THE CITIZEN BLOG
THE CITIZEN BLOG
Service Spotlight | Jaquan Riggins
To celebrate National Volunteer Week, we've hand selected some of our most promising volunteers in our community to shine a spotlight on. Today, to help kick-off Global Youth Service Day, we recognize Jaquan Riggins for his outstanding efforts to serve Atlanta.
Jaquan is a senior at Atlanta's Washington High School ( currently, prepping for graduation) and has been volunteering with Hands On Atlanta for 3 years. We dropped in on him recently to talk about his work in the community.
“Volunteering gives you an opportunity to be a part of change.
Find something that is important to you and become part of that movement. ”
To celebrate National Volunteer Week, we've hand selected some of our most promising volunteers in our community to shine a spotlight on. Today, to help kick-off Global Youth Service Day, we recognize Jaquan Riggins for his outstanding efforts to serve Atlanta.
Jaquan is a senior at Atlanta's Washington High School ( currently, prepping for graduation) and has been volunteering with Hands On Atlanta for 3 years. We dropped in on him recently to talk about his work in the community.
Why is volunteering important to you?
Volunteering is important to me because it is my way of paying it forward. I am where I am now because volunteers took time of their personal lives to ensure I had resources, opportunities and had someone to talk to - all of which made of difference in my life. So, I want to do the same for other people.
What are the challenges facing Atlanta you care about most?
Accessibility to healthcare in low income communities is an issue that I care of the most, which is why I plan on opening a community care center that provides medical service to people with cardiac issues. We can put money into schools and provide food to low income communities, but if they are not receiving basic health care or necessary treatment, they cannot maintain employment, which puts them back into the vicious cycle of poverty.
If you were a superhero, who would you be and why?
I'd be Superman because he is invincible but only weak to kryptonite and my kryptonite is my community and daily environment. It looks like it’s weakening me, but once I remember my goals, I’m back in the right mind and I'm stronger than before.
What has been the biggest surprise about volunteering?
The biggest surprise for me in volunteering is how many people that are out there who care about other people. People CARE and they want to help ensure other people do well.
What advice would you give someone thinking about making volunteering a part of their lifestyle?
The best advice I would give someone is that volunteering does not have to be with a BIG organization - it can be church, schools, nursing home, or even in your own neighborhood. You can start small and by yourself. Volunteering gives you an opportunity to be a part of change.
Find something that is important to you and become part of that movement.
When you’re not at work or volunteering, how else do you spend your time – hobbies, interests?
When I am not volunteering or preparing for high school graduation. I am playing baseball, tennis, or spending my time with family and friends.
Service Spotlight | Pamela Basye
To celebrate National Volunteer Week, we've hand selected some of our most promising fellows in our Civic Leadership Program to shine a spotlight on. Our civic fellows manage service projects at designated non-profit partner sites by recruiting volunteers, overseeing service days and providing education to volunteers as to the mission of their partner agency.
“It is my dream that the undesirable population feel that they are important and loved.”
To celebrate National Volunteer Week, we've hand selected some of our most promising fellows in our Civic Leadership Program to shine a spotlight on. Our civic fellows manage service projects at designated non-profit partner sites by recruiting volunteers, overseeing service days and providing education to volunteers as to the mission of their partner agency.
Today we recognize Pamela Basye for her outstanding efforts to serve Atlanta. Pamela has been volunteering with Hands On Atlanta for 2 years and when she's not volunteering, she spends her days as a Special Education teacher with UAFA. We caught up with Pamela recently to talk about her work as a volunteer:
Why is volunteering important to you?
It is my dream that the undesirable population feel that they are important and loved.
What are the challenges facing Atlanta you care about most?
Education and hunger are the challenges that appeal the most to me. My mission is to close the achievement gap and decrease hunger in urban communities.
Why did you decide to join the Hands On Atlanta Civic Leadership Program?
I saw this as an honor and opportunity to make a greater impact throughout varies communities in Atlanta.
What has been the biggest surprise about volunteering?
The overwhelming number of volunteers that support Hands On Atlanta projects. On February 10, 2018 over 20 college students from Denmark served the students at the Discovery program at Heritage Elementary session by taking them on a virtual field trip to Denmark.
