AGB Foundation 2022 Bike Giveaway

The AGB Foundation is pleased to present our third annual Bike Giveaway, one of our favorite events of the year!  Since 2020, we have gifted more than 300 children’s bikes during the holiday season, thanks to our partnership with Walmart and the generosity of AGB donors. This year, we will again give away bicycles to children aged 2 to 10 living in the 60620 zip code on Saturday, December 10, at 11 am. Kids will also receive a candy cane, hot cocoa, and the opportunity to take a picture with Santa!

We would appreciate it if you RSVP so that we can plan ahead and be sure to have enough bicycles. This event is first come, first served.

A big thank you to our donors for being our strongest supporters throughout the year, and especially during the holidays. If you are interested in volunteering your time and talent to the event, please email us. Happy Holidays!

Your continued support allows us to impact even more young people and families in underserved communities. From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you for your generosity.

Did you know that 14% of the world’s millllionaires are people of color?! That is exciting news. But while it is a wonderful stat many nonprofit organizations have failed to diversify their donor portfolio. Dr. Denitra Griffin the co-founder of the Always Giving Back Foundation will discuss this topic on Feburary 25, 2021 with Chronicle Philanthropy.

Racial inequality still peaks its head through when an organizations are looking for their ideal donor. They forget about the C-Suite members of the Fortune 500 companies. Nonprofit leaders often focus on white supporters, that is a costly mistake.

 To learn more register right now!

Culturally, we often associate Black History Month to the trailblazers of the past who are no longer with us. But why can’t we acknowledge and honor those who are still among us? The Black heroes in our communities, families, and every day lives.

It is one decision that can set the tone for the next generation in your family. At the Always Giving Back Foundation we honor Dr. Denitra Griffin’s great grandmother’s choice to move from Clarksdale Mississippi to Chicago Illinois. She is the reason we exist today. Her journey to the north gave her daughter access to a greater life beyond Clarksdale Mississippi. That transition brought about a woman (Dr. Denitra Griffin) who married a man (John Griffin Jr.) with her same passion. This is the why behind the work we do: https://youtu.be/gaaarNOkUI4

To alleviate the pressures of work and life the Griffin’s often encourage their employees to serve their community. Research shows those who volunteer live a longer happier life. The act of volunteering releases endorphins in your body resulting in smiling more often and the desire to help more people. The better you feel the better the more likely you are to accomplish your goals.

Determine how you too can be a hero in your family and/or community. It can be as simple as donating to the Always Giving Back Foundation or volunteering when the opportunity presents itself.

Take time to reflect and be radically honest with yourself about the change you want to see and do it. You still have time to put your best foot forward this year.

Let’s Do This!

Oh, how 2020 has passed by! We have had some lows and some highs this year.

The Always Giving Back Foundation has always understood the importance of representation in the workplace. Who would have thought in this decade we would see a woman in the White House? We are super elated to see the FIRST woman, BLACK woman, INDIAN woman to serve in the seat of Vice President of the United States of America. We hope to cultivate tomorrow’s leaders who too will be the FIRST.

The AGB Business Internship has expanded from a six-week summer program to a year-round program. (See 2020 Summer Business Internship here.) This weekend 25 young people came together virtually. They left with a greater understanding of why the Griffins started the AGB Foundation. Their commitment to the community is what sets the tone for the culture of AGB Innovative Security Solutions and its charitable arm.

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Giving the AGB Way

Last year around this time we gave away turkeys to families across Chicago. This year we will gift bikes to the community, so stay tuned. If you ever want to volunteer your time, please fill out the following form. 

AGB’s great work doesn’t stop there! Have you watched this season of Secure Podcast? Entrepreneurs will find tips to build their business, data that encourages them to continue forward as they learn about the Griffins’ journey.

We want to be a part of your holiday plans. Please help us continue our mission of disrupting the cycle of poverty through workforce development, financial wellness, and philanthropy. Support us on Giving Tuesday, December 1, one of three ways:

  1. GIVE & MATCH
    Give any gift of your choice, and request your company to match, at agbfd.org/donate.
  2. SMILE & SHOP
    As you purchase your holiday gifts, consider us in your Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping as your foundation choice through AMAZON SMILE.
  3. SHARE  THE JOURNEY
    Take a picture with one of the following “Reasons to give” images and share it on your social media. You’ll be spreading the word about the Foundation’s work and encouraging your friends to give!

 

 

 

This election is so important to our nation. The AGB Foundation wants your voice to be heard! We understand that not everyone has the ability to get to the polls, so on October 27, 2020 we will be providing just that. We will offer transportation to the polls so that residents of the 18th Ward can vote in person or drop off their completed ballots. Do you need transportation to the polling site at Charles Carroll Elementary School? Sign up below to request a ride!

 

 

If you want to know what it means to be resilient take a look at these 11 faces. One week has gone by since our favorite young people completed the Summer Business Internship at AGB Innovative Security Solutions.  Boy, do we miss them! They have changed so much.

To say the AGB interns transformed is an understatement. As they completed this hybrid program they obliterated their view as average high school students and welcomed their new identity as young professionals. They consistently made the decision to meet every deadline, show up to every virtual meeting, and bring fresh ideas to the table. Right away, they applied pressure!

Over the last six weeks, the interns’ consciousness expanded. These fantastic young people had the opportunity to engage in career conversations with C-Suite executives from companies like Facebook. Former AGB scholar Steve Wilson exposed them to excel while they completed projects for AGB Innovative Security Solutions departments.

Due to the pandemic so many programs forced to shut down. However,  YOUR SUPPORT, allowed us to adapt during these hard times. Your gifts provided the 2020 AGB interns with professional attire & a digital portfolio. It includes their resume, professional headshot, & a well developed LinkedIn profile.

A special thank you to Sara Martinez, our Program Manager, who worked diligently with our interns to ensure the program ran smoothly.

Even though the interns learned a lot from us, we learned what it means to live out resilience from their ability to keep working while the world is at a standstill.  They did not get distracted from their end goal. Their dance moves on TikTok, presentations to clients, and phone interviews set the expectation for future interns.

As you can see, their time here was well spent, and we miss them.

 

 

 

 

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.

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.