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January Newsletter

 

If 2020 was a movie what would you title it? We think it should be called “We Made It”.

We have to find the blessing in everything this past year brought us. Life is always happening for us, not to us.  This year you don’t have to take on New Year resolutions but instead, find the good. Reflect on all the lessons and gifts from 2020 to implement in 2021.

Your Gift to the Community!

 

Naazneen Vhora, UIC

With your help, we raised $15,000 in 2020. This assisted with the expansion of our programs.

AGB Investigative Services employees traditionally celebrate the anniversary of the company by volunteering and gifting care packages to organizations selected by AGB officers. Due to the pandemic, we were unable to go out to our partners. Instead, we gifted those in the Auburn Gresham community!

All while hosting our AGB Business Internship and awarding 5 amazing scholars.

Summer of 2020, AGB interns completely transformed.  We took a moment to analyze the need of our Chicago youth and decided to expand the program to year-round. We are so happy to have received the Illinois State Grant to provide tangible resources and workshops to help 25 youth excel.

The work doesn’t stop there. We had 1,000 applicants apply to our scholarship program and we were able to gift 5 youth $2000 to continue their academic journey. Naazneen Vhora, a former AGB Scholar graduated in December 2020 and will join the AGB team this year.

You can still join us in changing the narrative of Chicago for our youth and community by donating at agbfd.org/donate 

“Hey Alexa, play Secure Podcast”

We are happy to announce we are now on Amazon Music. Closing the year with 1k audio downloads and 2.8K views on Youtube. Share Season 3 of Secure Podcast where the Griffins give you the step by step Entrepreneurial Journey.

According to the U.S Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy, 33.7 million small businesses were accounted for in 2020. So many took the leap of faith to start their business as the economy changed. As successful owners of a medium-size business, that is black-owned the Griffins felt the need this season to dive deeper into entrepreneurship. Here are some of our favorites this season:

 

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Apply for Our 2020 Summer Business Internship or College Scholarship Programs

Looking for additional dollars for college or solid internship experience in business? Want to know what it’s like to work for a successful, black-owned company? The Always Giving Back Foundation believes in preparing students beyond their current stage in life.  We provide a robust paid internship experience that will advance Chicago youth in the workforce. We also offer college scholarships to help make an advanced degree more affordable for students from underserved areas of the city.

The 2020 application window is open now for both our College Scholarships and our Summer Business Internship programs! Give yourself an advantage by applying early and pursuing these valuable opportunities!

Apply for Scholarship Apply for Internship

 

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Year In Review

Community Day of Appreciation:

Reinvesting in our community is extremely important to us. Every year on our anniversary, we celebrate by paying it forward in under-served areas of Chicago. We partner with nonprofit organizations to supply one’s everyday needs through care packages and/or employment advisory through our Community Appreciation Day.

Your Family Comes First:

The AGB Foundation is dedicated to helping minority families in struggling communities improve their financial security and quality of life. Family First provides two types of critical programming: seminars for young minority professionals on a range of business and financial topics; and direct assistance to families of color who are experiencing a crisis.

Today’s Interns, Tomorrow’s CEO’s:

The AGB Foundation is working to build a legacy of young minority executives. We are giving them tools to prepare for life after college and the workforce. Meet some of our developing leaders.

Because of You They Can:

You were the solution for our scholars in 2019. Thanks to the support of individuals and businesses, we awarded $20,000+ in scholarships and provided incredible social-emotional care packages for our scholars.

Learn More About the Griffins:

The founders of AGB Investigative Services, Inc. completed Season One of Secure Podcast. Their podcast addresses the intersections of love, family, and entrepreneurship.

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Great Gifts for Givers

This year we held nothing back! We moved to a new location. We expanded all of our programs! In celebration of community appreciation day, we stretched beyond state lines. We gifted the community with quarterly family first events. We started the  Secure Podcast where our founders voice the importance of family, love, and entrepreneurship. For Chicago youth, we took on more scholars and interns.

Our Annual Holiday Soiree was nothing short of everything we have accomplished in 2019. It was an evening filled with a silent auction, raffles, and more importantly givers.

This holiday season we decided to gift the givers

In the minority community we talk about a lot of things, but not enough about the importance of giving! The Always Giving Back Foundation values those who are culturally competent individuals that not only speak to youth but also lead by example. During our program honored our first Philanthroperneur Award to Keven Stonewall, who has dedicated his life to cancer research and advocacy for Chicago youth.

