Proud Supporter Finds a New Way to Give Hope

Hope For The Warriors® is always grateful for creative fundraising opportunities from supporters. Farmer’s Insurance Agent and longtime advocate of Hope For The Warriors®, Derek Clynes is now giving back in a unique way. As someone fully invested in his career and appreciative of his past, Derek wants to honor our military through a promotion called Quotes for Warriors. Through this promotion, Derek’s Insurance Agency will donate $10 to Hope For The Warriors® for every insurance quote they do.

Derek saw the power of Hope For The Warriors® through his friend Matt, a veteran living in Indiana. Matt had been a medic and infantryman in the National Guard with combat tours under his belt. He was struggling with PTSD and felt that no one, including his family, understood him.  So he left his family and started walking around the country either to solve his problems or die in the process.  He roamed the streets, homeless, with no real direction and eventually ended up in New Mexico after a few months.

That was when Derek called Hope For The Warriors® and worked with us to get him to El Paso to work with Amber Johnson in person. Once there, Amber worked with the VA Hospital to get him evaluated immediately. Within 48 hours, Matt was placed in an inpatient rehab facility in Boston. Since then, he has found music, hockey, and former hobbies he used to enjoy. 

Derek is an Army veteran who was first introduced to Hope For The Warriors® at our Annual Wounded Warrior Celebration and Pro-Am in Tyler, Texas. He now lives in Austin, Texas, and wants his agency to be the first to work with Hope For The Warriors®. Farmer’s Insurance Agency has an expectation that its employees are active in the community, so Derek is embracing this opportunity to support his veteran community by fostering a relationship with Hope For The Warriors®. 

As a veteran, Derek understands that transitioning into civilian life is no easy feat. After leaving the Army, he went right into college—the first person in his family to do so! But he also understands that resources for this generation of returning veterans are paramount to long-term recuperation. 

“I heard about how much appreciation and joy [service members] had working with Hope For The Warriors®, so I was looking at how I could reach out and help,” Derek said about his interest in growing a relationship with Hope For The Warriors® to raise social awareness for veterans.

He continued, “I want to raise awareness and I want to raise the funds. For me to be able to do it, that’s pretty win-win.”

Derek’s interest in serving the public comes from his admiration for his job. He believed any misunderstandings with insurance were a failure on the industry side. He believes providing resources for customers to understand and make informed decisions works twofold. If he can effectively communicate the value of Hope For The Warriors® along with the insurance he sells, he “has the opportunity to give back twice.” 

Derek’s Quotes for Warriors promotion will run through the end of July and he can be contacted at dclynes@farmersagent.com.