UPS Foundation supports Home of Hope with $11K grant

It’s a testimony to the power of volunteers. 

What started years ago with volunteers from the local UPS team has turned into a major grant from the UPS Foundation. 

Jeff Dunigan, a site manager for UPS, first connected with Home of Hope when he started looking for a way to give back to his Gwinnett community.

“Roughly 15 years ago, when I was a center manager, I wanted to find a charity that represented my territory in Gwinnett,” Jeff explained. “I reached out to the Gwinnett County Children’s Shelter. That’s when my driver group started to donate to through United Way.”

After a visit, Jeff saw the way Home of Hope impacted families.

“When I made my first visit, I could see all the great things they were doing for the community,” he added. 

While volunteering, Jeff and his team recognized the need.

“My team has been involved in giving time over the past year and I knew our great company also provides different levels of grants,” Jeff said. “So, I reached out to our corporate office.”

In the fall of 2019, the UPS Foundation announced that Home of Hope had been chosen to receive $11,000 in grant funds. 

“Our goal is to fund powerful programs that make a lasting difference,” Eduardo Martinez, president of The UPS Foundation, said in a press release. “The UPS Foundation is honored to support Home of Hope.”

Executive Director Maureen Kornowa said they’re honored — both with grant funding and the team of UPS volunteers dedicating their time to Home of Hope.

“UPS has stepped up to be a continued supporter of our families, children, and program which allows us to move the needle in the fight against homelessness,” she added.

This grant will power various facility upgrades at Home of Home.

For volunteers like Jeff and the UPS team, it all comes back to finding more ways to help homeless children and families.

“A safe family environment equals a child who can then dream and achieve their goals,” Jeff said. “We all need a safety net, a place to teach us how to be better prepared for life’s ups and downs.”

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