The Dannon Project’s YouthBuild program costs around $300,000 to run annually and helps youth to receive career certification, training and skills to prepare them for a rewarding future. Federal funding guidelines require all YouthBuild projects to contribute a minimum of $50,000 to apply for federal grants. With only one week until the deadline, The Dannon Project team was $24,000 short of the minimum needed to receive the grants. Without these funds, their construction project that could provide housing for the homeless would come to a halt.
That’s when two dozen Allstaters stepped up by volunteering to help The Dannon Project achieve their goals on two fronts. The volunteers’ time that day earned enough Allstate Foundation Helping Hands® grants to help The Dannon Project meet the federal funding requirements. The presence of the 24 Allstate volunteers working alongside a few young men involved in the YouthBuild project piqued the interest of a construction worker union located across the street from the build site. When the head of the union visited the volunteer project, it gave The Dannon Project rep. an opportunity to showcase the program and the youth involved. The union rep. offered the young men positions to work with the union upon graduation. By showing up in a time of need, Allstaters helped members of their community find a different path and a whole way of new life.