That’s exactly what Christopher Schafer provides to men every Wednesday.

Christopher makes custom suits for a living in Baltimore. His passion for clothing, and the need to find an organization to donate unwanted suits, pushed him to create Sharp Dressed Man.

“I was bringing new suits to a client who had a couple bags of old clothes he didn’t want to wear because he told me I spoiled him with new custom suits. It was quite a compliment, but it came with trying to find a home for these clothes,” Christopher says.

Christopher discovered many organizations provided everything for men who were in need of a job – resume building, practice interviews and setting interview appointments – but they didn’t have the clothing to make the right first impression, so he created his own nonprofit.

“At Sharp Dressed Man, we focus on the finishing touch. Other organizations are bringing us guys going through a transformation, and we’re there to send them out the door to their interviews,” he says.

Sharp Dressed Man has suited more than 8,000 men, and is on track to dress 2,000 men this year. The men come to Sharp Dressed Man with a referral from a partnering organization. Every Wednesday at noon, Christopher sees a line of men stretching down the street. And all of them are waiting for a suit.

“We bring the guys back one at a time, working one-on-one with a stylist who measures them, sizes them and finds options. I want them to try the suits on for fit.

“If the clothes fit, we’ll give them all kinds of stuff, but they have to have clothes they want to wear and feel confident in.”

Sharp Dressed Man received a $25,000 State Farm Neighborhood Assist^® Grant in 2018 to help impact more lives in their community. Part of the State Farm Neighborhood of Good^® initiative, State Farm Neighborhood Assist is back for its eighth year in 2019. The program awards $25,000 grants to 40 nonprofit organizations to help fund neighborhood education, safety and community development projects.

The grant helped keep Sharp Dressed Man open.

“The grant covered our overhead costs – paying the rent and electric bill – and we got a new spot. It’s really hard to focus on trying to help people when you’re worried about paying the bills,” Christopher says. “Now, we can work on planning for the future.”

With more submissions and more grants, State Farm Neighborhood Assist^® is going bigger on building stronger neighborhoods together in 2022. In celebration of the 100th anniversary of State Farm^®, we’re awarding 100 $25,000 grants (vs. 40 grants in previous years) to causes making a difference in their communities. We are also doubling the number of submissions to 4,000. Submissions open on Feb. 16 at 1pm ET!

Submissions for this year’s program will be accepted starting June 2 at 1 p.m. ET and will end once 2,000 submissions are received. The voting phase will follow from Aug. 18-27, where the public can vote for their favorite cause from the list of 200 finalists. The 40 winners will be announced Sept. 29. For more information, please visit https://www.neighborhoodassist.com.

To promote change State Farm is pledging $100 million over five years to support minority communities and issues of racial equity and justice. This is just one part of the insurer’s ongoing efforts to bring about change.

“State Farm has a long history and commitment to social justice,” said Victor Terry, Chief Diversity Officer and Vice President of Public Affairs at State Farm. “Today, we take our latest step in this important journey. Doing nothing is unacceptable. Powerful solutions must be brought to the table, and we need a lot of people at the table, too.”

The $100 million contribution will support a variety of community-focused projects, including small business support, funding for affordable housing programs, and educational advancement programs. Funds will be a combination of charitable contributions and community investments.

“This pledge is truly a continuation of our historical, nearly 100 year-support of organizations that help to meet the most pressing needs of the communities where we live and work,” said Terry.

That near 100-year history has included support for affordable housing and economic empowerment for underprivileged communities across the United States. One such organization is the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC). During the 20-year relationship, State Farm has invested $149 million in LISC’s community development programs. Just this year, State Farm provided LISC  $10 million in COVID-19 small business funding for Illinois companies struggling in the wake of a global pandemic.

How did it play in Peoria?

This funding will boost under-invested communities and their residents. One example of its impact is Young’s Popcorn Heaven, a minority, female-owned, gourmet popcorn shop in Peoria, IL. Owners, JoAnn and Greg Young, opened their shop in 2015, and like many new, small businesses, they worked hard to achieve a positive cash flow.

