By providing support to Goodr, an Atlanta-based social impact startup leveraging technology to reduce food waste and end hunger, senior citizens and low-income students who rely on subsidized school meals will have access to five pop-up grocery stores in underserved communities throughout Atlanta.

In collaboration with the Atlanta Department of Recreation, Goodr, founded by social entrepreneur Jasmine Crowe, is adapting its normal operations to comply with CDC guidelines recommending social distancing and avoidance of large gatherings. Using a drive/walk-through system to distribute the food, three of the five pop-up grocery stores will be at State Farm Good Neighbor Clubs, dedicated educational and entertainment centers, or basketball courts renovated through the Hawks Foundation.

“This is the third time Jasmine and her team at Goodr has provided the Atlanta Hawks and State Farm with a platform and a means to help our more vulnerable neighbors during a critical time of need,” said State Farm AVP – Human Resources Clarence Hearns. “In the weeks to come, we hope what is shared at these free pop-up grocery stores will be a source of nourishment as well as give the families a sense of reassurance in community.”

Each pop-up grocery store is expected to serve 300 to 600 families with two weeks of groceries, including fresh produce, shelf-stable items and meats.

“In this unprecedented time filled with uncertainty for so many, we are honored to partner with Jasmine and support her team at Goodr,” Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Arena CEO Steve Koonin said. “They are providing a tremendous vehicle to truly help our fellow Atlantans, providing the comfort of knowing where their next meals are coming from.”

LIFT Scholars stock GSU food pantry

Also in Atlanta, State Farm LIFT Scholars stocked a Georgia State University campus food pantry with more than 1,000 jars of peanut butter donated by State Farm employees. The State Farm Education Assist^® program offers 50 scholarships per year and other assistance to Georgia State students.

“State Farm’s support is an amazing example of the way that philanthropy can have an amplifying effect,” said Heath Wood, senior director of Corporate and Foundation Relations for Georgia State. “The LIFT Scholars receiving scholarship support from State Farm are paying that generosity forward by giving back to the community to support others facing difficult circumstances.”

More than one billion people worldwide are unnecessarily blind or vision impaired. Most just need a pair of glasses. Thousands of American children are among them. Children who should be busy learning, are instead struggling to see.

Kovan Reynolds was one of those kids. The 13-year-old from Atlanta had to stand up at the front of the classroom to read the white board. He would squint and get headaches playing his favorite video game. He wanted more confidence on the soccer field. He wanted a new pair of glasses.

Kovan’s mom, Rene Elmore, knew he needed a new pair after losing a few frames. His eyesight had gotten worse and he needed an exam. But life kept getting in the way.

The single mom had just put herself through college and landed a new job. With everything on their plates, getting to the eye doctor ended up on the backburner. Then a State Farm employee decided to celebrate her 30^th work anniversary by giving back.

A happy hour or food day wasn’t really Michele Means’ style, but community service was. She also wanted to engage her work colleagues in the act of good, and help youth.

“I was looking for an idea that would be impactful and different,” Michele said. “I reached out to the local Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta because of the amazing work they do.”

Sophie Felix, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta Director of Teen Services, suggested an eyeglass collection campaign paired with free exams and fittings; Project Vision.

“I have two adopted brothers whose birth mother was blind…my mom initially struggled to get them the eyecare and glasses they needed,” Sophie said. “I know what a difference having proper glasses makes.”

“I thought, it must be so difficult to learn and succeed if you can’t see properly. Good vision should never be taken for granted,” Michele shared. “Sophie thought 30 frames would be a good goal. But I knew my State Farm community could pull off more.”

She was right.

• 145 frames were collected from Michele’s State Farm network, more than 200 total.
  • 11 State Farm employees also donated their time at the event.
• 113 Boys and Girls Club members attended the mid-October Project Vision event.
  • The extra glasses will be used at future BGCMA events.
• 31 members had free eye screenings and received free exam vouchers, including Kovan.
• 34 members with prescriptions received free glasses.

It was a pretty impactful way to celebrate a work anniversary. 

And, a huge weight was lifted off Rene’s shoulders; Kovan is getting his glasses!

Have old frames? Skip the junk drawer and instead help people all over the world. Across the US, the Lions Club has drop-off locations.
 

More than one billion people worldwide are unnecessarily blind or vision impaired. Most just need a pair of glasses. Thousands of American children are among them. Children who should be busy learning, are instead struggling to see.

Kovan Reynolds was one of those kids. The 13-year-old from Atlanta had to stand up at the front of the classroom to read the white board. He would squint and get headaches playing his favorite video game. He wanted more confidence on the soccer field. He wanted a new pair of glasses.

Kovan’s mom, Rene Elmore, knew he needed a new pair after losing a few frames. His eyesight had gotten worse and he needed an exam. But life kept getting in the way.

The single mom had just put herself through college and landed a new job. With everything on their plates, getting to the eye doctor ended up on the backburner. Then a State Farm employee decided to celebrate her 30^th work anniversary by giving back.

A happy hour or food day wasn’t really Michele Means’ style, but community service was. She also wanted to engage her work colleagues in the act of good, and help youth.

“I was looking for an idea that would be impactful and different,” Michele said. “I reached out to the local Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta because of the amazing work they do.”

