In just a few short months, Hands On Atlanta will launch one of its most ambitious campaigns ever to get us to make giving a part of our lifestyles.
If everything goes as planned — and there’s no reason to think it won’t — all of us will begin to rethink why and how we give.
That day we all know as Hands On Atlanta Day is about to change.
To both celebrate and commemorate the nonprofit’s 30th birthday, president and CEO Jay Cranman wants to extend the single day of volunteerism into an entire week and thus change the culture of Atlanta.
“There is only so much good you can do on a Saturday morning from 9 to noon,” Cranman said recently. “This change gives us a lot more real estate.”
Hands On Atlanta began in 1989 when 12 friends, struggling to find volunteer opportunities in Atlanta, created a more organized and flexible model to serve. What began as a discussion over beers and burgers at Manuel’s Tavern became one of the city’s biggest successes — a people-powered solution to help solve Atlanta’s toughest challenges.
Today Hands On Atlanta is one of the largest civic engagement organizations in the world, connecting 20,000 people annually with over 150 nonprofit and school partners.
Cranman wants to expand on that.
“We’re really trying to make a pivot in how people think about their giving back,” he said.
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The idea is to get people to move from appointment-based volunteerism to living a life of service. In other words, making giving a part of their lives every single day.
“Transitioning to a weeklong campaign allows us to rethink our partnerships,” Cranman said. “For example, instead of planning a bespoke project with a single nonprofit, we can now partner with a community event already in the works. There are a lot of great things happening in Atlanta. This gives us a chance to bring opportunities to residents instead of asking residents to drive to the opportunities.
“We’re trying to get people to think wherever I go, whatever I’m doing in my day, let me try to find a way to be of service to others. We’re all busy, but if we make giving back part of our lifestyle, we can make Atlanta a more equitable city.”
Think about that.
For many of us, the first Saturday of every October is synonymous with Hands on Atlanta Day, if for no other reason than because we’ve been doing it now for so long.
This October, however, Hands On Atlanta will kick off the largest week of service, with a goal of engaging 10,000 Atlantans to do something good.
Whether you’re a part of an organization or event in need of volunteers, a company with a passion to create positive impact, or a changemaker with a desire to improve your community, Hands On Atlanta Week wants to elevate your reach to maximize the impact.
Credit: Contributed
Credit: Contributed
“Civic engagement is at the core of the Atlanta culture. It’s in our DNA,” Cranman said. “We believe Hands On Atlanta Week will become the open platform for the next generation of changemakers to solve the growing, complex challenges facing our communities and inspire everyone across metro Atlanta to do something good.”
What will that week look like?
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Beginning Oct. 5 and continuing through Oct. 12, there will be over 150 service projects occurring across the city, including "pop-up" projects at community hotspots along the Atlanta Beltline, at the tailgate of the GSU vs. Arkansas State football game, and more. Delta Air Lines will host a KABOOM playground build for employees and members of the neighboring community. Volunteers can support festivals like Atlanta Pride or the A3C Festival and Conference. Volunteers can serve with their skills during a "hack-a-thon" for good at 48in48, and for those wanting a more intimate experience, you can host or attend a meaningful conversation through Civic Dinners.
There’s more, but here’s why this should matter to all of us.
Credit: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Credit: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Right now, according to Cranman, Atlanta ranks 36th in volunteering among the top 50 metropolitan service areas. Bottom line, we’ve got issues that need people’s attention. For instance, 1 in 4 kids live in food-insecure homes, and only about 40% of third graders can read at grade level. Yet the number of people who say they are engaged is quite small. When you consider this is the birthplace of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., that shouldn’t be. Clearly, there’s a gap between who we think we are and who we actually are.
“I think we should be leading the nation in civic engagement,” Cranman said. “We hope Hands On Atlanta Week gives people a chance to see how easy it is to get involved in the meaningful way.”
Cranman and his team are now trying to identify partners willing to help in this effort.
If that's you or if you know someone, reach out and help. Log onto handsonatlantaweek.org. It's that easy.
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