We want to offer our sincerest thanks to The Allstate Foundation, Allstate agency force, and employee volunteers who helped us secure a grant to ensure basic human needs are met in our vulnerable communities.
In late spring 2019, sixteen members of Allstate’s regional advisory board, comprised of agency owners, exclusive agents and financial specialists from across Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and the Metro D.C. area, came together to participate in a volunteer service activity that yielded 500 bags of nonperishable food items for elementary school children who are at-risk of hunger on weekends. The efforts of Allstate volunteers allowed our nonprofit organization to satisfy an immediate unmet need in our community. With Allstate’s support, we delivered supplemental food to low-income students at two schools which we were not able to support through our Weekend Food for Kids program. At the time, our resources allowed us to only provide 1,810 bags of food each month. The extra food bags made a difference in our community. In addition, the volunteers’ service to our organization qualified us to apply for The Allstate Foundation’s invitation-only Helping Hands Grant program.
We proudly recognize Sharee Merenov, Allstate Capital Region division manager – corporate relations, and the kind and generous agents who committed their time, resources and energy to help us win the significant grant award, including Christine Angles: Allstate Insurance, Doris Banegas: Allstate Insurance, Frank A. Ciambrone, Jr.: Allstate Insurance, Benjamin Jessurun: Allstate Insurance, Tae Kim, Michael Lee: Allstate Insurance, Sarah Lewis: Allstate Insurance, Mike Masri: Allstate Insurance, James Mwangi: Allstate Insurance, Glenda Palacios, Amber Ritchie: Allstate Insurance, Claudia Rivas: Allstate Insurance, Paul Sarnak: Allstate Insurance, Jason P. Sengpiehl: Allstate Insurance, Miguel Villegas and Logan Wease: Allstate Insurance.
“As a mom, I know how important it is for kids to eat right to be ready to learn and do their best. As a volunteer, I know how critical it is to have the funding to do what your heart knows is right,” said Christine Angles, Allstate exclusive agent in Manassas, Virginia. “It’s been a pleasure working with the Assistance League of Northern Virginia, a group of passionate volunteers working to get kids on the right footing so they can thrive. And, it makes me proud that the Allstate Foundation supports non-profits like this one where I volunteer my time and work towards making our community better.”
The Allstate Foundation grant award will help us sustain our successful Operation School Bell programs that transform the lives of nearly 8,000 low-income children in our region every year. Some of the children who benefit from our outreach programs experience homelessness or live in multi-family housing environments and rely on us to fulfill a number of their basic, critical needs.
The grant funds will be used to purchase nonperishable, nutritious food items, school clothes and new books for students in 11 Title I elementary schools in Prince William and Fairfax Counties and the City of Alexandria, in Virginia. With Allstate’s partnership, we will be able to increase the level of support provided to our low-income families and expand the programs to include additional schools. By delivering these essential programs, we address the negative effects of poverty on children’s academic performance and behavior. Allstate’s charitable donation will directly impact children and help prepare them for success in school.
For more than 60 years, the Allstate Foundation has been bringing out the good in millions of lives, committing financial and human resources where they can make the most impact. The Foundation works to empower all people to imagine and achieve better for themselves and their community. We are privileged to be one of the many nonprofit organizations from across the country to receive critical funding in 2018 and again in 2019, and we are profoundly grateful for that assistance.
We look forward to continuing to advance our mission to transform the lives of children in the coming school years, and with Allstate’s generous support, our community impact will be even greater. Together, we make communities thrive.