The retired state employee and construction tradesman always dreamt of owning their own business. After saving for years, they finally opened Popcorn Heaven. Then, in 2019, they faced a 50% monthly lease increase and began exploring new locations for their business.

After finding a building and researching different financing options, the Young’s came across LISC. Using State Farm funds, LISC provided a $165,000 loan to purchase and renovate a new building.

“The loan helped me increase my production and sales. My new property is in a more trafficked area, it’s a lot bigger and better for social distancing,” shared Young. “But more importantly, it saved two full-time and five part-time jobs, and decreased our overall expenses. It’s also helping us get through the pandemic, when lots of businesses are closing their doors permanently.”

Equity gaps exacerbated during COVID-19

• The pandemic created a lot of difficulty for small businesses; 15% have closed their doors permanently. Minority-owned businesses were hit worse: more than 26% of Black- and 19% of Latino-owned businesses have closed.¹
• Many American workers lost their jobs or had wages cut significantly as well. Hispanic adults were hit the hardest, 61% of Hispanic adults stating they or someone in their household either lost their job or received less wages – compared to 44% of African Americans and 38% of Whites.^.2

“State Farm helps people realize their dreams. But when some people don’t have the resources to get on a path toward accomplishing their goals – be it an education, an affordable home, or a chance to start the business of their dreams – we strive to be part of the solution,” said Terry.

Sources: ^1-Brookings Institute  ^2-Accion Opportunity Fund

Rankin is the executive director of Happy Wheels, a nonprofit organization that provides toys and books for hospitalized children at three hospitals in South Carolina. Although their mission is on hold because of COVID-19, the organization is still working to provide happiness and a distraction for children.

“We’re all about providing a moment of kid time to enjoy non-medical time during their hospital stay. We hear a lot that the Happy Wheels cart is the only bright spot for the kids,” Rankin said. “For those couple of minutes, it takes their mind off what they are there for and lets them be a kid.”

Happy Wheels also focuses on teaching younger generations to give back and help those not as fortunate by providing volunteer service hour opportunities. High school and college students host toy drives or fundraisers for Happy Wheels, and also help Rankin write thank you notes and sort toys into each age group.

Rankin said when Happy Wheels is allowed into the hospitals, about 300-350 kids receive a toy or book a week.

“The best part is seeing the change in their faces when we tell them why we’re there,” she said. “A majority of the kids don’t know who we are, so we knock on the door and they’re skeptical. When they see the cart, the change in their faces is indescribable. The child-like joy and ability to forget everything going on – there is no other feeling like it.”

Happy Wheels received a State Farm Neighborhood Assist grant in 2019.

In its ninth year, State Farm Neighborhood Assist provides $25,000 grants to 40 nonprofits each year to help fund neighborhood improvement projects. Because of the many challenges facing our nation right now, State Farm^® is removing all category requirements for submissions this year. This action will free up communities to submit causes to address their greatest needs.

The submission phase opens July 15 and ends when 2,000 submissions are reached. The State Farm Review Committee narrows the field to the Top 200 finalists using a scoring rubric. The voting phase will then take place Sept. 23-Oct. 2, when voters can vote for their favorite cause 10 times a day, every day. Finally, the 40 causes that receive the most votes will each win a $25,000 grant. Winners will be announced on Wednesday, Nov. 4, at www.neighborhoodassist.com.

"Grant programs that address community needs, like Neighborhood Assist, are more important than ever,” said Annette Martinez, State Farm Senior Vice President. “This initiative truly embodies the spirit of being a Good Neighbor.”

Last year, 163,000 people cast 4.4 million votes in support of their favorite causes, selecting winners from small towns and big cities. Since the program began, State Farm has awarded $8 million in support of more than 300 causes.

Rankin is hoping to win again this year.

“As a small nonprofit, it’s difficult to get grants. Neighborhood Assist gives us a chance to compete with the larger nonprofits,” she said. “I’ve never seen a grant process like it. I’m really grateful to State Farm.”

The Down Syndrome Association of Greater St. Louis (DSAGSL), one of 40 $25,000 State Farm^® Neighborhood Assist^® grant winners in 2019, provides an employment program that supports about 25 individuals seeking jobs and internships. One opportunity is the Pop Up Snack Shop Micro-Business. Fourteen individuals with Down syndrome run the business – from marketing to assembly and direct sales. Snack boxes range from healthy to sweet to salty and more options.

