Allstate earns $27,000 in grants for San Francisco schools

Allstate Agency Owners Support Students with Back-to-School Supply Drive, Earn $27,000 in Grants for Area Schools

The Allstate Foundation grant to empower participating schools to further help young people achieve success in and out of the classroom

SAN FRANCISCO, November 30, 2018 – Local Allstate agency owners recently joined over 200 Allstate volunteers across seven states to secure $193,000 in Allstate Foundation Helping Hands® grants to benefit 21 schools and youth groups, including $27,000 in grants for Las Juntas Elementary School, Roy Cloud Elementary School and Tyrrell Elementary School.

Allstate volunteers mobilized people in communities around the country to donate vital items such as backpacks, hand sanitizer, lined notebook paper, pencils, pens and other supplies – a powerful way to enhance students’ learning experience by ensuring they started school with the tools they need to succeed.

"As small business owners and community members we see firsthand the challenges schools, teachers and students alike often face in securing critical supplies that ensure academic achievement,” said Darrell Lee, Allstate agency owner in Castro Valley. “Giving back is core to who we are, which is why we’re proud to volunteer and provide our local educators and students the resources needed to excel.”

The school supply drive also empowered educators to focus on preparing for the academic year instead of worrying about critical supply needs. Each year, public school teachers spend nearly $500 of their own wages on supplies for their classrooms, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

Through their volunteer efforts, local Allstate agency owners secured a $6,000 Allstate Foundation Helping Hands grant to benefit Las Juntas Elementary School, a $7,000 Allstate Foundation Helping Hands grant to benefit Roy Cloud Elementary and a $14,000 Allstate Foundation Helping Hands grant to benefit Tyrrell Elementary School.

The schools will use the grant to support student and teacher success. The schools are among thousands of organizations this year to receive Allstate Foundation Helping Hands grants secured by Allstate agency owners and financial specialists for their volunteer efforts. The grants support organizations addressing domestic violence, youth empowerment, disaster preparedness, hunger and other causes.

The school supply drive was part of a multi-state effort of the Allstate Foundation Good Starts Young® initiative and its national youth empowerment partner, WE Charity. The supply drives benefitted participating schools and youth groups in California, Connecticut, Kentucky, Illinois, Minnesota, Pennsylvania and Texas.

Good Starts Young is a signature initiative of The Allstate Foundation to prepare today’s youth for the future and build our next generation of leaders. In 2017, Allstate Foundation-supported programs provided more than 2 million youth with the guidance and resources they need to master critical social and emotional learning (SEL) competencies – critical thinking, collaboration, cultural awareness and communication – so they can take action.

Participating local Allstate agency owner volunteers include (in alphabetical order by last name):

• Laura Aguilera, San Jose
• Amanda Beeson, San Ramon
• Jennifer Bounour, Pleasanton
• James Carlson, Hayward
• Todd Carlson, Hayward
• Alice Chan, San Jose
• Eddy Chan, San Mateo
• Christopher Chen, Fremont
• Abraham Chiu, Burlingame
• Noel Garcia, San Francisco
• Bruce Gekko, Castro Valley
• Jose Guillermo, Benicia
• Alissa Gutierres, Martinez
• Tony Huey, Union City
• Mark Johnson, Walnut Creek
• Darrell Lee, Castro Valley
• John Leland, Daly City
• Mark Malouf, Dublin
• Robert McGlinchy, Pleasanton
• Nicolas Rojas, Martinez
• Christen Scanlon, San Francisco
• Dahlia Schonian, San Leandro
• Matthew Shlicoff, Millbrae
• Yashneil Singh, San Mateo
• Kayla Timario, Pleasanton
• Dylan Tran, San Jose
• Angelica Virola, San Leandro