Atlanta (July 13, 2016) – If you’ve ever had to organize an overstuffed closet at your home, you will understand the magnitude of the task State Farm Insurance interns took on at the Urban League of Greater Atlanta on July 12: Sorting and ordering hundreds of clothing, shoes and personal care items donated by employees of partner organizations and supporters for Urban League clients on the pathway to educational pursuits, new jobs, new careers and new lives.
But the four student intern volunteers from State Farm did not regard dealing with the mountain of items as a thankless task. Instead, they embraced the challenge with vigor and pride as part of State Farm’s national Day of Service.
By the end of the day, what had been a jumble of seemingly unrelated donations had skillfully become an easy-to-browse “clothing room” of women’s and men’s casual and business wear, shelves of women’s and men’s shoes, and an array of personal care kits.
The college student intern volunteers, Ebony Cherry (Spelman College), Asheton Harrell (University of Georgia), Paul Kwang (University of Georgia) and Andrew Sosa (Florida State University), arrived early with their team leader Jennifer Gault, Recruiting Ambassador at State Farm Insurance. Once they understood the nature of the job, they took “before” photos and got going with no need for supervision. Throughout the day, the group took “during” photos, and happily obliged with “after” photos before being treated to a Ceremony of Thanks from the grateful Urban League staff on behalf of the clients who will be able to now select quality items with ease.
“I can’t thank the State Farm team enough,” said Deborah McClary, advocacy and outreach coordinator at the ULGA. “The clothing and personal care items our generous donors contribute make a world of difference to our clients. The ability to “shop” at our offices to find the perfect fit before a job interview or first day of classes at a local college or GED program is now 10 times easier, thanks to the organizing that Ebony, Asheton, Paul and Andrew completed today.”
State Farm is a major partner to the League, supporting its educational, workforce development and homeownership programs.
In a statement about its Day of Service, State Farm explained:
“At State Farm, we take seriously our responsibility to be a good community partner in all of the places where we live and work. Throughout our history, we have helped communities and people every day. It’s part of building safe, stronger, better educated communities.
“We value the development of our employees and a culture of learning. This experience allows our interns to experience our culture and corporate social responsibility by supporting local nonprofits whose customers directly or indirectly benefit from our interns’ service.”
