Allstate Agency Owners and Personal Financial Representatives Support Chicago Students with Back-to-School Supply Drive, Earn $8,000 Grant for Farnsworth Elementary School

CHICAGO, December 5, 2018 - Chicago-area Allstate agency owners and personal financial representatives recently joined Allstate volunteers across seven states to secure $193,000 in Allstate Foundation Helping Hands® grants to benefit 21 schools and youth groups, including an $8,000 grant to Farnsworth Elementary School.

Allstate volunteers mobilized people in communities around the country to donate vital items such as backpacks, hand sanitizer, lined notebook paper, pencils, pens and other supplies - a powerful way to enhance students' learning experience by ensuring they started school with the tools they need to succeed.

"As small business owners and community members we see firsthand the challenges schools, teachers and students alike often face in securing critical supplies that ensure academic achievement," said John Tunnell, Allstate agency owner in Chicago. "Giving back is core to who we are, which is why we're proud to volunteer and provide Chicago educators and students the resources need to excel."

The school supply drive also empowered educators to focus on preparing for the academic year instead of worrying about critical supply needs. Each year, public school teachers spend nearly $500 of their own wages on supplies for their classrooms, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

Through their volunteer efforts, Chicago-area Allstate agency owners and personal financial representatives secured an $8,000 Allstate Foundation Helping Hands® grant to benefit Farnsworth Elementary School. The school will use the grant to support student and teacher success. The school is one of thousands of organizations this year to receive Allstate Foundation Helping Hands grants secured by Allstate agency owners and financial specialists for their volunteer efforts. The grants support organizations addressing domestic violence, youth empowerment, disaster preparedness, hunger and other causes.

The school supply drive was part of a multi-state effort of the Allstate Foundation Good Starts Young® initiative and its national youth empowerment partner, WE Charity. The supply drives benefitted participating schools and youth groups in California, Connecticut, Kentucky, Illinois, Minnesota, Pennsylvania and Texas.

Good Starts Young is a signature initiative of The Allstate Foundation to prepare today's youth for the future and build our next generation of leaders. In 2017, Allstate Foundation-supported programs provided more than 2 million youth with the guidance and resources they need to master critical social and emotional learning (SEL) competencies - critical thinking, collaboration, cultural awareness and communication - so they can take action.

Participating Chicago-area Allstate agency owner and financial specialist volunteers include (in alphabetical order by last name):

• David Finkelstein, Oaklawn

• Tod Gentile, Park Ridge

• Diana Hernandez, Chicago

• Cecelia Maiogan, Morton Grove

• Maribel Marron, Chicago

• Frank Suspenzi, Morton Grove

• John Tunnell, Chicago and Park Ridge

• Marc Turim, Deerfield

The Allstate Foundation works to create more prosperous communities where people are empowered to fulfill their hopes and dreams by inspiring the next generation of leaders, breaking the cycle of domestic violence, closing the nonprofit leadership gap and honoring Allstate volunteers. More information on The Allstate Foundation is available at AllstateFoundation.org.