THE CITIZEN BLOG
THE CITIZEN BLOG
5 Days of Building Dr. King's "Beloved Community"
Thousands of volunteers helped Hands On Atlanta and over 50 of our nonprofit and school partners improve food security and educational equity for families and students, improved the environment and sustainability across metro Atlanta and so much more throughout the 8 days in September - culminating on Sept. 27, 2022, Arthur Blank's 80th birthday.
From January 12-16, 2023, Hands On Atlanta convened over 2,000 volunteers to serve 5,000 hours in support more than 40 nonprofits and schools as part of the 2023 MLK Days of Service!
With the generous support of presenting sponsor, The Coca-Cola Company, volunteers joined more than 100 service projects and events that had a focus on improving educational and housing equity, food security, and the environment.
Check out some of our highlighted projects and events below and don’t forget to share your MLK Days of Service experience with us on our social channels, tagging #mlkatl.
Mega Hope Kit Pack
Thursday, Jan. 12, 2023
We kicked off our 2023 MLK Days of Service from our warehouse at 970 Jefferson with our friends and partners at Ebenezer Baptist Church, Hope Atlanta, Restoring One’s Hope, and MLK Resource Collaborative!
150 Volunteers from OneDigital, Kilpatrick Townsend, the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, Change Healthcare and the Atlanta Braves Foundation packed over 2,000 Hygiene Kits, Snack Pack Kits, and Welcome Home Kits with donated items from Brawny, Dixie and Angel Soft!
“It was great event and was great to collaborate with other organizations such as Home Depot. Snapper was a great supervisor and really enjoyed being on his team! ”
Meals4Kids Meal Pack
Friday, Jan. 13, 2023
Food insecure households are often challenged to access nourishing, healthy meals while also covering housing costs on a limited budget.
For Day 2 of our MLK Days of Service, 75 volunteers from Deloitte, the Braves Foundation and Towerpoint joined our partners at Urban Recipe to pack 1,000+ meals (600 meal bags and another 110 food boxes) for families in need across metro Atlanta.
“Very efficient! I was amazed at how much we got done in the amount of time!”
Discovery + House Proud
Saturday, Jan. 14, 2023
We celebrated day 3 on a cold and windy Saturday morning with a couple of service projects and a lot of fun!
50 volunteers from US Bank/Elavon and Morris, Manning and Martin, LLP joined our Discovery program at Parklane Elementary for an educational and engaging morning with students. Georgia Power brought their Learning Power STEAM Truck and volunteers to Belmont Hills Elementary!
We then headed over to the Atlanta Community Toolbank, home of House Proud, where volunteers from Target cleaned and organized their warehouse, painted/branded tools and even built a storage shed!
Photo by Steve Swieter, www.swieterimage.com
9th Annual MLK Sunday Supper
Sunday, Jan. 15, 2023
Thanks to our presenting sponsor, The Coca-Cola Company, 150 corporate and community leaders joined us around the table for an authentic conversation about housing equity at the National Center for Civil & Human Rights.
Featured speakers included Mayor Andre Dickens, Rev. Natosha Reid Rice, and a panel including Renee Lewis Glover and Principal Jovita Wallace, moderated by 11Alive’s Cheryl Preheim.
In partnership with our friends at 11Alive, the evening will air as part of a segment on affordable housing Jan. 21 and 22..
“Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to open the doors of opportunity to all of God’s children.” That door to opportunity is home ownership — which, for most Americans, is their single most valuable asset.””
Truly Living Well Farm Beautification
Monday, Jan. 16, 2023
Celebrating the King Holiday with our 5th and final day of our 2023 MLK Days of Service at Truly Living Well - an agricultural hub for the West Atlanta community.
400+ volunteers from The Home Depot Foundation, Salesforce, Microsoft, Clark Atlanta University and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, AmeriCorps, Most Valuable Kids and Breakthrough Atlanta joined Hands On Atlanta and our partners at Westside Future Fund to protect the farm over winter and into the spring months.
“I have volunteered in various projects for more than 40 years and I have never felt so appreciated. The event was organized, it was fun, it was purposeful. Well done, Hands On Atlanta.”