“The Pop Up Snack Shop was a way to provide training and awareness in the community, and it blew up,” says Down Syndrome Association of Greater St. Louis Executive Director Erin Suelmann. “It’s grown so much, we can’t keep up with demand.”

Pop Up Snack Shop sets up in a business’s lobby or office and offers snack boxes for $5. All packing, labeling, set up and sales are handled by individuals with Down syndrome in the employment program.

“They learn service skills, executive functions and sales skills with the Pop Up Snack Shop,” Erin says. “Now we can provide more opportunities for job seekers and put additional revenue back into the program by visiting more businesses each month.”

When DSAGSL learned it was a finalist for the $25,000 State Farm Neighborhood Assist grant, a social media and email marketing plan was created to get the community involved in the voting phase.

“We did a ton on social media and have a large number of supporter information in our database. We posted on social media every day to make people aware we were finalists and asking them to vote,” Erin says. “This was a great way to raise awareness about what we do and have people rally around us.”

Eureka, Mo., State Farm Agent Kelly Ruby was featured in a video promoting the DSAGSL employment program. She hired Megan Layton from the program five years ago.

“The organization asked us to support their employment initiative to help adults with Down syndrome gain employment outside of the typical workshop or back office setting,” Kelly says. “We have been so lucky to employ Megan Layton. This employment initiative has blossomed, offering adults with Down syndrome the ability to run their own business. The State Farm grant will help this effort grow.”

With the grant, a new van will be purchased for the snack shop, allowing more stops each month.

“Without support of companies like State Farm in ways like this grant, we would not be able to serve our community,” Erin says. “We rely on support of individuals and company partners to provide programming that is life changing. We’re grateful to State Farm for this grant.”

Through the State Farm Neighborhood Assist grant program, part of the Neighborhood of Good^®, 40 causes are receiving a $25,000 grant to fund projects in education, safety and community development. In 10 days, 163,000 people cast 4.4 million votes in support of their favorite causes. For a complete list of this year’s Top 40 causes, visit the Neighborhood Assist website.

“When you lose everything, it is natural to be so emotionally attached to the things that you have lost,” Keith says. “It’s a painful process to have to think about everything you lost.

“However, if you take the time to go room by room, opening cabinets and closets and taking pictures or getting it all on video, in a large catastrophe like this, it speeds up the process.”

Keith completed his own home inventory, as well as doing one for his mother. Many of 1,100 customers who filed claims, however, didn’t have one to refer to.

“It is a frustrating process when submitting a claim,” Keith says. “Think about getting asked about everything you own? How many pair of socks, shirts, shoes, pants.”

Santa Barbara, Calif., Agent Irene Henry helped a customer who had a total loss in the Jesusita Fire in 2009 update her home inventory with a smartphone.

“It’s important to update an inventory, or do one if you haven’t already, of the contents of your home” Irene says. “Whether taking pictures or video, or writing down an inventory list, you have that information. If you have a claim, an inventory will make it smoother and easier to process.”

Irene walked customer Mary Knapp through creating an inventory of the Knapp’s home on Mary’s smartphone, opening drawers and cabinets in the kitchen, closets in bedrooms and walking throughout the house recording every detail.

“It’s so important,” says Mary. “It triggers your mind because there is so much you could never be able to recall it later.”

Mary stored the inventory in her phone, and also has it on a backup hard drive. A home inventory can also be emailed to a customer’s agent.

“Recovering from the fires, it has been emotional. It still is,” Keith says. “But the claims were emotionally easier for customers who completed the inventory.”

She found safety and skills there, too.

Deja participated in the Outreach Program through Perennial, a nonprofit that teaches creative skills by reusing materials to make something new. Perennial partners with local programs supporting women in transition, such as former prisoners or survivors of domestic violence or homelessness.

“When we started Perennial, I had done work that served former prisoners and homeless vets. I found it was a fundamental tie to what they were going through – trying to rebuild their lives and transferring that into fixing something and being creative with it,” says Perennial Founder and Executive Director Jenny Murphy.

