7,000 Expected to Participate in 23rd Annual Hands on Atlanta Day

More than 7,000 individual and corporate volunteers will converge on 63 project sites on the morning ofSaturday, October 5, 2013 to tackle some of Greater Atlanta's most pressing needs during the 23rd Annual Hands On Atlanta Day.  Under this year's theme of "I Left My Mark", volunteers will work on projects at schools, parks, and non-profits doing work ranging from building restoration to tutoring to landscaping to mentoring.  For the first time, this year there will also be a video contest to allow volunteers to show how they are actively leaving their mark on Atlanta.  The best entries will be shown on handsonatlanta.organd social media pages.
        
"Our goals beyond the immediate work of the day are to really ignite a passion for volunteerism that lasts throughout the year, and ultimately to create many lifelong community volunteers" said Hands on Atlanta CEO Gina Simpson.  

Mayor Kasim Reed, who will work "hands-on" at a few of the projects that morning, added "Since 1989, Hands On Atlanta has connected volunteers with projects throughout Greater Atlanta in an effort to make our community safer and stronger.  I am excited that the City of Atlanta will continue to be a strong partner to this important effort.”

Notable projects among the 63 in place for Hands On Atlanta Day include: 

·        Friends of English Avenue (550 Lindsay Street, Atlanta 30314) – Volunteers including Mayor Reed will come together to cleanup and landscape the two-mile parade route in the English Avenue community. 
·        Covenant House of Georgia (1559 Johnson Rd NW, Atlanta, 30318) – Delta Air Lines employees and Force For Global Good volunteers will gather at this local nonprofit that helps homeless children find new hope.  Mayor Reed will also be at this location.
·        Golden Living Center-Briarwood, Volunteer Spotlight: Billie Pendleton-Parker(3888 Lavista Road, Tucker, GA 30084) – Golden Living Center-Briarwood is a nursing care facility supporting seniors with round-the-clock care, social activities, and rehabilitation services. As longtime volunteer Billie Parker said, “It's because of the care that the "angels" working there bestowed upon me that I regained my strength, appetite, ability to walk, my desire to thrive.” 

Hands On Atlanta Day 2013 Lead Sponsors are The Coca-Cola Company, Delta Air Lines, and The Home Depot Foundation. Additional sponsors are Aaron’s, AARP, Alston & Bird, LLC, Amdocs, Atlanta Hawks, BehrPro (Official Paint Sponsor), The Blank Family of Businesses, First Data, Genuine Parts, Georgia Natural Gas, Georgia Transmission, HD Supply, IBM, KPMG, LexisNexis, Manhattan Associates, McGuire Woods LLC, Morris Manning & Martin LLP, MS&L, Turner Enterprises, TSYS, and UPS.

For more information and ways to get involved with Hands On Atlanta Day, please visit www.handsonatlanta.org/hoad2013or call 404.979.2800.