More ways to celebrate the 2023 MLK Days of Service:
“Great service project - liked that the shift was manageable, the people at Books for Africa were very nice, able to accommodate a large group, and I’ll definitely be back. ”
“Great cause that I’d like to support more in the future. Very relaxing and informative. The time flew by. I can definitely work with this organization again. ”
On Thursday, Jan. 12, volunteers from Kia and the community joined a fun, virtual project from, where they wrote jokes and letters of encouragement to students in our partner schools. The jokes and notes will be placed in their Meals4Kids meal bags that will be sent when school is on break!
We’re collecting jokes and notes through Jan. 21, 2023. Sign up now and get everything you need to join from home.
In partnership with Inclusivv and as part of our MLK Sunday Supper call to action, volunteers stepped up to host their own “conversation that matters” about equitable housing on Sunday, Jan. 15, 2023.
You can find a conversation to join or host your own here!
Morehouse College hosted their Bonner Office of Community Service Day of Service on Monday, Jan. 16 as part of their King Day Commemoration, but they have a ton of events you can join, happening throughout January.
Explore all of their events and join them here.
Atlanta Public Schools challenged thousands of their students, families and staff to “take the day on” and join a family friendly volunteer project on Monday, Jan. 16, 2023.
You can join the challenge all January long by serving with one of these projects appropriate for kids 14+.
Visit www.mlkatl.org for more information and to explore all of the MLK Days of Service projects and events happening throughout January.
AmeriCorps Spotlight: Di'Avian Foster
As the member service year continues forward, we’d like to take this time to focus on this month’s AmeriCorps Member Spotlight, Di'Avian Foster. We recently caught up with Di'Avian to learn a little more about her and why she’s chose a year of service with Hands On Atlanta:
As the member service year continues forward, we’d like to take this time to focus on this month’s AmeriCorps Member Spotlight, Di'Avian Foster. Di'Avian is originally from New Jersey and pursued her education at Georgia State University where she studied Political Science. Her passion for the success of scholars brought her to Hands On Atlanta, where Di'Avian serves as a tutor at Bunche Middle School. Di'Avian has gone the extra mile during her time with Hands On Atlanta where she’s exemplified professionalism, respect, and a high level of care for the work that she does. She has gone out of her way to implement the creative use of multiplication/division cards to assist her students in achieving their math goals. Additionally, Di'Avian has become a regular volunteer during our Saturday Discovery sessions. She’s a team player that makes the best of each opportunity to impact the lives of scholars within our partner schools.
We recently caught up with Di'Avian to learn a little more about her and why she’s chose a year of service with Hands On Atlanta:
What do you love about Atlanta?
I love that the opportunities are limitless in Atlanta and there is something for everybody.
Why did you join AmeriCorps?
During my final semester of grad school, I knew that I wanted to take a service year while I was preparing to go to law school. After doing some research I came across the AmeriCorps program with Hands On Atlanta and it just made sense for me to gain experience working with youth while also giving back to my community.
What do you like most about working with your students?
I love building relationships with my kids and seeing them come out of their shells. I also love when their faces light up when they finally overcome any obstacles they are facing.
What do you hope to gain from this experience?
I hope to learn more about myself and who I am as a person. I also want to make an impact, no matter how big or small, in the lives of my students that they will remember for years to come.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
In 5 years, I see myself just finishing law school and getting ready to start my career as an attorney. I also see myself working in the nonprofit sector, either starting my own nonprofit helping the children of incarcerated youth or working for an already established nonprofit.
When you’re not tutoring, what do you like to do for fun?
When I’m not working, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends. I also enjoy volunteering, reading, and journaling.
Help us thank Di’Avian for her dedication and commitment towards making a difference in the communities we serve by commenting below or sharing her spotlight!
6 Ways to Give Thanks for Thanksgiving
Tis the giving season and we’ve got plenty of opportunities for you to do something good this Thanksgiving. From Saturday, Nov. 19-Saturday, Nov. 26 we have 125+ projects in need of extra hands. So, whether you’re looking to continue your family tradition of service or looking to start a new tradition with your friends, check out these featured opportunities to give back.
Tis the giving season and we’ve got plenty of opportunities for you to do something good this Thanksgiving. From Saturday, Nov. 19-Saturday, Nov. 26 we have 125+ projects in need of extra hands. So, whether you’re looking to continue your family tradition of service or looking to start a new tradition with your friends, check out these featured opportunities to give back.
