Established nearly 40 years ago by United States President Jimmy Carter, Good Neighbor Day came as a way to focus attention on strengthening and rebuilding local communities around the country.
In the same spirit, State Farm celebrated Good Neighbor Day by activating events throughout the country through its Neighborhood of Good initiative.
State Farm is committed to inspire and empower people to get involved in their neighborhoods to create a positive, sustainable, and measurable social impact. Usually a national employee volunteer program, this year, the company opened the program to make an even bigger impact around local communities.
“Our focus this year is to get others to join us – to volunteer for something they’re passionate about in their community. We want to keep the momentum of volunteerism and positive impact going,” said Lonnie Smith, manager of Enterprise Philanthropy/Atlanta ParkLink.
On Sept. 30, State Farm joined forces with Hands on Atlanta and the Boys and Girls Club of Metro Atlanta to meet critical needs and make a difference in the community. Volunteers got together at Grant Park and packed 1,000 school supply kits and 1,000 science kits for local children and schools. They also completed murals for two local high schools.
While giving back makes a positive impact local communities, another takeaway is the sense of doing good — perhaps, even instilling a sense of service in Atlanta’s youngest community members.
“I included my daughter in Good Neighbor Day to teach her the importance of helping others. She and I contributed side-by-side with others and to see the pride in her face because she was helping somebody else was powerful,” Smith said.
The community can also share the same sense of pride by volunteering in the Atlanta area through the Neighborhood of Good initiative. People can participate in volunteering at food pantries, festivals or with other organizations that are always seeking a helping hand. Additionally, people can look to Hands on Atlanta for more opportunities to give back.
“We’re really proud of what we accomplished in Atlanta, but beyond those specific items, we wanted to encourage people to keep it going and volunteer more in the future,” Smith said. “We want people to take action in their community – big or small – and make a positive difference.”
Neighborhood of Good launched in March 2017 and aims to unify all State Farm community-related programs and philanthropic efforts, including the company’s more than 7,000 community partnerships, robust employee volunteerism program, multiple grant-giving initiatives and the Education Assist program, among others.
Since the launch, Neighborhood of Good has inspired action from more than 30,000 volunteers across the country.
In other news: Kroger's Atlanta Division donated $50,000 to local food pantries with the aim of assisting students in need. The donation will address food insecurity among students of all ages, ranging from elementary school to college. Kroger will be partnering with several Atlanta area programs that assist schools, including MUST Ministries, CARE Closet, The Kennesaw State University Care program, The Klemis Kitchen at Georgia Tech, and The Joseph and Evelyn Lowery Institute, including Mimi's pantry, which supports Atlanta Clark University, Morehouse College and Spelman College.
Free Bikes 4 Kidz is hosting it’s annual bike drive on Saturday, Oct. 14. Drop off bikes at various locations on Oct. 14 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. For drop-off sites, visit http://fb4katl.org/donate/donate-a-bike/.
Information: NeighborhoodofGood.com
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