When Deja first started coming to the shop, she knew exactly what she wanted to make.

“She has really great ideas. Often times, we have people who are more timid. She was ready to create,” Jenny says. With the help of Jenny, Deja made a colorful display for her sunglasses.

“The Outreach Program is a safe space,” Deja says. “With the life experiences I’ve had, I’ve been searching for places I could feel safe. That’s exactly what Perennial is for a lot of women.

“Honestly, it’s going to sound clichéd, but everyone at Perennial is family.”

Jenny founded Perennial as a way to provide a space for people to reuse old, broken, castoff materials and make something new and useful with them.

“My background is in art, so I had this foundation of experience that allowed me to find uses for discarded materials. Without much money for resources, I could make spaces and clothing I wanted,” she says. “There’s so much trash, so I wanted to find a commercial application for it where it’s a community project to educate people and teach those skills.”

Perennial hosts classes for a slew of DIY projects – from home and garden to sewing and fashion to woodworking, upholstery, textiles. Not only do participants get a great piece they made, they can take those new skills and apply them elsewhere.

“Everyone comes from different backgrounds there, but you would think we grew up together. We find common ground and that makes us realize we’re not that different. We all love art,” Deja says.

“Perennial, in so many ways, has saved me. Being from this city, it’s something I never knew was here. It makes me look at my city completely differently. We do have these amazing programs and now I know that. I’m grateful, eternally grateful, for what I’ve gotten out of this program,” she says.

Perennial received a $25,000 State Farm Neighborhood Assist^® grant in 2018 to help impact more lives in their community. Part of the State Farm Neighborhood of Good^® initiative, State Farm Neighborhood Assist is back for its eighth year in 2019. The program awards $25,000 grants to 40 nonprofit organizations to help fund neighborhood education, safety and community development projects.

Cause submissions will be accepted starting June 5 and will end once 2,000 submissions are reached. The voting phase will follow from Aug. 14-23, where the public can vote for their favorite cause from the list of 200 finalists. The 40 winners will be announced Sept. 25. To submit a cause, visit the Neighborhood Assist website.

Jesse Bryson, president and founder of I Will Mentorship Foundation in Fort Myers, Fla., works with low- income communities to engage residents in a broad range of gardening and nutrition education programs.

“In Fort Myers, if you think about the beach, you think about luxury. But if you think of the Harlem Lake community, you think of crime,” Jesse says. “It’s one of the poorest communities in the city. There is not a grocery store within a 10-mile radius of most residents. They don’t have access to organic foods because they are not affordable.”

That vacant lot will soon be home to a thriving garden. Using hydroponics and aquaponics in the organization’s lab, 500 pounds of fresh fish and 1,500 pounds of fruits and vegetables will be available every quarter.

“This garden can show people a better way of life,” Jesse says.

Jesse says the $25,000 State Farm Neighborhood Assist^® grant his organization received from State Farm^® last year helped him to pursue this dream. “The grant allowed us to lay the foundation for a beautiful community.”

The 2018 State Farm Neighborhood Assist top 200 finalists have been chosen. The public can vote 10 times a day, every day for 10 days – Aug. 15-24 – for their favorite causes from the list of 200 finalists. Forty winning causes will be announced Sept. 25 and will be awarded $25,000 each.

To vote for your favorite cause, visit www.NeighborhoodAssist.com.

More than 8 million children under the age of 18 live with at least one substance dependent or substance-abusing parent*.

Jhanise Cardona knows first-hand about these statistics.

“My mother fought with drug addiction my whole life, and my father was incarcerated,” says Jhanise,” so I was basically the adult in my family. After witnessing things a child should never witness, at age 11 I left my home to go live with my grandfather.”

After hearing about the State Farm^® Neighborhood Assist grant program, Jhanise nominated the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Nashua, N.H. (BGCGN) for consideration.

Neighborhood Assist grants are awarded annually to amazing causes doing amazing work to help others. One of last year’s 40 winners, The Boys and Girls Club of Greater Nashua, N.H., used its grant to help those hurt most by a loved one’s addiction – the children.