What advice would you give someone thinking about making volunteering a part of their lifestyle?
I would encourage them to go to the Hands On Atlanta website where there a hundreds of opportunities and invite them to join one of the teams that I participate on.
When you’re not at work or volunteering, how else do you spend your time – hobbies, interests?
I enjoy praise and worship at my church and dancing to my favorite playlist in the swimming pool at the YMCA.
Donate now to support Pamela and her fundraising requirement to the Civic Leadership Program.
Service Spotlight | Donnis Davis
To celebrate National Volunteer Week, we've hand selected some of our most promising fellows in our Civic Leadership Program to shine a spotlight on. Our civic fellows manage service projects at designated non-profit partner sites by recruiting volunteers, overseeing service days and providing education to volunteers as to the mission of their partner agency.
“The appreciation you get from, not only the people you’re helping, but also from the agency personnel you volunteer alongside has been the biggest surprise for me.”
To celebrate National Volunteer Week, we've hand selected some of our most promising fellows in our Civic Leadership Program to shine a spotlight on. Our civic fellows manage service projects at designated non-profit partner sites by recruiting volunteers, overseeing service days and providing education to volunteers as to the mission of their partner agency.
Today we recognize Donnis Davis for his outstanding efforts to serve Atlanta for more than 10 years as a Hands On Atlanta volunteer! We caught up with Donnis recently to talk about his work as a volunteer:
Why is volunteering important to you?
Volunteering gives me an opportunity to directly impact my community in the areas that I care about. It also gives me an opportunity to introduce family and friends to volunteering, while sharing our city's challenges with them.
What are the challenges facing Atlanta you care about most?
I care mostly about youth and "at-risk youth" specifically, as well as hunger and homelessness. I love volunteer with SWEEAC because that’s who I’m having the most impact with right now thru their mission of providing services in four areas of critical need:
Anti-Hunger
Life Skills Enhancement
Children at Risk
Dress for Success
Why did you decide to join the Hands On Atlanta Civic Leadership Program?
I joined because I wanted to obtain the necessary skills to impact my community through ways other than volunteering such as recruiting volunteers, fundraising and networking to meet the right people that may assist you in creating community projects.
What has been the biggest surprise about volunteering?
The appreciation you get from, not only the people you’re helping, but also from the agency personnel you volunteer alongside has been the biggest surprise for me. I was also surprised to learn how the impact my efforts can have on other volunteers as well.
What advice would you give someone thinking about making volunteering a part of their lifestyle?
There are four things every new volunteer or volunteer leader should know:
Be committed and stay committed, because there are people depending on you and your time.
Be patient, because you may not see the results you initially anticipated going in.
Be positive, because not all projects go as planned.
Be grateful because your volunteers could have chosen a different project.
When you’re not at work or volunteering, how else do you spend your time – hobbies, interests?
I enjoy spending time with my family, day excursions with my wife, and Falcons football. I also serve as a mentor at my home town high school during the school year.
Donate now to support Donnis and his fundraising requirement to the Civic Leadership Program.
Service Spotlight | Keona Maye
To celebrate National Volunteer Week, we've hand selected some of our most promising fellows in our Civic Leadership Program to shine a spotlight on. Our civic fellows manage service projects at designated non-profit partner sites by recruiting volunteers, overseeing service days and providing education to volunteers as to the mission of their partner agency.
“I love it when volunteers show up early, ask questions about the organization and its mission, and leave smiling and feeling great about themselves. Hopefully it means they’ll come back.”
To celebrate National Volunteer Week, we've hand selected some of our most promising fellows in our Civic Leadership Program to shine a spotlight on. Our civic fellows manage service projects at designated non-profit partner sites by recruiting volunteers, overseeing service days and providing education to volunteers as to the mission of their partner agency.
Today we recognize Keona Maye for her outstanding efforts to serve Atlanta. Keona has been volunteering with Hands On Atlanta for 2 years and when she's not volunteering, she spends her days as a Senior Property Manager at Goal Property Services. We caught up with Keona recently to talk about her work as a volunteer:
Why is volunteering important to you?
I believe that our lives are not complete if we live them selfishly. It wasn’t until I began volunteering that I felt the most fulfilled and found purpose. It’s important for me to help others and serve especially because people have helped me. We’re responsible for one another.