Fight Food Insecurity
Food is an urgent basic need – and those who struggle to feed their families, feel it each and every day. Students are unable to concentrate in the classroom, families who are food insecure experience more frequent and severe health issues, and socioeconomic growth is affected. The good news is, you can help. Our partner organizations on the frontlines of the fight for food security (often working on shoestring budgets) rely solely on volunteers to collect, organize and distribute food. Join our partners to support their work to feed Atlanta.
Serve with the whole family
Thanksgiving is the perfect time of year to reinforce service as a family value! Volunteering is also a fun, meaningful activity that builds community, empathy, self-worth. We’ve pulled together projects fit for the whole family.
Discovery at Parklane Elementary
This Saturday, Nov. 19, join Hands On Atlanta volunteers at Parklane Elementary and provide enrichment activities, including lessons in STEAM, social-emotional learning, and health and wellness in a structured and fun environment.
Thanksgiving Feast and Food Giveaway
On Saturday, Nov. 19, help Ebenezer Baptist Church with their Thanksgiving feast and food giveaway! Volunteers will assist with breakdown and cleanup of the event and transport items to the respective areas.
Help Feed 500 Families
Join C.H.O.I.C.E.S. on Saturday, Nov. 19 to help them teach 500 families how to make a Thanksgiving meal. You’ll pack bags, load cars and perform other volunteer tasks to ensure they feed 500 families in Dekalb County for Thanksgiving.
Help Before Your Second Helping
Volunteers are needed at the Invesco QQQ Thanksgiving Day Half Marathon, 5k, Mile and Dash on Thanksgiving Day. Fill the important role of ensuring runners are safe and have fun! Jobs vary from hydration stations to course monitors and cheering on runners! Volunteers are the heart and sole of Atlanta Track Club. Without the support of Atlanta Track Club volunteers, they would not be able to put on some of the most successful running events in the US.
BONUS - MAKE A DONATION
If you can’t get away to volunteer for Thanksgiving or if you want to let our hands be yours, consider making a donation! For every dollar donated, we’ll turn it into $6 of economic impact. Your donation can help support food security, educational equity and more impact across metro Atlanta.
Host a drive for the holidays!
The holidays are approaching fast and we’re already getting a lot of requests for donating items or hosting drives to help those in need across metro Atlanta. We’ve laid out a step-by-step guideline and best practices to make your drive a big success.
The holidays are approaching fast and we’re already getting a lot of requests for donating items or hosting drives to help those in need across metro Atlanta. Thank you for thinking of our neighbors and looking for unique and creative ways to help.
Below we’ve laid out a step-by-step guideline and best practices to make your drive a big success.
💥 Decide what kind of impact you want to make.
Think of who and how you want to help your community. For example, maybe you want to collect school supplies to support students returning to school in the fall, or maybe you’d like to support new mothers in need? There are a lot of impact areas where your network of friends, family and colleagues can help with! For a great list, check out the filter on our volunteer portal to find impact areas and organizations working to address them.
🔎 Identify a partner nonprofit to receive the donations.
Do a little research (we have a fantastic list of vetted nonprofit partner organizations you can browse) and find an organization that is working to solve the same community issues you want to make impact in with your drive.
⚙️ Work out the logistics.
Reach out to the partner, and find out if they’re up for receiving donations from your drive. You’ll want to get their specific request list of items, and find out when they need the supplies by. For example – did you know that the best time to deliver school supply donations is in early July? That gives the nonprofit the time to distribute them, before schools starts. Talk to the nonprofit partner about best times and dates for you to deliver, how the supplies should be packaged, and what items should not be avoided.
*NOTE: If you're doing a drive for holiday gifts, be sure not to collect wrapped gifts, unless the organization has requested this. Most organizations prefer for the parents or gift-giver to be able to wrap + give the gift directly to the recipient - and we totally agree with this!
⏳ Choose a timeframe.
Typically, 2 weeks is the ideal timeframe for a supply drive – meaning, the targeted participants have 2 weeks to purchase or find the supplies and deliver them to the collection site. Again, don’t forget to take into account the time when the nonprofit needs the supplies, and the time it’ll take you to inventorize and deliver the supplies – give yourself about a week to do that.