Sophie Felix, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta Director of Teen Services, suggested an eyeglass collection campaign paired with free exams and fittings; Project Vision.

“I have two adopted brothers whose birth mother was blind…my mom initially struggled to get them the eyecare and glasses they needed,” Sophie said. “I know what a difference having proper glasses makes.”

“I thought, it must be so difficult to learn and succeed if you can’t see properly. Good vision should never be taken for granted,” Michele shared. “Sophie thought 30 frames would be a good goal. But I knew my State Farm community could pull off more.”

She was right.

• 145 frames were collected from Michele’s State Farm network, more than 200 total.
  • 11 State Farm employees also donated their time at the event.
• 113 Boys and Girls Club members attended the mid-October Project Vision event.
  • The extra glasses will be used at future BGCMA events.
• 31 members had free eye screenings and received free exam vouchers, including Kovan.
• 34 members with prescriptions received free glasses.

It was a pretty impactful way to celebrate a work anniversary. 

And, a huge weight was lifted off Rene’s shoulders; Kovan is getting his glasses!

Have old frames? Skip the junk drawer and instead help people all over the world. Across the US, the Lions Club has drop-off locations.
 

“This decision symbolizes our pledge to making a difference in communities, building our brand locally and nationally, and ultimately growing State Farm,” said State Farm Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Michael Tipsord. “The Atlanta Hawks Basketball Club is well known for giving back in this community. Along with our Neighborhood of Good initiative, we’ll have new opportunities to invest in the local community.”

With one of its three regional hubs based in Dunwoody, State Farm is an active member of the local community employing approximately 7,000 individuals with over 6,000 located in metro Atlanta. The insurance giant prides itself on activating its workforce in the communities in which they reside. Over the past four years, State Farm staff has volunteered over 2 million hours in their respective communities.

With a mission to be good ‘neighbors dedicated to helping people, and to developing safer, stronger and better educated communities across the country’ and to ‘turn caring into doing’, State Farm and the Hawks will co-create impactful community initiatives and bolster existing community and social responsibility programs.

“We are honored to work with State Farm, one of the nation’s most recognizable and civic-minded organizations and want to thank Michael Tipsord and Rand Harbert for their leadership and commitment to this exceptional collaboration,” said Principal Owner Tony Ressler. “Our ownership group considers the Atlanta Hawks Basketball Club a community asset, and we are excited to have found a partner that shares our vision and has committed to working with us to expand on the community engagement and philanthropic initiatives we do that benefit the many communities that make up this great metropolitan area. Generations will be positively impacted by the work we do throughout Georgia, and we could not be prouder to have the State Farm name on our new arena.”

State Farm Arena, the new home of the Hawks, will open its doors following the completion of the $192.5 million-dollar renovation, the 2^nd largest in NBA history, and in time to celebrate the team’s 50^th year in Atlanta in October. The transformed arena will feature the third-largest center-hung scoreboard in the NBA and most immersive video experience, new sightlines with 360-degree concourses and new seating and first-of-its-kind in-venue entertainment options with Topgolf Swing Suites, the company’s first permanent amenity in a major sports arena, Killer Mike’s SWAG Shop (a four-chair barbershop overlooking the court) and the signature Hawks Bar, the NBA’s first courtside bar. State Farm Arena will also be the first NBA venue to offer fan-friendly food pricing with 12 popular food and beverage items priced at $5 or less.

Consistently ranked among the top 10 concert and event venues in the world by Pollstar, State Farm Arena hosts approximately 170 events and nearly 2 million guests annually. Superstars already scheduled to visit the venue after it opens include Drake, Elton John, Justin Timberlake, P!nk, Shawn Mendes and Carrie Underwood.

Fans will get their first opportunity to enter the new State Farm Arena on Saturday, Oct. 20^th with the “Welcome to the Neighborhood” Open House Party, a free, public event inviting fans to experience the new venue.

# TrueToAtlanta #

After lots of hard work, Adriana learned English and diligently climbed up the career ladder. In five years, she was a plant supervisor learning everything from operating the machines, quality control and digitizing, to management skills.

When Adriana decided to be a stay-at-home mom, she soon realized she wanted to put her skills and 13 years of experience to good use while taking care of her daughters.

So she took a chance. With a small budget, she created an Etsy store selling customized children’s apparel.

Early success turned into stagnant client growth. She thought about closing the shop. With little motivation to continue, Adriana came across some interesting social posts. One of the posts was about a Latin American Association (LAA) women’s program.

Adriana soon joined the LAA program, and it was a wake-up call. The program, which is supported by State Farm, opened her eyes to available resources, smart business practices and methodologies. She received professional guidance and a push to keep trying. She then created Georgia Stitch. It is a family-owned business specializing in embroidering uniforms, apparel and spirit wear for businesses and individuals.

“With the support of the Latin American Association, I was able to gain knowledge that allowed me to re-launch my business,” shared Adriana. “These types of programs are a huge resource to the community thanks to companies like State Farm and others.”

Her goal is to make Georgia Stitch the place where companies’ and individuals’ ideas can be transformed into embroidery, screen printing, vinyl and more. Adriana took a chance, rejected the status quo and followed her heart. Now her life reflects her passion for entrepreneurship. She is a Dream Achiever.