What are the challenges facing Atlanta you care about most?
I care strongly about homelessness, which of course, relates to my career field of real estate. Atlanta has been named “One of the Neediest Cities in America” ranking high among cities like Detroit and Memphis due to a growing homeless population. It is my goal to partner with a nonprofit, such as, The Atlanta Children’s Shelter or Our House, that works to combat this issue.
Why did you decide to join the Hands On Atlanta Civic Leadership Program?
I was considering pursuing a Master’s degree in Nonprofit Management when I learned about Hands On Atlanta’s Civic Leadership Program. I opted to interview for the program instead of obtaining another degree because CLP offered training along with real world experience. I was also familiar with Hands On Atlanta and the amazing work that the organization was doing for local communities. I truly wanted to be a part of its impact.
What has been the biggest surprise about volunteering?
The biggest surprise about volunteering has been the people! You meet every day people with every day lives that decided to dedicate their most valuable asset - their time, and are actually excited about it. I love it when volunteers show up early, ask questions about the organization and its mission, and leave smiling and feeling great about themselves. Hopefully it means they’ll come back.
What advice would you give someone thinking about making volunteering a part of their lifestyle?
I would advise that person to find their “why” and a volunteer opportunity that they really enjoy. If they want to be consistent, it’ll be easier to participate when they understand the reason they actually want to volunteer and the difference they’re making. It also helps if they’re having fun and their interests are being met.
When you’re not at work or volunteering, how else do you spend your time – hobbies, interests?
I spend lots of time with family and friends. They keep me pretty busy and it’s important that I foster those relationships despite my professional life. However, I’ve also started a vacant home cleaning business that is beginning to grow and thrive and definitely takes up more of my time.
Donate now to support Keona and her fundraising requirement to the Civic Leadership Program.
Good Party, Great Cause: High Five Late Night with the Hands On Atlanta Changemakers Board
On April 21st from 9:00 pm – 12:00 am, the Changemakers are stepping out with the High Five Late Night Party at The Gathering Spot. This party promises to be a tremendous time with live music, an open bar, tapas and a wine/spirit pull. In the words of Changemakers Board Chair, Everett Steele, “High Five Late Night is a great opportunity to share the impactful mission of Hands On Atlanta in a fun, social environment.”
The sticky tables at Manuel’s Tavern feel the same today as when a group of 20 and 30-somethings crowded around them in 1989. The 12 friends sipped beers as they talked about their early career moves and life as new parents, but mostly about how to impact Atlanta. They were determined to contribute to their local community and they knew that volunteerism was the secret sauce to success.
Over the years, the mission of Hands On Atlanta grew out from under bar signs into a West Midtown office and a 501(c)3 status. As Hands On Atlanta continued to grow and professionalize, it could have been easy to lose sight of the young, excited spark that founded our organization. But with our recent addition of leaders, that just not in the cards.
In fall of 2017, Hands On Atlanta launched its inaugural Changemakers Board, a group of 18 ambitious millennials hungry to impact our city and bring their friends along in the process. Even though this board just kicked off in September, the Changemakers have already engaged 140 Atlantans in support of Hands On Atlanta and are gunning to involve even more with an upcoming party.
On April 21st from 9:00 pm – 12:00 am, the Changemakers are stepping out with the High Five Late Night Party at The Gathering Spot. This party promises to be a tremendous time with live music, an open bar, tapas and a wine/spirit pull. In the words of Changemakers Board Chair, Everett Steele, “High Five Late Night is a great opportunity to share the impactful mission of Hands On Atlanta in a fun, social environment.”
The Gathering Spot is a far cry from sticky tables, Changemakers Board Vice Chair Rachel Sprecher knows that High Five Late Night has a direct link to the youthful founders of Hands On Atlanta. She feels that “it’s an honor to serve on the Hands On Atlanta Changemakers board and have a part in helping the organization engage millennials and young people in service.”