📣 Publicize the drive.
Sharing on social media and within group chats is the easiest and fastest way to spread the word. You can also create flyers with ALL information (supply lists, collection dates + locations, who to email with questions) and get these out to your group via email campaigns, passing them out at existing events like all-staff meetings or placing them in common areas like elevators and cafes. Asking group leadership to introduce the drive to the group can go a long way, too!
🗑️ Place collection bins out.
These should be in common areas, where your group will already be going – hallways and elevator banks are ideal. This also means your participants will walk by them frequently and be reminded.
🚀 Continue promoting!
Continuously remind your participants throughout the drive window, to participate. Remind them of the deadline, any incentives and the meaningful impact they are making!
📊 Take inventory.
After the deadline for donations has passed, count up the supplies and consolidate them into properly sized packaging. Give the nonprofit partner a heads up of the results via email, before delivering them.
🚚 Deliver!
Pack up the car and bring the donations to the nonprofit partner, at the previously arranged date + time!
Bonus tips and suggestions for an extra-awesome drive:
Make it competitive! Have different teams, departments or subgroups have their own collection bins – who’s will be the fullest, the fastest?
Offer incentives for all participants – a social media badge or even a sticker gives your participants a way to feel recognized as well as spread the word to others for you.
Take pictures, post and tag!
Introducing the 2023 Class of Hands On Atlanta Civic Fellows
Hands On Atlanta is thrilled to introduce you to the 2023 class of the Civic Leadership Program, powered by Constellation!
Over the next 9 months, these 23 Civic Fellows will build and develop leadership and professional development skills through workshops, trainings and hands-on learning while supporting the needs of 24 partner nonprofits and schools across metro Atlanta. The diverse cohort features award-winning community leaders, doctors, students, retirees, corporate leaders and entrepreneurs from all ages, skillsets, and education levels.
Hands On Atlanta is thrilled to introduce you to the 2023 class of the Civic Leadership Program, powered by Constellation!
Over the next 9 months, these 23 Civic Fellows will build and develop leadership and professional development skills through workshops, trainings and hands-on learning while supporting the needs of 22 partner nonprofits and schools across metro Atlanta. The diverse cohort features award-winning community leaders, doctors, students, retirees, corporate leaders and entrepreneurs from all ages, skillsets, and education levels.
Each fellow will be responsible for organizing at least 1 project a month, recruiting and managing volunteers, fundraising and supporting Hands On Atlanta’s Days of Service, like MLK Day. They’ll also connect and build relationships with each other through quarterly socials.
Meet the fellows:
Karen Machuca-Barboza
Serving with Discovery
Karen serves as the Sr. Administrative Assistant to three Vice Presidents of Southern Operations (GA & TN) at Southern Company Gas. Karen is the co-chair of Atlanta Gas Light’s – HOLA (Hispanic Organization of Latin Advancement) Employee Resource Group and actively supports the United Way of Greater Atlanta, Ser Familia, and the Latin American Association.
Dr. Sean Bethune
Serving with Hope Atlanta
Dr. Bethune is the Deputy Head of School at Daniel McLaughlin Therrell High School. Dr. Bethune has been a recipient of several awards and recognitions including a 2021 Georgia Southern University 40 under 40 and the 2021 Association for Supervision and Curriculum (ASCD) Emerging Leaders Award.
Maranie Brown
Serving with Black Girls Smile
Maranie is the V.P., Data Platform & Solutions within the Technology & Operations organization at BlackRock. She has been recognized as a "Rising Star" for outstanding contributions to the tech community, one of the Marietta Daily Journal / Cobb Life Magazine's "Top 20 Under 40", and a Woman to Watch in STEAM by Women in Tech.
Jade Calhoun
Serving with Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta
Jade is an Events and Game Experience Analyst with AMB Sports + Entertainment. Jade has honed critical skills required to efficiently maintain great relationships with communities and organizations.
Tracy Dansby
Serving with Reflections of Trinity
Tracy is a “Georgia Peach” that loves to serve in Atlanta and on mission trips abroad. Her professional expertise is in the area of Finance, Logistics and Transportation. She currently serves as the Controller for her family’s Trucking business.
