NORTHBROOK, Ill., Dec. 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- For the fourth
consecutive year, Allstate Insurance Company is paying tribute to
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., by
encouraging individuals to volunteer in their communities on MLK
Day 2012 (Jan. 16) through its Give
Back Day program (allstate.com/givebackday). Former NFL quarterback
and co-founder of the HollyRod Foundation Rodney Peete is helping
launch the program along with four outstanding community heroes who
are recognized as leading volunteers in their communities. Peete
and the four Heroes will be guiding Give Back Day activities in
their home cities with Allstate.
The four exemplary individuals who have been named as 2012
Allstate Give Back Day Heroes are:
- Joyce Calvin, Chicago
- Robert Cradle,Baltimore
- John Darjean, Dallas
- Alexandria Phillips,
Atlanta
"The Allstate Give Back Day Heroes are remarkable individuals
who selflessly give back, keeping Dr. King's legacy alive through
their passionate commitment to service," said Vicky Dinges, vice president of public social
responsibility for Allstate. "Their volunteer efforts reflect the
values and causes important to Allstate and communities across
America. We hope their stories inspire others to put their good
hands to work in their own communities every day and on
Jan. 16, in honor of Dr. King."
On behalf of the Give Back Day Heroes, Allstate is making a
donation of $2,500 to a charity of
each hero's choice. These remarkable individuals help create
positive, sustainable change in their communities by volunteering
to address important causes like domestic violence, economic
empowerment and mentoring at-risk youth. Heroes will attend The
King Center's "Salute to Greatness" Awards in Atlanta on Jan.14, 2012, for a celebration of
individuals and organizations that exemplify excellence in
leadership.
In addition, Peete will be attending a special Allstate Give
Back Day volunteer event in Atlanta on MLK Day 2012. "It is an honor for
me to be associated with this committed and selfless group of
heroes. I have always believed in getting involved in causes that
you are passionate about, and it's great to see these individuals
mirroring the spirit of Dr. King by giving back," said Peete, who
spent 16 years in the NFL as a quarterback. Peete and wife Holly's
HollyRod Foundation, which helps those living with autism and
Parkinson's disease, is currently developing plans to open their
first "HollyRod4kids Compassionate Care Center for Autism" in
Los Angeles, a central location
where families in the autism community can go for support,
guidance, treatment and hope.
Individuals interested in participating in Allstate Give Back
Day 2012 can visit allstate.com/GiveBackDay to find local volunteer
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 Allstate Give Back Day Heroes and
learn about their community involvement through a series of video
interviews. In 2011, more than 1,500 Allstate employees, agency
owners and community members volunteered in dozens of cities across
the country on Give Back Day.
Allstate's 2012 Give Back Day Heroes
Joyce Calvin, Chicago - A survivor of domestic violence,
Joyce Calvin founded Women of Valor
Ministry (WOVM), a non-profit organization dedicated to
encouraging, empowering and equipping women and girls to develop
their full potential. Since its inception, WOVM has reached more
than 10,000 women through skills development, domestic violence
workshops, health and wellness conferences, one-on-one interaction
and retreats. Calvin also serves as a project coordinator for the
All Faiths Against Domestic Violence Project at the Chicago
Metropolitan Battered Women's Networks. In 2011, she published her
first book, Sister to Sister Support for the Abused Woman:
Beauty for Ashes. Calvin currently serves as president of the
Women in Ministry and Business Alliance (WIMBA) and executive
director of WOVM.
Robert Cradle, Baltimore - In 2001, Robert Cradle was running a successful
barbershop when he realized that he wanted his career to make more
of an impact. He decided to put his skills to use and started Rob's
Barbershop Community Foundation (R.B.C.F), which provides grooming
services for the homeless and children in need throughout
Baltimore. Over the past ten
years, the projects sponsored by R.B.C.F. have provided over 16,000
services to 6,000 homeless and/or individuals in need. The
foundation currently has shops operating at transitional shelters
and drug treatment programs. Baltimore's community members who otherwise
could not afford these types of services are now able to attend job
interviews or school with a neat and clean appearance, not to
mention a heightened sense of self-confidence. In 2010, Cradle was
granted the NAACP Humanitarian Award for his extensive work in the
Baltimore community.
John Darjean, Dallas - John
Darjean has served as a mentor and coach for the past ten
years, teaching inner-city youth the fundamentals of baseball in an
effort to keep them off the streets and out of trouble. Darjean
grew up in a rough neighborhood and struggled in school but
baseball was the one thing that helped keep him out of trouble.
After four years playing minor league baseball for the New York
Yankees, Darjean started Majors 2 Minors, a baseball league for
inner-city kids. He also co-founded the Dallas Baseball Alliance, a
program leveraging the fundamentals of baseball to teach kids
discipline and life skills. A lifelong volunteer with the Sickle
Cell Anemia Foundation, having endured sickle cell traits since
birth, Darjean also volunteers with the Dallas Police Athletic League and the American
Cancer Society.
Alexandria Phillips, Atlanta - Never-ending compassion for
humankind was instilled in Alexandria
Phillips at a very early age. Phillips was five years old
when she moved with her mother from their hometown near
Kansas City, Mo., to the
Dominican Republic for a year-long
stay in a poverty stricken village. In 2011, she served as Haiti
Team intern at the Clinton Foundation and worked for the Clinton
Global Initiative Annual Meeting. She was also recently named an
Opportunity Nation Scholar. Phillips, 21, is currently a senior at
Spelman College in Atlanta where she is majoring in International
Studies and is a member of Delta Sigma Theta, the Student United
Way, Actively Changing Tomorrow through Service (ACTS) and the
Association of Fundraising Professionals. After graduation,
Phillips hopes to work for a non-profit.
About Allstate
The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL) is the nation's
largest publicly held personal lines insurer known for its "You're
In Good Hands With Allstate®" slogan. Now celebrating its 80th
anniversary as an insurer, Allstate is reinventing protection and
retirement to help nearly 16 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 The Allstate Corporation