The Compassionate Connection: How Guidewire, Our Customers, and Operation BBQ Relief Deliver Hope in a Crisis

At the heart of the insurance promise is a commitment to restore hope and dignity when disaster strikes. For a family standing in the wake of a catastrophe, "being made whole" is a human need that goes beyond a claim check—it requires immediate, compassionate support.

At Guidewire, we believe technology should enable this human connection. We are proud to highlight a powerful partnership focused on community engagement: the joining of Guidewire Canvas, Guidewire Gives Back (GGB), and the heroic mission of Operation BBQ Relief (OBR).

A Shared Mission with Our Customers

Guidewire Gives Back supports Communities in Crisis, a purpose we share with our customers in creating a more empathetic claims experience. Operation BBQ Relief mirrors this mission perfectly, born from the 2011 Joplin tornado with the profound realization that a hot, free meal provides more than nutrition—it provides hope. With over 13 million meals served, OBR lives out the values of compassion and respect that our employees also champion.

Empowering Empathy Through Canvas

Furthermore, our technology is designed to bridge the gap between back-office claims processing and front-line disaster relief. This is where Guidewire Canvas transforms our customers’ and their policyholders’ experiences during crises.

Building on this capability, we are thrilled to highlight the new Operation BBQ Relief feeding layer within Guidewire Canvas. This is the integration that turns partnership into tangible action.

This layer is built on a shared vision of empathetic response: recognizing that the OBR survivor and the insured claimant are the very same person. While an insurer often sees a claimant and a policy number, OBR sees a neighbor in need of a meal. By bringing these two perspectives together on a single map, we empower insurers to see the "whole person" behind the claim. This integration ensures that the moment a catastrophe hits, the response isn't just about processing a loss—it’s about providing immediate, life-sustaining comfort to the people at the heart of the crisis.

The Canvas community layer was first put to the test during Winter Storm Fern, as OBR deployed to Oxford, Mississippi, on January 30th. Over 10 days, the team operated two feeding locations, serving 24,250 hot meals to families and first responders navigating the cold and dark. As the storm moved out and our team moved in, Canvas allowed for real-time visualization of these sites, proving that from tired first responders to families waiting for the lights to come back on, every hot meal is a reminder that no one has to face a disaster alone.

• Proactive Compassion:
  Claims teams can instantly see OBR mobile kitchen locations. This allows an adjuster to move beyond simply assigning a claim number and instead say, "Operation BBQ Relief is serving free hot meals just blocks from you. Go feed your family; we’ll handle the paperwork."

• Shared Recovery Hubs:
  Insurers (our customers) can strategically co-locate their mobile claims teams near OBR feeding sites. This creates a single "recovery hub" where survivors receive both physical sustenance and professional claims support, easing the immense burden of travel and coordination during a crisis.
• Data-Driven Deployment:
  By visualizing survivors (aka claimants) proximity to OBR feeding locations sites, carriers can prioritize outreach to the most vulnerable. Furthermore, Canvas and our customers can help OBR identify where policyholder density is highest, ensuring mobile kitchens are positioned where they have the greatest impact.

Ultimately, the integration with Canvas,a tool easily enabled for ClaimCenter users,demonstrates how Guidewire and our customers can fulfill the insurance promise with unprecedented speed, agility, and empathy.

A claim check rebuilds a house. A hot meal and a compassionate word rebuild a spirit. Together, in partnership with our customers, Guidewire Gives Back, and Operation BBQ Relief, we are ensuring that in the middle of chaos, no one is forgotten.

Quick Start: Activating the OBR Layer in Canvas

For existing Canvas users, enabling this life-saving data is a simple process:

1. Open Canvas: Log in to your Guidewire Canvas dashboard.
2. Access the Community Layer Library: Navigate to the “Layers” menu.
3. Find Operation BBQ Relief: Locate !!Operation BBQ Relief under the relevant category.
4. Activate: Toggle the switch to “On.” You will immediately see OBR deployment pins appear in relation to your policyholders and active peril zones.
   • If there are no active deployments you’ll see a pin for OBR’s Headquarters

Ready to Amplify Your Impact?

Take action: Discover how Guidewire Canvas can empower your team to respond to catastrophes with greater agility and empathy. Visit Guidewire Canvas today to get started and make a real difference.

Ways to Help

• Connect with Guidewire today to explore building a powerful community engagement partnership with Operation BBQ Relief. Reach out now at giveback@guidewire.com  Your involvement can make an impact.
• Support the life-changing mission of Operation BBQ Relief: visit OBR.org now and help deliver hope to those in need.