Dahab Hagos Fewell
Serving with Discovery
Dahab is a mission-driven leader with extensive experience leading complex and innovative initiatives across the social-impact sector. Through her strong commitment to community, over the past 15 years, Dahab has led program design and asset-based community development initiatives through her work with grassroots and mainstream organizations.
Snapper Freeman
Serving with Discovery
Snapper is a Community Relationship Manager with the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, the founder of Community Service Redirect, and he also serves as Chair of the Fan Ambassador Program for the Chick Fil-A Peach Bowl.
Chelsea Bynum-Grant
Serving with Discovery
Chelsea Bynum-Grant honorably served in the United States Army for nine years as an 88M (Motor Transport Operator) and a 25V (Combat Documentation/Production Specialist). She’s currently a Deputy Sheriff with the Community Engagement Unit of the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office.
Brian Greene
Serving with Aglanta
Brian is the Business Capabilities Lead for Thought Logic Consulting, a management consulting firm based in Atlanta. He is responsible for the firm’s Finance, HR, Sales & Marketing, Change Management and Organizational Transformation, and for establishing the strategic direction of firm offerings for those services.
Dr. Sandy-Asari Hogan
Serving with Grady Health System
Dr. Sandy-Asari Hogan is a Director at ORS Impact, focused on evaluation and social impact strategy. She’s also the Vice President of the Urban League of Greater Atlanta Young Professionals (2021-2023) and as the chair-elect for the American Public Health Association (APHA) Intersectional Council Steering Committee (ISC).
Kiara Jones
Serving with Discovery
Kiara Jones is a Financial Advisor with Morgan Stanley that assists professionals and entrepreneurs in the serious stages of wealth accumulation with financial planning, investment strategy and risk management. Kiara currently volunteers with the Junior League of Greater Atlanta, United Way of Greater Atlanta, and other nonprofits supporting child well-being, women and homelessness.
Emelie Leveille
Serving with C.H.O.I.C.E.S.
Emilie is a Digital Communications professional and a yoga instructor. Her journey led her to organizations like AMB Sports and Entertainment, where she provided optimal support for events like the Democracy Class Atlanta, AMBlank Community Day, MLK Day of Service and more.
Kaci Palmore
Serving with Discovery
Kaci is the author of four poetry books When the Love is Real, This Heart of Mine, Like Water, Absurdly Tiny Steps—and most recently, a self-help memoir entitled Growing In Joy. As a full-time entrepreneur, she assists both companies and individuals with writing, editing, and content creation needs.
Jemima Peddie, PMP
Serving with Out of Hand Theater
Jemima is a Project Manager with over 20 years of marketing experience. She has worked in finance, healthcare, and publishing. She is skilled in strategic implementation, team building, and risk management.
Mary Catherine Pelham
Serving with Hope Atlanta
Mary Catherine is the Associate Director of Residential Services at CaringWorks, Inc. She has been involved in numerous volunteer activities around Metro Atlanta and has been a member of the Junior League of Atlanta since 2017. Although her career is service-focused, she has always had a heart for volunteering and has continued to give back to her community outside of her work.
Mael-Sanh Perrier
Serving with Atlanta Community Toolbank
Mael is a full-time student who’s dedicates much of his time to volunteering and is devoted to helping make Atlanta an even better place to live. Mael is a Volunteer Administrator for Team Rubicon, as well as an AmeriCorps alumnus.
Andre Person
Serving with Discovery
Andre Person has been constructing powerlines for Georgia Power for 15 years. He’s also the president of their local volunteer organization within Georgia Power.
Monica Saddique
Serving with Discovery
Monica is finishing her last year at Clark Atlanta University receiving her Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and a Minor in Spanish. She looks to pursue a career in legal affairs and become an International Human Rights attorney.
Chelsea Scarlett
Serving with Discovery
Chelsea is currently an Assistant Director with Xcenda Innovative Field Solutions. She enjoys volunteering with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Atlanta and Dress for Success Atlanta. She is a member of Northlake Toastmasters, Junior League of Dekalb and Clark Atlanta University Alumni Chapter and Clark Atlanta University Guild.
Sakshi Sehgal
Serving with Discovery
Sakshi a first-year MD candidate at the Medical College of Georgia. She enjoys serving her community and volunteered at COVID-19 testing and vaccination sites in the Atlanta area through the DeKalb Medical Reserve Corps during the pandemic.
