Garrettsville – A trusted institution since 1915, Ellerhorst Russell Insurance Agency has been a member of the Garrettsville community for over 100 years. With more than a century under its belt, it’s still a milestone when the agency can celebrate 50 years as a continuous representative for Westfield Insurance. That’s why the local insurance company partnered with Westfield to purchase a pig at the Portage County Randolph Fair, then donate the pork back to the community via the Nelson-Garrettsville Community Cupboard (NGCC).
Westfield Insurance provides coverage for home, auto, business and farm/agricultural liabilities. One of the largest insurance providers in the state, Westfield is also an independent carrier, so representatives like Ellerhorst Russell Insurance Agency have the freedom to customize individualized plans to best suit their clients, agent Mark Russell explains. “It’s not a cookie cutter carrier and we’re not a cookie cutter agency,” he says.
Russell took the opportunity to make this 50-year celebration with Westfield a community event. He purchased the 180-pound pig, “Oscar,” during the fair’s annual bidding auction from Hunter Andel, a member of the Steak Makers 4-H Club in Nelson Township. Hunter’s family members are longtime clients of the insurance agency, so Hunter reached out to Russell before the fair with a buyer’s letter. A longtime supporter of 4-H, Russell has happy to oblige.
“These 4-H kids bust their butts to do this work,” Russell appreciates. “They run their projects like a small business, monitoring their animals’ diets, maintaining their stalls, taking care of them for nearly a year before the fair. They definitely earn any reward they receive from selling at auction.”
Now that the pork has been processed, Ellerhorst Russell Insurance Agency and Westfield Insurance are pleased to donate the pork to Mike and Michelle Elias, who operate the NGCC, which distributes food to needy families throughout the James A. Garfield School District. The approximately 90 pounds of frozen pork (pork chops, sausage, bacon and hams) will be made available in coming months, with distribution days the first and second Monday of the month, 2-6pm; and the first and second Wednesday of the month, 9am-1pm. The NGCC is located at 10661 Highland Ave., off of Freedom St. (Behind St. Ambrose Church and next to New Age Hearing and The Barber of G’ville).
A member of the Akron/Canton Food Bank, the NGCC typically serves 425 people every month who need help in securing food. “We’re very blessed to have the opportunity to serve this community for the past five years,” said the Eliases. “We’re very grateful to Hunter, Oscar the pig, Westfield and Ellerhorst Insurance for this donation, which will certainly enable us to provide an extra protein source for the community.”
Located at 10864 North Street, all five employees at Ellerhorst Russell Insurance Agency live and work in Portage County. With over 65 combined years of insurance experience, they are dedicated to best serving the needs of their clients in Garrettsville, Hiram, Windham, Mantua and throughout the county.