Then, we had the opportunity to surprise Shawnese Shannon, an AGB Innovative Security Solutions employee, with financial relief this holiday season.  Her commitment to the progression of others and vast heart for her family warranted her this award

and more. Last year, she suffered a stroke in the midst of work and refused to leave until her colleague made it in. In the words of  Dr. Denitra Griffin, “She is a true blend of strength and kindness, and it’s our pleasure to present this well-earned gift right before the holidays”.

We welcome you to contribute. Help us reach our goal before the new decade begins! Withhold nothing, every dollar counts to help us reach to support our scholarship, internship, and family first programming.

Join us in 2020 for our next event.

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Journee’s Journey

The Always Giving Back Foundation inspires young Chicagoans from minority backgrounds to develop and pursue their professional goals by providing them with resources to support them on their journey.  Take Journee Lockridge, for example. This AGB intern and scholar is doing big things at a young age!  

A sophomore at Howard University, Journee is already a published author. Her book  Stay Ready is a guide to successfully navigating the transition to college. Journee says her book offers “real and raw advice of what to expect and/or what to avoid during their first semester of college.” 

Journee also has been selected to participate in the Forbes Under 30 Scholars program. This honor is given to a diverse group of outstanding college students in America. She will be among 1,000 scholars attending the Forbes Under 30 Summit, a gathering of young entrepreneurs and visionaries in early October 2019. 

These accomplishments are nothing new for Journee. At Gwendolyn Brooks High School in Chicago, she served as president of the National Honor Society and also founded a mentorship organization called the Big Sister Project. 

What differentiates Journee from others her age is her dedication, drive, and adaptability. We saw those qualities in her when we chose her to participate in our Summer Business Internship, then awarded her an AGB Scholarship her senior year in high school. During her summer with us, Journee learned to be a better communicator and effectively manage her time. She also developed her leadership skills and professional poise.

When she graduates from Howard, Journee looks forward to a career in the financial industry. She’d like to work with Goldman Sachs in New York City, where she would like to become an investment banker. 

Eventually she would like to start her own nonprofit organization, teaching youth financial literacy, educating them on financial markets, and how to invest their own money to build their generational wealth.

Journee is a phenomenal young woman who has a vision to make an impact wherever she sets foot. We are so excited about her future. And we can’t wait to make a difference in the lives of more students like Journee.

Support our Mission

 

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Nothing Feels Better Than Giving!

Summer is finally here and so are the AGB interns! Nothing feels better than giving well deserved students a chance to fulfill their dreams!

Do you recall when you  applied to your first job or prepared for your first day of college? You were a little nervous right? In the minority community there is a lack of knowledge regarding finances, life after undergrad, and how to secure your first job. The unknown causes fear. We are changing that! The Always Giving Back Foundation’s programs provide young people with their first employment opportunity and funds to advance their educational endeavors. We help them get past their fear and  prepare to excel in the workforce.

The culture of AGB Investigative Services is not only about giving but rejuvenating and restoring the minority community.  We are the philanthropic arm of AGB, so leave the door open for AGB employees to attend our Family First workshops and provide their relatives with a internship and scholarship at the end of the school year.

20% of AGB employees voluntarily donate on a biweekly bases because they believe in our mission. Their gift will progress Chicago youth past their wildest dreams. In the words of James Baldwin we want our youth to understand, their crowns have been bought and paid for. All they have to do is put it on their heads.

We are serious when we say your dollars matter! Your biweekly, monthly, or  annual devotion to our youth gives them the ability to see beyond their current circumstance. As a monthly subscriber you receive perks and special invitations. Join us in this  life changing opportunity. DONATE TODAY!

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Scholarship & Summer Business Internship Applications are NOW OPEN!

2019 postcard describing the AGB Foundation College Scholarships and Summer Business Internship programs

Looking for additional dollars for college or solid internship experience in business? Want to know what it’s like to work for a successful, black-owned company? The Always Giving Back Foundation believes in preparing students beyond their current stage in life.  We provide a robust paid internship experience that will advance Chicago youth in the workforce. We also offer college scholarships to help make an advanced degree more affordable for students from underserved areas of the city.

The application window is open now through May 3, 2019, for both our College Scholarships and our Summer Business Internship programs. Give yourself an advantage by applying early and pursuing these valuable opportunities! (Please note the applications are Google forms and require a Gmail account to complete.)

Apply for Scholarship Apply for Internship