The $25,000 grant helps support Camp Mariposa. Mariposa is a bi-monthly weekend camp started in 2016 by the BGCGN for 8- to 12-year-olds who have been negatively affected by addiction in their families.

“I went to the Boys and Girls Club to escape my reality and find a sense of normalcy,” says Jhanise. “At the Club, there are many opportunities to better yourself, from coding classes to cheerleading clinics. Kids who go there see there is something better for them out there. I knew winning the grant could really make a difference.”

State Farm Agent Dan Bantham, Merrimack, N.H., attends a fundraiser for BGCGN every year. “I noticed the Club was a contender for a Neighborhood Assist grant and helped get the word out in support of the cause. The community really got behind it and helped make the Club a winner."

“Five other agents joined me to attend the check presentation ceremony at Camp Mariposa,” says Dan. “We took a tour of the facilities and met camp workers, as well as many of the kids. Some of the kids have been through incredible hardships and this camp is a great place for them to get away from their current life situation and just be kids.”

Today, Jhanise is a counselor at the Camp.

“I’m so thankful Camp Mariposa is going to benefit from the grant,” says Jhanise. “The camp provides these children with counseling and caring adults some, like me, who understand what they are going through on a personal level. I’m so happy to be able to give back and show these kids it’s possible to be more than just their original story.”

*Sobernation.com

Forty causes will be awarded a $25,000 grant each to assist their communities. Residents of the United States can submit a cause at www.neighborhoodassist.com from June 7-June 21 or when 2,000 submissions are reached, whichever comes first. Ultimately, voters will decide which community improvement projects win big.

State Farm Neighborhood Assist asks individuals to identify causes that would help make their communities safer, stronger, and smarter.

The State Farm Review Committee will then narrow down the field, using a scoring rubric to identify the top 200 submissions.

The public will have a chance to vote up to 10 times a day, every day for 10 days from August 16-August 25 at www.neighborhoodassist.com for their favorite causes from the list of finalists.

The 40 causes that receive the most votes will each win a $25,000 grant. Winners will be announced on Good Neighbor Day, September 28.

Since the program began, State Farm has awarded $5 million to communities across North America, supporting a wide variety of causes, including:

• Fighting childhood hunger
• Helping homeless veterans
• Revitalizing parks
• Improving literacy
• Offering athletic programs for children with disabilities 

“State Farm has a rich history of giving back to the communities where we live and work, helping make life go right,” said Kellie Clapper, State Farm Assistant Vice President. “From identifying an important cause to rallying your community to vote for it, this program is all about neighbors helping neighbors.”

Last year, 72,000 Americans cast 1.8 Million votes for their favorite causes, selecting winners from small towns and big cities. Be part of the movement and submit your cause to improve your community starting June 7.

You might also be interested in:

• A Young Life Lost: A Legacy of Safety
• Things Are Looking Up
• Finding A New Path

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (Oct. 26, 2016) – Communities across the United States answered the call from State Farm® to submit causes that would make a positive impact in their neighborhoods. Now the top 200 causes need your help by voting for them to bring money to their communities. From October 26 through November 4, anyone with a valid email address can vote for their favorite cause at www.neighborhoodassist.com to help bring a $25,000 grant to each of the top 40 vote-getters.

Two thousand submissions were received through State Farm Neighborhood Assist, a crowd-sourced philanthropic program that empowers communities to identify issues in their neighborhoods. At least one cause was received from every state. The State Farm Youth Advisory Board, a group of 30 students who are passionate about social responsibility, reviewed the submissions and selected the top 200 finalists based on criteria they created.

The 200 causes have until Nov. 4 to rally votes and anyone voting is allowed up to 10 votes per day. On Nov. 30, the top 40 vote-receiving causes will be announced and a $25,000 grant will be awarded to each of the affiliated nonprofits.

“Neighborhood Assist is another example of State Farm helping life go right in communities all across the U.S.” said Kellie Clapper, State Farm Assistant Vice President. “The communities themselves play an important role in inspiring people to rally and vote for these important causes.”

For a complete list of the top 200 causes or to vote for a cause, go to www.neighborhoodassist.com.