Pam Sidhi
Serving with Clarkston Community Center
Pam is an innovative project and volunteer leader with a background in business management and international business. Now a full-time mom, Pam enjoys meeting new people and learning new perspectives, and digging into problems and solving them with modern technologies.
Christopher Stewart
Serving with the Wylde Center
Christopher H Stewart is a CyberSecurity professional in Atlanta, GA. and has been a volunteer in various organizations for over 17 years. Christopher has always prioritized volunteering, especially in the areas of bridging the education gap and financial literacy.
Erica Wyatt
Serving with Covington First
Erica is the Director of Occupational Health and Safety (OSH) for ThyssenKrupp Materials, One Source Group Division. Erica serves as a Board member for Junior League of DeKalb and a member of The National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Decatur-DeKalb Chapter.
Interested in learning more about the Hands On Atlanta Civic Leadership Program? You can get involved as a volunteer, sponsor a workshop or social, make a donation to support the program and more at https://www.handsonatlanta.org/civic-leadership
Powered by
Constellation is the nation’s largest producer of carbon-free energy and the leading competitive retail supplier of power and energy products and services for homes and businesses across the United States. Headquartered in Baltimore, its generation fleet powers more than 20 million homes and businesses and is helping to accelerate the nation’s transition to clean energy with more than 32,400 megawatts of capacity and annual output that is 90 percent carbon-free. Constellation has set a goal to eliminate 100 percent of its greenhouse gas emissions by 2040 by leveraging innovative technology and enhancing its diverse mix of hydro, wind and solar resources paired with the nation’s largest carbon-free nuclear fleet. Constellation’s family of retail businesses serves approximately 2 million residential, public sector and business customers, including three-fourths of the Fortune 100.
8 Days of IMPACT - Looking back at the 2022 Hands On Atlanta Week
Thousands of volunteers helped Hands On Atlanta and over 50 of our nonprofit and school partners improve food security and educational equity for families and students, improved the environment and sustainability across metro Atlanta and so much more throughout the 8 days in September - culminating on Sept. 27, 2022, Arthur Blank's 80th birthday.
What does the city’s largest week of service look like? Well, for starters, it looks like a lot of fun!
Thousands of volunteers helped Hands On Atlanta and over 50 of our nonprofit and school partners improve food security and educational equity for families and students, improved the environment and sustainability across metro Atlanta and so much more throughout the 8 days in September - culminating on Sept. 27, 2022, Arthur Blank's 80th birthday.
Across the 200+ projects and events that took place, close to 1,000 volunteers sorted, packed or distributed 60,000 meals for local families, serving a combined 3,000 hours! That’s just some of the incredible impact made by volunteers. Here’s a closer look at a few of our highlighted projects and community events from across the week.
Westside Takeover at 970 W. Jefferson
About 100 volunteers from the Blank Family of Businesses and iVision came out to 970 Jefferson St. (home to the Hands On Atlanta warehouse and several of our nonprofit partners) for an action packed Westside Takeover, to support a variety of agencies alleviating food insecurity across Metro-Atlanta. Volunteers were greeted by Atlanta Community Food Bank founder, Bill Bolling, then sorted food and packed about 9,000 meals with Urban Recipe and Second Helpings Atlanta, sorted 7 boxes of seeds and filled 500 seed packets for donation and painted 70 garden tools for Food Well Alliance to use in urban gardens & farms, and partnered up with Westside Future Fund to clean up the surrounding Westside neighborhoods.
STEAM Pop-Up at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta
Hundreds of volunteers from the Blank Family Foundation, Chick-Fil-A, and the Braves Foundation built 20 little libraries & 1,600 STEAM kits at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta. The STEAM kits were distributed to about 150 “Littles” during the Science ATL Pop-Up on September, 24. The libraries were built with the help of the Atlanta Community Toolbank and painted by the “Littles” then distributed to parks across Metro Atlanta in partnership with Park Pride.
