Valparaiso resident Sam Allie isn’t your typical State Farm agent. During his free time, Allie volunteers his time to help his town’s residents stay warm and sheltered. Allie, a lifelong resident of the Region, found that his life’s passion is helping his community.
“About nine years ago is when I started working with nonprofits. I joined Rebuilding Together of Duneland, where four to five hundred volunteers gather on the last Saturday of April to restore warmth and safety to those in need,” Allie said.
Allie recalled the moment that sparked his interest in giving back to his community.
“Before I became a State Farm agent, I was a project manager for an insurance restoration contracting company. I had a friend on the board for Rebuilding Together, and he needed my expertise on a project for a single mother and her daughter, whose house burned down. It needed to be restored and they didn’t have insurance. It was extremely rewarding to help throughout the process, and I suppose the feeling was probably somewhat addictive.”
Allie’s philanthropic efforts quickly expanded after that project. Now, he has worked with multiple nonprofit organizations including Habitat for Humanity, Art Barn School of Art, and Opportunity Enterprises.
His philosophy is driven by directly witnessing the betterment of the community. He feels his mission with Rebuilding Together, which he has been working with since 2011, is a perfect fit for his philanthropic ventures.
“Rebuilding Together directly impacts residents of our community. If my neighbors are going to be impacted by our efforts, then I’m all in. I think that it’s our duty as community members to help other people. I got that feeling from my mother,” Allie said.
Allie’s mother, who often worked multiple jobs while raising him, instilled in him the importance of positivity and helping others as much as possible.
“My mother raised me to understand the importance of helping other people that are less fortunate. I always aimed to treat everyone around me like I wanted others to treat her.” Allie said.
Even during the most chaotic year in recent memory, Allie has not allowed his charitable actions to be derailed.
“This year, we postponed our annual workday from the end of April to October 3. Instead of helping inside of people’s homes, we did exterior projects and all of the community centers. We didn’t get to help as many people as we usually do and it was different, but we still did it.” Allie said.
Allie believes that by working together within our communities, we can all make the world a better place.
“If every person gave one day of their life each year to help others in need, I think that would make a huge impact on our country as a whole. The feeling you get from helping others - you can’t replicate it. We have 52 Saturdays a year, and I think each one of us can give at least one of them to help our community.”