NORTHBROOK, Ill., Dec. 7, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- As a tribute to the
heroic public service of Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr., Allstate Insurance Company will honor four
exemplary heroes who make a difference by giving back to the
African American community. Allstate's 2011 Give Back Day Heroes
program, now in its second year, encourages all Americans to be
everyday heroes by volunteering locally on MLK Day 2011
(January 17), and throughout the
year.
The 2011 Allstate Give Back Day Heroes nominated for recognition
by their peers are:
- Jonathan Wall, Atlanta, Ga.
- Rosazlia Grillier, Chicago,
Ill.
- Glenda Cook, Detroit, Mich.
- Leonard Johnson, St. Louis, Mo.
"These remarkable men and women keep Dr. King's legacy alive
through their passionate commitment to service," said Vicky Dinges, assistant vice president public
social responsibility for Allstate. "We hope their stories inspire
others to put their good hands to work in their own neighborhoods
on Give Back Day and every day."
Each hero has helped create positive, sustainable change in
their communities by volunteering to address important causes like
domestic violence, elementary education and mentoring at-risk
youth. Heroes will attend The King Center's "Salute to Greatness"
Awards in Atlanta on Jan. 15, 2011 for a celebration of individuals
and organizations that exemplify excellence in leadership.
Individuals interested in participating in Allstate Give Back
Day 2011 can visit allstate.com/GiveBackDay to find local service
opportunities via VolunteerMatch, an online search engine promoting
volunteerism and civic engagement by matching volunteers with
charitable organizations and non-profits. Visitors to the website
can view profiles of the four Give Back Day Heroes and learn about
their community involvement through a series of video
interviews.
MORE ABOUT ALLSTATE'S 2011 GIVE BACK DAY HEROES
Atlanta – Jonathan Wall
In the fall of 2008, Morehouse
College student Jon Wall, 20,
volunteered to judge an elementary/junior high school math and
debate competition in Atlanta.
Among the top 40 students, only three were African American. Shaken
at the state of the educational system and looking for reform, Wall
wrote a Facebook wall post stating "Something's Gotta Give." The
post went to his sociology professor and was then printed in the
Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The post led former civil
rights activist Lonnie King to
invite Wall to start the Peachtree Hope Charter School, making him
the youngest member of its board. Two years later, the school
opened with Wall helping re-zone the school and leading marketing
and recruiting efforts. Wall also volunteers at Atlanta's City of Refuge homeless children's
shelter as a mentor. Wall plans to earn his law degree from
Morehouse, aiming to work as an
educational attorney.
Chicago – Rosazlia
Grillier
In 2005, Rosazlia Griller weighed more than 480 pounds.
Nearly immobile, she suffered from depression and had
recently been diagnosed with cancer. During this time, she
unwillingly attended a Community Organizing and Family Issues
(COFI) meeting, a Chicago
organization that trains low-income women in leadership skills and
community activism. It was here that Grillier found her voice
as a local organizer. With the help of COFI, Grillier worked with
public officials to inspire change in her neighborhood by
fundraising and building two playgrounds for the Englewood Woods
Academy elementary school. The widowed mother of two teenage
daughters became a grassroots leader, with a mission to encourage
parents to get involved in their children's education. With
Grillier's leadership, early childhood education in Englewood
increased pre-school participation by 25 percent. Today, a
healthier lifestyle has helped Grillier to lose more than 250
pounds, and given her increased energy to continually engage her
fellow citizens to make positive changes in their own lives, their
families and in their community.
Detroit – Glenda Cook
Glenda Cook has fought against
domestic violence for more than 13 years. As a compassionate
provider of guidance and support to victims, Cook works with the
city of Detroit to build greater
awareness of domestic violence and the devastating impact it has on
the community. During her eight-year career with the local YWCA,
Cook used every resource at her disposal to create a safe place for
women and children domestic violence survivors to find education,
awareness and empowerment programs. By generously investing her
spare time and money to outside support groups and elementary
schools, Cook is a driving force in the recently formed dating
violence program, "Diamond in the Rough." A child of a domestic
violence survivor, Cook plays an integral role in the quest to
break the cycle of abuse in Detroit and hopes to start a nonprofit to
assist the ever-growing group of youth unfairly exposed to domestic
violence.
St. Louis – Leonard Johnson
On the 40th anniversary of the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Leonard Johnson felt a need to honor the spirit
of the fallen hero by spearheading a citywide initiative called
DreamKeepers, a coalition of students and young professionals
working for racial harmony and economic justice within the
St. Louis Metropolitan Area. His
leadership helped raised more than $12,000 for the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial
Project. A member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Johnson enrolled
as a grad student to the University of
Missouri, St. Louis to pursue a master's degree in public
policy and administration. His volunteer efforts focus on
bringing mentorship and leadership to the young men of St. Louis. Johnson founded the Young Man
Achievement Academy and Project Youth Impact, nonprofit
organizations for low-income students living in urban areas. The
goal of the organizations is to pair boys with a mentor partner.
Johnson's work has also impacted his life on a very personal level.
Shortly after his sister passed away, he became legal guardian of
his nephew in an effort to provide him with better life and a
positive male role model. His nephew is one of the first members of
the Young Man Achievement Academy.
PHOTOS AVAILABLE for download at Allstate's Digital
Newsroom.
The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL) is the nation's largest
publicly held personal lines insurer. Widely known through the
"You're In Good Hands With Allstate®" slogan, Allstate is
reinventing protection and retirement to help more than 17 million
households insure what they have today and better prepare for
tomorrow. Consumers access Allstate insurance products (auto, home,
life and retirement) and services through Allstate agencies,
independent agencies, and Allstate exclusive financial
representatives in the U.S. and Canada, as well as via www.allstate.com and
1-800 Allstate®.
SOURCE Allstate Insurance Company