Beautification at Centennial Academy and the Blank Family YMCA
Volunteers from Alston & Bird, Georgia Natural Gas, and HOK supported the Blank Family YMCA and Centennial Academy through the arts! Thanks to our partners at Paint Love and Learning in Color, volunteers painted and sealed little libraries, walls and rooms throughout both locations and 2 huge, motivational murals and 3 classrooms. Volunteers also read to over 100 students. Monique Lee, Associate Executive Director at the Metro Atlanta YMCA led the charge, with a big welcome and thank you to the volunteers!
Meals4Kids pack at the Hands On Atlanta Warehouse
Volunteers from the Blank Family Foundation and Georgia Power packed nutritious, shelf-stable food into bags for students at the International Community School in Dekalb County - many of who are refugees or otherwise immigrating from other countries. The volunteers also wrote notes of encouragement cards with candy to support literacy engagement.
Beautification at John Lewis Invictus Academy
Volunteers were greeted at John Lewis Invictus Academy by Principal Dr. Ramon Garner, Superintendent of Atlanta Public Schools, Dr. Lisa Herring, Garry Lowe, Vice Chair of the John Lewis Legacy Institute and Hands On Atlanta co-founder Elise Eplan. Atlanta Falcons players and cheerleaders were also on hand to help with a variety of beautification projects including building and painting 6 picnic tables, 6 garden bed builds, about 100 sidewalk paintings, and landscaping. This was the final project of Hands On Atlanta Week, helping to celebrate Arthur Blank's 80th birthday!
More Good that happened during Hands On Atlanta Week
The Komen Georgia More Than Pink Walk raised $450,000 for breast cancer research, care, support and advocacy!
The AIDS Walk Atlanta Festival and 5k raised close to $400,000 to support and care for Georgians living with HIV/AIDS
The 4th Annual Morehouse College Human Rights Film Festival showcased 80 short and full feature films for an in-person and virtual experience. You can watch the trailers and purchase tickets to watch individual films here.
100 runners participated in the OneDigial Dash Corporate Crusaders team, racking up over 2100 miles from more than 290 runs throughout the week! Their team fundraised for Bert’s Big Adventure, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Safekids Georgia and Hands On Atlanta!
Atlanta falcons mike ford and chris lindstrom spent time with students at john lewis invictus and helped beautify the school’s front entrance.
Volunteers from Ryan Companies served with Trees Atlanta, Weeding & Mulching 95 Trees!
Volunteers from Ryan Companies served with Trees Atlanta, Weeding & Mulching 95 Trees!
200 volunteers from Cognizant, Morris Manning and Martin, LLP, Chick-fil-A, UPS, Carmax and Schneider served over 300 hours at the Atlanta Community Food Bank. Together, they helped sort and pack 40,000 pounds of food, prepping 34,000 meals for families across metro Atlanta!
Freddie was the hardest working volunteer all week - he was everywhere!
200 volunteers from Cognizant, Morris Manning and Martin, LLP, Chick-fil-A, UPS, Carmax and Schneider served over 300 hours at the Atlanta Community Food Bank. Together, they helped sort and pack 40,000 pounds of food, prepping 34,000 meals for families across metro Atlanta!
200 volunteers from Cognizant, Morris Manning and Martin, LLP, Chick-fil-A, UPS, Carmax and Schneider served over 300 hours at the Atlanta Community Food Bank. Together, they helped sort and pack 40,000 pounds of food, prepping 34,000 meals for families across metro Atlanta!
Over 172,000 meals packed for metro Atlanta families for the 2022 9/11 Day of Service
On Monday, September 12, close to 400 volunteers spent the day at the Georgia World Congress Center packing more than 172,000 meals for families across metro Atlanta, commemorating the 9/11 Day of Service and Remembrance.
Photos by City of Atlanta Government
On Monday, September 12, close to 400 volunteers spent the day at the Georgia World Congress Center packing more than 172,000 meals for families across metro Atlanta, commemorating the 9/11 Day of Service and Remembrance.
Now an annual day of service in Atlanta, this is the 3rd year Hands On Atlanta has partnered with MyGoodDeed (d.b.a. 9/11 Day) the 501(c)(3) nonprofit that created the September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance. Their mission is to take back the day, transform the anniversary of 9/11 into a national day of doing good, and in the process rekindle the spirit of unity that arose in America in the immediate aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Together, we’ve engaged thousands of volunteers and packed over 500,000 meals for metro Atlanta families!
