Volunteer opportunities in partnership with Hands On Atlanta celebrate Blank’s Give Back to Others Core Value
ATLANTA – Sept. 13, 2022 – In honor of Arthur M. Blank’s 80th birthday on Sept. 27, the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation will present Eight Days of Service in partnership with the annual Hands On Atlanta Week, the city’s largest week of service. Eight bespoke service events with a meaningful connection to Blank will take place from Sept. 20 – 27, 2022, in locations around Atlanta.
The service opportunities are a tribute to Blank, honoring his commitment to philanthropy and a more equitable and engaged Atlanta. Thousands of volunteers, including Blank Family of Businesses associates, will come together to support organizations that align with the Blank Family Foundation’s priority areas of giving, Youth Development, Democracy, Environment, Mental Health & Well-Being and Atlanta’s Westside. The week of service includes volunteer support from The Home Depot, which Blank co-founded in 1978, and The Home Depot Foundation. In Blank’s honor, more than 300 associates from The Home Depot will participate in two days of service designed to positively impact communities on the Westside of Atlanta. The week of service reflects Blank’s Core Values of Lead By Example, Include Everyone, Put People First and Give Back to Others.
“I am humbled and honored that thousands of volunteers across the city will come together in celebration of philanthropy and service to help address areas of need,” said Arthur M. Blank, chairman of the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation. “Atlanta is very dear to me. There is opportunity here for everyone to thrive, and for many, that path starts with the community, sometimes even just one person, taking the time to give back. I’m proud that associates from the Blank Family of Businesses and beyond are eager to participate and contribute to positive change. This is very meaningful to me, and I am deeply touched.”
The Eight Days of Service events are as follows:
- Tuesday, Sept. 20 – Volunteers will celebrate civic engagement with Atlanta youth.
- Wednesday, Sept. 21 – Volunteers will support several agencies fighting food insecurity; tasks include meal packing, painting and more.
- Thursday, Sept. 22 – Team Depot, The Home Depot’s associate volunteer force, will beautify a park on the Westside with Park Pride.
- Friday, Sept. 23 – Volunteers will build Little Libraries and STEAM kits with Atlanta Community Tool Bank at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta.
- Saturday, Sept. 24 – Volunteers will help facilitate a STEAM pop-up for kids in partnership with Hands On Atlanta, Science ATL, STE(A)M Truck and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta. A second event on this day will include painting a mural in support of the Arthur M. Blank Family Youth YMCA, Centennial Academy and the surrounding community.
- Sunday, Sept. 25 – This is an individual day of self-reflection and an opportunity to choose a personally-meaningful volunteer program in the community.
- Monday, Sept. 26 – Volunteers will pack nutritious food bags and write notes of encouragement for students at International Community School of Atlanta.
- Tuesday, Sept. 27 – Volunteers will complete a variety of beautification projects around John Lewis Invictus Academy.
- Tuesday, Sept. 27 – Team Depot will provide home repairs for several veterans on Atlanta’s Westside with HouseProud Atlanta.
Volunteers participating in the Eight Days of Service are encouraged to share their photos on social media using #Blank8for80.
About the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation
After more than 25 years and more than $950 million in giving, the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation is committed to significantly accelerating the impact of its philanthropy over the next 10+ years. The foundation is currently on a journey of deeper learning and strategy setting for its new priority areas: Youth Development, Democracy, Environment, Mental Health & Well-Being and Atlanta’s Westside.
Across these portfolios, the foundation will look for opportunities to address the growing crisis of disconnection in our nation. Geographically, much of the work will continue to prioritize Georgia (with a focus on Atlanta) and Montana, while also considering the potential for greater national impact and influence.
In addition to the priority areas of giving, the foundation will continue to oversee a large portfolio of grants including support of essential Atlanta nonprofit institutions, such as Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Shepherd Center, and enduring Founder-led initiatives, such as veterans and the military and stuttering, among others. The foundation will also continue to guide the seven associate-led giving committees operating across the Blank Family of Businesses.
Mr. Blank, chairman of the foundation, co-founded The Home Depot, the world’s largest home improvement retailer, in 1978 and retired from the company as co-chairman in 2001.
For more information and to stay up to date, visit www.blankfoundation.org.
