Originally from Hammond, Ind. and a current resident of Calumet City, Ill., James Upchurch is a working man through and through. Upchurch runs a construction company, The Region Public Adjusters, and a nonprofit organization called The Region Paws and Claws. Through his work, Upchurch is able to not only support his family, but also the community.
The Region Paws and Claws is a group of local Region residents who help rehome rescue animals at shelters, foster homes, and even individual homes that are looking for a furry friend to join their family.
“We’re kind of a locator. We have a huge internet reach,” Upchurch said. “We have working relationships with different shelters and local fosters, or we just find local people to directly take the animals.”
Finding animals who need homes can be a large task, but Upchurch has plenty of volunteers to help find these animals a new home and a fresh start. Last year, The Region Paws and Claws rehomed over 100 animals in the Region. Although their nonprofit status is recent, Upchurch has been working to rescue animals long before The Region Paws and Claws.
“We did this anyway before we were actually a nonprofit. We were kicking on abandoned garage doors to rescue cats out of it and stuff like that,” Upchurch said.
For the past five years, Upchurch’s dedication and passion for rescuing these animals have been strong. Out of all the work Upchurch does, this is by far his favorite. Upchurch also loves to see the progression of the animals he helps rescue. His favorite part of the job is seeing pictures of a kitten full-grown a year later.
In addition to his nonprofit work, Upchurch is a licensed public adjuster and has several PAs that work for his firm, The Region Public Adjusters. The majority of his work here focuses on helping homeowners who need help with insurance restoration. Whether the houses have been damaged by hail, winds tornadoes, or floods, Upchurch and his team are there to help.
“I think it's cool that I get to bump heads with billion-dollar insurance companies and represent little homeowners. Believe it or not, they’re not always the most honorable to their clients,” Upchurch said sarcastically. “We come in and we feel like we represent them and do the best we can.”
Outside of the Region, Upchurch has a construction firm that specializes in roofs and siding for homes. As an added benefit to being involved in these industries, there is the ability for PAs and the construction firm to work together when legislation allows.
Not only is Upchurch a successful businessman, but he is also a successful family man. Upchurch has a three-month-old daughter that he loves very much. Although his projects, businesses, and families take up a lot of his time, Upchurch also tries to hit the gym when he can.
“Between the businesses, trying to cut my grass, and spending time with the girl, that’s pretty much it. I try to get to the gym, but the weight has been winning the war since COVID started,” Upchurch joked.
A stand-up guy, a jokester, and a businessman, James Upchurch shines a positive light on his community. Despite this, Upchurch is only one man and could use all the help he can get to continue his mission at The Region Paws and Claws. If you or anyone you know is interested in volunteering to help his cause, please visit https://www.theregionpawsandclaws.org, or like the page on Facebook.