Atlanta Mayor, Andre Dickens and members of the Mayor’s Office joined the meal pack and spoke to the volunteers, sharing his energy, the impact and power of today’s event and thanking all the volunteers and organizers for their efforts.
For this year’s event we teamed up with Meals of Hope, Brave Public Relations, the Georgia World Congress Center, and the Atlanta Community Food Bank (the recipient of the 172,000+ meals) for a meaningful and fun day of service. Guest emcee and WSB-TV evening anchor, Karyn Greer kept the energy in the room electric and brought authenticity to the work and the purpose of uniting in service.
Ashley Graylee, a volunteer from Novelis summed up the event perfectly saying, “Coming together and doing something good for others, it just feels good, and it feels like 21 years later we are still honoring those who have lost so much.”
Learn more about 9/11 Day and how you can get involved at www.911day.org and for more meal packing opportunities and events or to discover other ways to fight food insecurity across metro Atlanta visit www.handsonatlanta.org/food.
feeling inspired?
You don’t have to wait to do something good. From September, 20-27, 2022, we’re teaming up with the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation for Hands On Atlanta Week - Atlanta’s biggest week of service. There are hundreds of opportunities and events you can sign up for addressing food insecurity, education, environmental sustainability and more throughout the week.
8 Things to do for Hands On Atlanta Week
If you can’t tell by the amount of projects and events we’re promoting the week of September 20-27, we’re stoked for the 2022 Hands On Atlanta Week presented by the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation! So, to help get you out of the office/home and into the community as quick as possible, we’ve pulled together this list of 8 Things to do for Hands On Atlanta Week to help get you started.
If you can’t tell by the amount of projects and events we’re promoting the week of September 20-27, we’re stoked for the 2022 Hands On Atlanta Week presented by the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation!
With so many awesome and impactful opportunities to get involved, it can sometimes feel like trying to find something to watch on Netflix - spending more time scrolling and searching than actually watching. So, to help get you out of the office/home and into the community as quick as possible, we’ve pulled together this list of 8 Things to do for Hands On Atlanta Week to help get you started:
Sign up to be a poll worker through the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce
On September 20, 2022, celebrate National Voter Registration Day (a nonpartisan civic holiday celebrating our democracy) by signing up to be a poll worker. If you’re a “techie” your help is most needed to manage the electronic voting machines.
Be one of 5000 guests at 500 tables across metro Atlanta
On September 21, 2022 join Equitable Dinners and rock your civic engagement by being in the 5000. Launched by a one person play, each table will share stories, connect with strangers and neighbors, and be inspired to make a positive difference.
Pitch in for the Piedmont Park Green Market
Have fun volunteering while enjoying the fresh air, learning about locally grown produce and supporting the Piedmont Park Conservancy on September 24, 2022! Green Market volunteers play an important role in supporting healthy lifestyles and encouraging sustainable communities.
Sign up for Discovery
Interact with students from Title 1 schools in the Metro Atlanta community. In a structured environment, volunteers will help students have new experiences and visualize brighter through enriching activities.
Volunteer with the AIDS Walk
Volunteers help bring our walk to life! Volunteer with AIDS Walk Atlanta on Saturday, September 24, 2022 to gain some knowledge and give back to your community. Sign up and volunteer to be a part of the magic.
Join the AUMI Recovery Walk
By volunteering with the Antioch Urban Ministries, Inc. Recovery Walk, you’ll help heighten awareness of drug addiction, foster fellowship and to collaborate resources within the community.
Volunteer at Five Points Farm
Head downtown on Sunday, September 25 to help one of Atlanta's most unique community gardens - the Five Points Farm - a member of the AgLanta Grows-A-Lot program. Volunteers help with weeding, planting, watering, harvesting and doing site beautification projects.
Help at the National Black MBA Atlanta Conference
As a volunteer with the National Black MBA Association 44th Annual NBMBAA® Conference, you can expand your network, share your skills, gain experience, and have an impact on the efficient operation and continued success of the Conference. Various shifts and roles start September 27, 2022.
BONUS:
Gather your family and friends to volunteer to pick up litter on the Beltline on a day and location convenient for you! Check out this DIY opportunity and help keep the Beltline clean and safe for everyone.
