BLOOMINGTON, Ill., Sept. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Tragedy and the desire to help others are what bring five women together from across the United States today as they are honored by State Farm(R) during the Embrace Life(R) Awards luncheon in New York City. After losing their husbands, these women learned how to persevere and inspire others by doing extraordinary things. The Awards program empowers women by offering ways to protect their dreams and preserve family legacies with proper financial planning.

Dr. Joy Browne, clinical psychologist, national radio host and accomplished author, is the spokesperson for the event. With her trademark wit, humor and compassion, she will present a keynote address on the best ways to embrace life. Dr. Joy, as known on her show, has won numerous awards for her work, including the American Psychological Association's President's Award and the TALKERS Magazine award for Best Female Talk Show Host two years in a row.

"Death is an unavoidable fact of life, and today, women simply can't defer the family finances and future planning to their husbands or partners as their grandmothers might have been tempted to do," said Dr. Joy. "Women are beginning to step up to the plate when it comes to long-term financial planning, but we still have a way to go. I'm excited and delighted to share my perceptions with women and let them know how simple it is to make smart, informed, even wise decisions."

When surveyed, American families agreed life insurance is the best way to protect against the premature death of a primary wage earner, yet many households do not have enough coverage. Nearly one-third of adults have no life insurance protection, and those that do are not carrying enough should the unexpected happen.(1) According to the State Farm Family Financial Forecast Survey, nearly 90 percent of adults who have life insurance do not have the seven times their annual income that is recommended.(2)

Susan Waring, executive vice president and chief administrative officer of State Farm Life Insurance Company, saw the impact of these statistics with her clients during her time as a State Farm agent.

"Women need to become responsible for their family finances and participate in planning for the future today, so they can enjoy tomorrow," said Waring. "The inspiring stories of this year's honorees, and those of our past honorees, will encourage and empower women to take time to discuss the future with their family and plan accordingly."

Waring will speak at the event and present each honoree with an Embrace Life Award and a $10,000 cash prize.

The Embrace Life Awards are a testament to the power and strength of women everywhere. Waring hopes that women will support their friends, sisters, mothers and neighbors in becoming aware of family finances and taking the reins of planning for their families' futures. More women than ever are taking on or sharing the role of household chief financial officer. State Farm offers

women the tools and support to help them with life insurance as well as other future planning needs to protect their families and loved ones.

Extraordinary Women; Inspiring Stories

This year's honorees were selected by an independent judging panel, from more than 200 essay nominations. The 2007 State Farm Embrace Life Awards honorees are (in alphabetical order):

Elaine Cook, Spring Hill, Tenn., lost her husband of 14 years, Stan Knight, to a massive heart attack. Her husband and son had just moved to Tennessee, and Elaine was to follow several days later. Stan died in their son's arms before she arrived. She didn't know anyone in the community and had to plan a funeral with little money because their insurance policies had lapsed. While grieving and piecing her life back together, Elaine drew on her experiences and training as an accountant to help other widows learn about the importance of financial planning and how to cope with loss. Her non-profit grief and support organization, Widow2Widow(TM), Inc., has grown to more than 400 chapters in 20 states.

Irma Gonzalez Galvan, Houston, was widowed after her husband, Louis Galvan, was robbed and murdered. Left alone to care for four children, she was laid off from her job and couldn't make ends meet even after finding new employment. To support her family, Irma made a bold move and opened her own business, a sandwich shop. Her love for her children and the need to secure their future kept her going strong day after day. Eventually, they joined the family business. After years of hard work, and a menu change, Irma's sandwich shop is now Houston's legendary Irma's Mexican Restaurant. Galvan also gives back to her community by hosting fundraising and community events at her restaurant. She currently sits on numerous boards including the Downtown District, East End Management District, Culinary Guild, and the Greater Houston Visitors & Convention Bureau.

Julie Jones, Fort Worth, Texas, lost her husband, Brent Jones, just before Christmas in 2003, when they were involved in a head-on collision with a drunk driver. It took Julie months to recover from her serious injuries, during which she had to care for her twin babies. Fortunately, Brent's life insurance policy alleviated any immediate money worries. During the emotional and physical healing process, Julie realized that while she couldn't bring Brent back, she could help others. She became a representative of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and speaks regularly to organizations across the state. Julie also works with the Texas Alcohol and Beverage Commission on legislation to enforce sobriety checkpoints in Texas.

Debra Kiser, Cleveland, Wis., is a U.S. Navy veteran whose husband, Army Staff Sgt. Chuck Kiser, was killed in Iraq in 2004. As she and her family grieved, Debra realized that there was a huge need to help families in the armed forces, especially children, with the healing process. The Kisers had life insurance, which allowed Debra to continue to be a stay-at-home mom, and in 2004 she started Being There -- Reaching Out to offer peer support and conduct memorials for military families in Wisconsin. Debra also volunteers as a grief support volunteer for the Widow's Support Program through the chaplain's office at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri.

Alissa Torres, New York, lost her husband, Eddie Torres, on his second day of work in the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. Seven and one-half months pregnant, Alissa found solace in writing about her experiences and feelings. Her literary work helped her preserve the legacy of her husband and find her voice. One of her pieces, The Reluctant Icon, is a personal essay about being a survivor of 9/11. It is currently being reprinted in college textbooks and developed for Spanish theater. Today, she continues to use her writing as a way to reach and inspire others. Her first book, American Widow, will be published in 2008.

"Each honoree is an inspiration with a wonderful story to tell," said Dr. Joy. "By hearing their stories, other women can identify and learn the importance as well as the method of taking care of the family business -- knowing about income and expenses, and planning for their family's futures with the right insurance policy to meet their needs and goals."

For more information about the State Farm Embrace Life Awards program and this year's honorees, visit http://www.sfembracelifeawards.com/ or the News and Events Center at http://www.statefarm.com/. To find more financial planning information and educational tools designed specifically for women, visit http://www.sfredportfolio.com/.

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Source: State Farm Insurance

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