Join us and meet this amazing line-up of Changemakers excited to host you at High Five Late Night:
Chair: Everett Steele, Chief Of Staff, Atlanta City Council Post 3 At Large
Vice Chair: Rachel Sprecher, Executive Director, Atlanta Public Schools Office of Partnerships and Development
Darrlynn Brister Alston, Marketing & Business Development, Allstate
Kyle Azevedo, Research Engineer, Georgia Tech Research Institute
Jasmine Cato, Community Manager, WeWork Colony Square
Gloria Cox, Giving Leader, Chick-Fil-A Corporate
Madeline Eaton, Brand Communications Marketing Manager, Delta Vacations
Kurt Ford, Pacific Network Planning General Manager, Delta Airlines
Brittany Locke, Human Resources Coordinator, Merchant e-Solutions
Brian Matthews, Management Consultant, North Highland
Jeremiah McWilliams, Internal Communications Director, North Highland
Anirudha 'Rudha' Mididoddi, Strategic Business Development Manager, The Home Depot
Chris O'Connor, Business Development Manager, Clockwise MD
Annalise Peters, Associate, Alston & Bird
Devika Rao, Account Services Vice President, O'Neill Communications
Ashley Rouse, Out of School Time Program Manager, HealthMPowers
Kim Vu, Manager, Deloitte
Ryan Wilson, Co-Founder & CEO, The Gathering Spot
We hope you take this opportunity to come meet Hands On Atlanta’s news group of 20 and 30-somethings drinking beers and making change.
March For Our Lives
On March 24, 2018 the kids and families of March For Our Lives will take to the streets of Atlanta, GA to demand that their lives and safety become a priority.
On March 24, 2018 the kids and families of March For Our Lives will take to the streets of Atlanta, GA to demand that their lives and safety become a priority.
We can debate gun control. We can debate mental health. We can debate the causes and potential solutions to issues facing our communities. What cannot be debated is the power of civic engagement. In just a few days, ordinary teens from across the country have organized, rallied and marched. They've faced-off against adults - from local officials to POTUS, demanding their voice be heard.
This is not the generation we thought. The one glued to Snapchat, texting their friends 24/7, without a care in the world. This is a generation for change, and they are in every town, in every school. It's inspiring to see 16 and 17 year olds with such conviction and poise. It's a reminder that engagement (especially with development of young people) matters.
March For Our Lives was created by, inspired by, and led by students across the country who will no longer risk their lives waiting for someone else to take action to stop the epidemic of mass school shootings, that has become all too familiar. In the tragic wake of the seventeen lives brutally cut short in Florida, March For Our Lives believes the time to talk about guns is now.
Change is coming. And it starts now, inspired by and led by the kids who are our hope for the future. Their young voices will be heard and you can help.
Join and Share
Click here to RSVP on Facebook.
Amplify the youth's messages on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
Snag a Shirt
Show your support with one of these t-shirts
Volunteer as a Peace Marshal
Adults are needed as volunteers to help the march move safely through the streets. Volunteers will receive about one hour of training. Sign up here.
Host a Sign Making Party
2018 Super Bowl Ads – Commercials or Politics?
What a game. There's comfort in camaraderie, rallying behind a fellow, feathered football team. Congrats to the Super Bowl LII champion, Philadelphia Eagles.
Almost as exciting as the game itself, the commercials have taken on their own importance as a part of the "Big Game's" pageantry. A growing trend from company's is to showcase a stance surrounding some our most polarized social issues. You might remember last year's Airbnb "We Accept" commercial.
Certainly not every company set out to make a statement, but it was impossible to avoid the civic tones struck in a large portion of ads. Will this trend continue? Will companies continue to put themselves forward as the moral compass within our country?
As the head of a nonprofit, I love seeing billion-dollar marketing budgets being used to spread awareness about our communities most pressing needs. Here are 5 ads that stood out to me:
Disaster Recovery (Budweiser)
Budweiser promoted their effort to send clean water to Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico after the recent hurricanes. According to Budweiser, their Cartersville, GA brewery has provided 2 million cans of water this year alone.
Clean Water (Stella Artois)
Like Budweiser, another beer company, Stella Artois this time, focused on water. Matt Damon, co-founder of Water.org, promoted their partnership and encouraged viewers to buy a beer chalice (here) to support safe drinking water in developing countries.
Diversity (Coke)
Coke's ad promotes the diversity of its brand and products and links that to the diversity of its customers, aiming for a message of unity and inclusion.
