C5 Georgia Youth Foundation Recieves Chick-fil-A True Inspiration Award
Friday, February 5th, 2021
C5 Georgia Youth Foundation, a five-year leadership development program serving under-resourced middle and high school youth, today announced it has received a coveted 2021 Chick-fil-A True Inspiration Award in the Education category.
This year’s 34 recipient organizations—31 of which were nominated by their local Chick-fil-A restaurant Operator—serve their communities in the areas of education, hunger and homelessness. As 2021 True Inspiration Awards recipients, the organizations will receive a combined total of $5 million in grants to further their community efforts. Each year, those who take part in Chick-fil-A One, the restaurant’s tied membership program, can participate in the selection process by casting their votes through the Chick-fil-A app. This year, nearly one million people voted to select the award winners.
C5 Georgia Youth Foundation was nominated by Douglasville Chick-Fil-A operator Mike Moore, who became familiar with the organization through the C5 Georgia Class of 2020’s Brandon Wilson, a current Morehouse College freshman and Chick-fil-A employee. “Brandon’s leadership development and personal success is a testament of his dedication to the community,” said Jackie Cannizzo, executive director, C5 Georgia. “Through alumni like him, this investment will help us expand our involvement in the metro Atlanta community including an increased commitment to supporting more teens on the Westside.”
This generous grant will also support C5 Georgia alumni as they progress through college and look towards career opportunities in the future. “Georgia’s youth should have equitable opportunities for success regardless of life’s obstacles. Because of Chick-fil-A’s recognition of our commitment and instruction, we are able to implement more five-year investments in future leaders at virtually no cost to these deserving individuals,” said Donna Beatty, partner at Frazier and Deeter and C5 Georgia board chairperson.
“Our 2021 awards recipients are tackling a diverse set of issues facing our communities, from fighting hunger to providing equitable opportunities for education and jobs," said Rodney Bullard, vice president of corporate social responsibility, Chick-fil-A, Inc. “We know our cities and neighborhoods can only become stronger when we work together to solve hard problems. We’re honored to invest in the futures of these community-based organizations so they can grow their programs and extend their impact.”
Since its inception, C5 Georgia has maintained a 100% high school graduation rate. Every C5 graduate has attended post-secondary education, joined the military or started their careers. C5 student leaders have earned over $10 million in academic scholarships including Gates Millennium, Posse, QuestBridge and Horatio Alger. C5 alumni are currently enrolled at Harvard University, Stanford University, University of Notre Dame, New York University, Emory University, Howard University, Georgia Institute of Technology and Georgia State University.
