Military Personnel and Mercury Insurance Employees Join Forces for a Day at the 7th Annual Care Package Party

Members of the military and employees from Mercury Insurance assembled nearly 200 care packages for U.S. armed forces stationed in Afghanistan, Guam, Iraq and Jordan to commemorate 9/11. Mercury’s staff has arranged “packing parties” to collect and ship gifts to members of the military for seven consecutive years.  

The Mercury employee-driven initiative was co-founded by Camarillo employees Melyssa Jones and Monica Nungaray. Nungaray’s eldest son served with the Marine Corps in Afghanistan and Iraq, and her youngest son also served in the Marines. “Soldiers can be stationed far from their homes for more than a year without seeing their families,” said Jones. “These packages are our way of sending a little comfort from home to them while overseas.”

Each package contains items requested by active-duty soldiers, including toiletries, wool socks, snacks, holiday decorations, playing cards, games and comfort food.

This year, Mercury’s Camarillo office was joined by their neighboring office in the city of Valencia. Both held separate parties to send a special thank you to soldiers serving abroad.

“Adding the Valencia office to the Packing Party program that the Camarillo office started gave us the opportunity to give even more active-duty members of the military care packages,” said Stephanie Behnke, Mercury claims innovation director and a U.S. Army veteran. “I know firsthand what it’s like to receive a package. It really brightens your day and it helps provide a connection to everyone at home.”

Participants in the event included military personnel from the U.S. Army as well as agents and employees from Mercury’s Camarillo and Valencia offices, Caliber Collision, Reseda International Collision Center, Boulevard Paint and Body, Yoshi’s Auto Body Repair Valley Motor Center, Jones & Maulding Insurance, Peakes Insurance, Lytle & Main Insurance, Gary Krouse Insurance, Whins Insurance Agency and Smith Insurance Services.

Mercury employees started the packing parties earlier this year on April 29 at Petco Park with Major League Baseball’s San Diego Padres. Joined by agents, Padres players and management, stuffing 1,000 baseball themed backpacks, which were assembled and sent to Marines and Sailors. 

ABOUT MERCURY INSURANCE

Mercury Insurance (MCY) is a multiple-line insurance organization predominantly offering personal automobile, homeowners and commercial insurance through a network of independent agents in Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia. Since 1962, Mercury has specialized in offering quality insurance at affordable prices. For more information visit www.mercuryinsurance.com or Facebook.com/MercuryInsurance and follow the company on Twitter. 

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