Nationalism (WeatherTech)
WeatherTech promotes a nationalist message with their commercial, featuring the building a factory alongside images of the USA flag. The commercial ends with: “At WeatherTech, we built our factory right here in America. Isn’t that the way it’s supposed to be?”.
Win or Fail? (Dodge)
In Dodge's "Built to Serve" ad, the use of an excerpt from a Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. speech probably seemed like a good idea, but the backlash online has the company looking tone deaf and opportunistic. But, people are talking...
Is this nothing more than smart advertising, or are companies taking BlackRock CEO Larry Fink’s recommendation (see Larry Fink’s open letter to CEO’s), and taking more responsibility for their effects on society?
What do you think about this trend? Let us know on Twitter.
P.S. My favorite non-political ad was “Alexa loses her voice.” What was yours?
Atlanta Unites Over Supper and Service
“And one of the great liabilities of life is that all too many people find themselves living amid a great period of social change, and yet they fail to develop the new attitudes, the new mental responses, that the new situation demands. They end up sleeping through a revolution.”
Reverend Dr. King's passion for service and helping others is at the core of our work. Our mission and values to ignite a passion for service and create life-long community volunteers through civic engagement, diversity and inclusion, community partnerships, and the pursuit of excellence read more like a quote from one of his iconic speeches than something we try to pursue everyday.
To say the MLK Day holiday is important to us is an understatement. Our small, but mighty team, dedicates months of our year to planning and executing a series of events to try and honor his legacy and commitment to service the best we can. Because this year is the 50th Anniversary of his assassination and the MLK Day of service fell on his birthday, we went big and asked you to go big with us. Once again, you stepped up and 1,800 volunteers showed up to serve at 30 projects across metro Atlanta!
Special thank you to all of our sponsors, volunteers, nonprofits, and schools who came together to help make it all happen. Keep reading to view more details and to view photos from our 2018 MLK Day events.
2018 hands on atlanta signature sunday supper
On Sunday, January 14, 2018, nearly 200 corporate and civic leaders came together at The Gathering Spot to break bread and barriers at the Hands On Atlanta Signature Sunday Supper. Hosted by 11Alive's Cheryl Preheim, the evening was full of meaningful dialogue and featured a moving performance from actor Leon Rogers, as he relived portions of Reverend Dr. King's "Remaining Awake Through a Great Revolution."
The focus of the night was a fireside chat with Prosperity Now's Dedrick Asante-Muhammad and Nathaniel Smith of Partnership for Southern Equity. The two shared the stage to explore Reverend Dr. King's "Poor People's Campaign" and take a closer look at the issue of economic inequality then and now. Dedrick brought a national perspective, while Nathaniel held a local lens on the challenges (and work) being done right here in Atlanta. Other speakers included Jay Cranman, Hands On Atlanta President and CEO, V.P. of Community Relations for Coca-Cola North America, Lori George Billingsley, and the CEO of Points of Light, Natalye Paquin.
The diverse room of attendees had a chance to then discuss the issues presented to learn from each other and form some solutions on how to solve the problem of economic inequality.
Watch the Signature Sunday Supper in it's entirety:
The Signature Sunday Supper was complimented by 50 self-hosted Sunday Suppers across metro Atlanta. In partnership with Civic Dinners, changemakers stepped up to host and attend these unique and fun events, sharing dinner and dialogue. Final numbers of attendees are still rolling in, but you can see some of the highlights here.
2018 mlk day of service
To celebrate Reverend Dr. King's birthday, it was back to what we do best: rally ATLiens in service! In total we had 30 projects and almost 1900 volunteers come out from English Ave. all the way up Buford Highway.
It was cold, but that didn't stop volunteers from making their impact felt across the city. Parks, nature preserves and schools hosted several beautification projects, building benches, gardens, painting, and more! Volunteers delivered meals to seniors, planted trees at several cemeteries, packed medical supplies, and more.
The day of service was larger than anticipated, thanks to the incredible support from the 20+ corporate sponsors who came out help us celebrate. A huge thank you and special shout out to our title sponsor The Coca-Cola Company, who's been supporting our MLK Day of Service efforts for almost 30 years!
Inspired to act? Consider making a donation or sign up to volunteer!