Lilburn Group Honored in Days of Giving

St. Mary’s Independent Living Extensions gets Days of Giving grant as program exceeds $1 million to Georgia non-profits

Wells Fargo also supporting Georgia Gives Day; another $1.27 million going to United Way and Community Support campaign

St. Mary’s Independent Living Extensions of Lilburn was honored with a $1,000 Days of Giving donation on Nov. 9 as the Wells Fargo program has exceeded $1 million in grants across Georgia this fall, since its beginning four years ago.

Paul Piper of St. Mary’s Independent Living Extensions accepted the honor from Sandi Patel with Wells Fargo at a community breakfast on Nov. 8.

In all, 63 groups were honored at the breakfast at the 1818 Club in Duluth.  Three additional breakfasts occurred across Atlanta this fall and 251 groups in all received the same gift.

Wells Fargo also announced that it is encouraging all the groups honored – and others – to take part in Georgia Gives Day.  That is a statewide campaign to encourage people throughout Georgia to support nonprofits, climaxing in a 24-hour statewide giving event on Dec. 6, 2012.  Wells Fargo is helping the effort as a corporate sponsor and by getting the word out to customers through its bank stores.

“It’s great that Days of Giving has surpassed the million-dollar mark – and supporting Georgia Gives Day is a way to provide even more help,” said Scott Asher, area president for East Atlanta.

Focal point of Georgia Gives Day www.GAgivesday.org

The focal point of Georgia Gives Day is a comprehensive website, www.GAgivesday.org, that lists and describes hundreds of participating nonprofits.

It has widespread support, including from Gov. Nathan Deal and other elected officials and radio and TV stations across Georgia.  It is being coordinated by the Georgia Center for Nonprofits.

Lynne Norton of the nonprofit center spoke at the breakfast to encourage groups to take part.  “Georgians are generous people. We are excited to create an opportunity for everyone, in every corner of the state, to support the causes that make Georgia great,” she said.

The company also announced that its Atlanta team members had pledged $1.27 million through its annual United Way and Community Support campaign – 35 percent more than last year. 

Now in its fourth year in Atlanta, groups receiving Days of Giving grants were selected by team members at Wells Fargo’s almost 200 bank stores, and by team members in other business lines, for the work they are doing in the team members’ local areas.

“This illustrates our desire to be locally focused as America’s community bank,” Asher said.  “And just the names of the groups selected show their passion to help special people who need it.”

Said Robert Dobbs, business banking area manager, “Our non-profits give so much to so many – our business bankers are so pleased to provide help to them in return.”

Eleven other events are occurring across Georgia outside Atlanta, with 122 additional groups receiving $1,000 each.