MPACT story to our partners at the Arbella Insurance Foundation, they immediately stepped in to help the organization continue its education campaign. Bearingstar and Arbella share !MPACT’s commitment to keeping our new drivers safe on the roads and this donation will go a long way in making that happen.”

Members of !MPACT have either lost teenage family members or friends in motor vehicle crashes, or are survivors of crashes involving teen drivers.  They volunteer their time and share their personal experiences in a powerful presentation that has proven successful in promoting safe driving and riding behavior in teens. Through !MPACT, teens learn about the shocking statistics, risk factors, what happens to the body in a crash, what the states are doing to protect them and what they can do to protect themselves and their friends. Feedback from attendees indicates that this program effectively reduces risky driving/riding behavior in teens.

!MPACT plans to use the donation to expand their awareness and teen driving education programs and increase awareness throughout New England. Funds will be used for transportation as well as a new website to help increase !MPACT’s visibility and to enhance their presentation materials and social media presence.

“We are incredibly grateful for the generosity of the Arbella Insurance Foundation and Bearingstar’s commitment to our mission,” said Sherry Chapman, !MPACT’s co-founder and president at !MPACT. “This is the single largest donation !MPACT has received from any one organization or individual and with it we expect to be able to expand !MPACT's Safe Teen Driving Program into new regions and to provide additional resources to teens and parents who attend our presentations. This is very significant and we are incredibly grateful.”