You are receiving this newsletter as a member of the United Way African American Partnership.
In this edition
Young philanthropist shows how it's done
For most of his young life, Devin Thornton wanted to be a teacher. That's why he chose not to follow his brother
and sister through Douglass High School, choosing instead to attend Atlanta's magnet school for teachers,
Washington High School. By the time he graduated, he had also made another decision, to one day provide a scholarship.
"When I was a high school junior, a lot of the seniors said that they were unable to go to college because
they had to go to work to help their families out," Thornton said. "That's when I started thinking that I'd
love to give out a scholarship."
Around the same time, Thornton was accepted into United Way's Youth IDA (Individual Development Account) program,
where youth work to save money over 12–24 months to promote regular savings and responsible spending. He was
sure that he could abide by the rules to earn the match for money saved, which included making no withdrawals
of the money intended for his tuition at Georgia State University. When the time came for him to enter college,
Thornton found he didn't need the money that he had so faithfully amassed. Scholarships covered his costs.
That's when he decided to return his $1,000 to the Youth IDA program to be split among four youth of his
choosing, all students from his alma mater, Washington High School.
"It's essential that we give back to our community. It's our duty to reach down and bring others up," said the
early childhood education major. "When I become a teacher, I will make sure that students know that scholarships
are available for school, like my teachers told me."
Thornton wasn't always such a good money manager. When he was 12 years old, he seized a credit card offer from
some junk mail, filled out the application and got a credit card. His $40 purchase soon turned into a nightmare
as overdue fees added up. Finally, his grandmother, one of several teachers in his family, paid off the $200
balance. He paid her back by adhering to what she asked him to do, stay in school.
Now a sophomore at Georgia State University, Thornton is earning an English degree, and plans to teach
elementary or high school. Asked about the decision to give away the $1,000 he earned, he said, "I'm just
a kid out there trying to make a difference in someone's life. Hopefully, the person I help will help someone
else and it goes on and on to the point where we all help each other."
We say goodbye to Ronald D. Brown
Less than a year ago, Ronald D. Brown, CEO of Atlanta Life Financial, stood behind the podium at the African
American Partnership (AAP) Kickoff to introduce our speaker for the evening. The speaker was his Morehouse
College classmate and the newly arrived United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta president, Milton J. Little, Jr.
This event was the second consecutive year the AAP held its campaign kickoff at the Atlanta Life Financial
Building. The year before, we asked for Brown's support for having an event to kick off the United Way
campaign specifically for African Americans. He was gracious and generous in his response, holding a VIP event
for our speaker, providing a sumptuous buffet and wine for our guests and allowing use of the auditorium for
our speaker. The 250 or so folks who attended came to a place steeped in history, the first black
insurance company in Atlanta. They were surrounded by some of the finest art in Atlanta along the corridors
and inside the lobby of the Atlanta Life Financial building.
Ronald Brown was not just a good friend; he was literally our neighbor. His address at 100 Auburn Avenue and
ours at 100 Edgewood Avenue was a fact that could have been lightly pondered as coincidence. He was a good
friend to the Atlanta community, part of a continuum of leadership that keeps our
city great. We are heartbroken to lose him, but we are grateful for his immortality as an Atlanta leader,
especially in the African American community. Our hearts are sad, but we have warm and grateful memories
of a man whose success extended far, far beyond his role as a CEO. Indeed, he was a hero for humanity.
AAP Board selects new vice chair
The African American Partnership Board is proud to announce Nichole Miles as the new vice chair. She will work
closely with board chair Calvin Ward in leading the group to successfully make aggressive leadership and
community engagement goals over the next three years. Nichole is currently manager, Fleet Services at AGL
Resources, Inc. where she oversees a total company fleet of more than 1,800 units across seven states.
Prior to her current position, she spent 14 years in accounting before transitioning into operations
in 2007. She became closely engaged with United Way during the 2006 campaign, serving as her company's
Employee Campaign Manager. She joined the AAP Board in 2007 and was recently voted vice chair.
Coming soon so stay tuned
- Community service project - June 21
- AAP Kickoff event fall 2008
- A Brand-new reason to join the Cole Society – you'll like this one, we promise!
- Expect an evite to a Cole Society thank you event, June 5, 5:30-7:30, Reynoldstown Community Center.
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If you have any questions about the United Way African American Partnership,
please contact Nan Thomas at 404.527.7234 or nthomas@unitedwayatlanta.org.
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