Strong communities do not happen by accident. They are built through shared responsibility, practical problem-solving, and leaders who step forward when challenges grow more complex. In Atlanta, one of the clearest examples of this kind of leadership can be found in the partnership between QuikTrip and Hope Atlanta.
Recognizing that community stability, safety, and well-being are essential to both business success and neighborhood vitality, QuikTrip invested in a results-driven outreach approach grounded in professionalism, dignity, and long-term solutions. In partnership with Hope Atlanta, one of the city’s longest-standing nonprofits working across the homelessness ecosystem, QT helped launch what has become one of Atlanta’s most effective and adaptable outreach models.
What began as an innovative approach to community engagement evolved into a blueprint for how corporate leaders can strengthen communities, support their workforce, and deliver measurable social impact while ensuring vulnerable neighbors receive appropriate, professional care.
A Public-Private Solution Built for Real-Time Needs
In 2023, QuikTrip took a clear-eyed look at the challenges facing metro Atlanta. Rather than relying on short-term fixes or ad hoc responses, QT chose a proactive, community-centered strategy focused on safety, stability, and long-term outcomes.
Through QT’s investment, Hope Atlanta expanded its outreach capacity and became the largest provider of outreach services in the city. Today, QT-funded outreach teams coordinate closely with store managers and security personnel, respond to urgent concerns, and connect individuals and families to housing, behavioral health services, and pathways toward stability.
The results are tangible and measurable:
- 4,900 outreach services delivered
- 302 housing placements
- 454 evictions prevented
- 163 family reunifications
“These outcomes reduce crises, stabilize neighborhoods, and create safer environments for employees, customers, and surrounding communities,” said Lauren Sherry, Community Relations Manager for QuikTrip.
Employee Safety and Community Well-Being Go Hand in Hand
QuikTrip’s top priority has always been the safety and well-being of its employees. Through its partnership with Hope Atlanta, store teams now have access to trained outreach professionals who can respond appropriately to complex situations and ensure employees are not asked to manage challenges outside their role.
“When our store teams see the outreach team arrive, they feel supported,” said Sherry. “They are there to run stores and serve customers, not to act as crisis responders. This partnership gives them confidence and peace of mind.”
The lesson is simple and widely applicable. Strong businesses depend on stable communities, and stability requires shared responsibility.
Hope Atlanta CEO Julio Carrillo agrees. “Progress happens when businesses, nonprofits, civic partners, and neighbors each play their role. QT understands that and has acted on it.”
In recognition of this leadership, Hope Atlanta named QuikTrip its Corporate Hero of the Year in 2024 and presented the award to QT President Kevin Thornton.
A Flexible, Data-Driven Model That Works
A defining strength of the QuikTrip and Hope Atlanta partnership is its adaptability. Outreach coverage shifts based on real-time data, store-level trends, and evolving community needs. Monthly assessments help ensure resources are deployed where they will have the greatest impact.
QuikTrip leaders point to numerous examples of crises resolved, families stabilized, and individuals placed on a path toward housing and recovery.
“There are people who might not be here today without Hope Atlanta’s intervention,” Sherry said. “That is how critical this work is.”
The success of the program led QuikTrip to renew its commitment for an additional three years, expand outreach to weekends, and reinforce its long-term investment in Atlanta’s communities.
Hope Atlanta’s century-long legacy strengthens the partnership. For more than 100 years, the organization has delivered prevention, outreach, housing, and long-term support through a holistic, clinically informed approach.
“They are not just compassionate. They are strategic,” Sherry said. “They understand the full continuum of care and bring the right partners to the table to make solutions work.”
Looking Ahead
Both organizations see meaningful opportunity ahead, including expanded service hours, deeper coordination with community partners, and continued innovation to meet Atlanta’s changing needs.
“Any business that cares about safety, stability, and being a good neighbor should look at what Hope Atlanta is doing,” Sherry said.
In a region navigating rapid growth and complex challenges, this partnership shows what is possible when businesses lead with responsibility, invest strategically, and engage directly with their communities. It is not about politics or ideology. It is about doing the work and doing it well.
Seeing the real results this partnership has delivered, Hope Atlanta is looking to grow this model with other business partners who want to be part of meaningful, community-driven solutions—where business leadership and human impact intersect.
That is what corporate leadership looks like when it is done right.
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