Day 1

Day one is in the books! We are safe and sound in Atlanta and just got back from Insomnia Cookies. After some flight delays we finally made it.

Day 2 Part I 

Welcome to Atlanta! Today started with a group breakfast at the hotel and then off to the College Football Hall of Fame for a fantastic tour and we even got to see Mr. Derrick Brooks (Class of 2016) virtually on tour. It is always an epic visit. Lunch at Chick Fil A was next and then off to walk the steps of the historical sight of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s beginning in life. We visited both of the King Centers, saw an amazing movie on his life and low and behold, Ebeneezer Baptist Church was closed for renovations (all were sad we did not get to go inside). We will head out to the Illuminarium for a show and dinner later this afternoon.

Day 2, Part 2

The group took in an amazing show at the Illuminarium visiting Africa and had a great dinner. After dinner we went to the Yard Milkshake Bar and had a surprise visit from one of our foundation partners who treated all the kids to dessert.

Day 3

Day 3 up early for breakfast and on the road again!
First stop American Landmark Apartments for a tour with our great partners! Learning about great career opportunities in the industry.

Day 3, Part 2

Day 3 is now in the books. What a day filled with wonderful journeys. After leaving the American Landmark property we headed to the World of Coca Cola for an amazing adventure through the evolution of a worldwide empire…

Day 3, Part 3

We had a very quick lunch before going to the head of the 6th district Federal Reserve Bank in Atlanta. The rules were very strict for entry for this tour so, unfortunately, we were unable to bring cell phones into the bank for photos for a very good reason. What an incredible educational tour for our entire group including the adults. We certainly learned the evolution of currency in this country as well as its worldwide impact and the governance of this organization. Watching millions of dollars of currency deposits from banks all over the 6th district being processed and the precision to the process was a sight to behold. Our next stop was to the Mercedes Benz Stadium. One might think, why is this relevant? The answer is the thought process that went into building this incredible structure and its influence on not just the economy but also on the environment and green space. While it was interesting to be in a professional sports arena, what was more interesting was the emphasis on being environmentally responsible.

The night was completed with dinner at the hotel and an opportunity to share the day’s experiences as well as spending time with our partners from American Landmark. We have truly been blessed with great partners who believe in our youth and our future. Tomorrow has an early 5 am start for our journey to Orlando for day 4.

Day 4

Day 4. A very early start today at 5am on our way to the Atlanta Airport for a 720am flight to Orlando. What a crazy busy airport! We made it to our flight just on time!

After landing we were on our way to Four Roots Complex founded by CEO Mr. John Rivers also founder of 4 Rivers restaurants. We were treated to a farm fresh lunch and an incredible guest speaker… Mr. John Rivers himself. He spoke to our group about entrepreneurship, career, passion and purpose. He also made a presentation on the vision for 4 Roots Farm.
Thank you so much to 4 Roots John Rivers and your staff for all you do for the community and environment and for pouring into the lives of others. Our last tour of the day was to Full Sail Academy. We had an extensive tour of every field of study offered by the Academy. It was very impressive to see and learn about the many career paths offered in so many areas of production in fine arts from animation to sound production, gaming, virtual reality, and even set production for films and videos and graphic arts.
We ended the day at Kings Bowling alley for an evening of much needed fun and bonding. We are looking forward to our Community service learning project tomorrow at Second Harvest.

Day 5

Today we went to visit Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida. We participated in a volunteer project and Derek Chubbs, the CEO of Second Harvest, spoke with the group.

After leaving Second Harvest we headed to EA Entertainment – founders of Madden NFL video game. We had a presentation on the history of the company and the scope of their business as well as all the different occupational opportunities. Ulysses (our tour guide) gave us a complete tour of the facility as well.

Celebration Dinner

The Brooks Bunch Group all went to Vito’s Chop House for a fine dinging celebration experience. The meal and service both were excellent. When dinner concluded we were blessed with a very special guest speaker and Brooks Bunch Alumni – Dr. Natasha Spencer. The students enjoyed some time with a Q and A and got great insight from her amazing journey. We want to thank her for throwing the rope back!

Day 6

We are finally on the last day of our journey. Today we stopped for a quick breakfast and headed to the Publix Supermarkets refrigeration distribution center. We were given a tour of the center by multiple Publix employees to ensure knowledge and safety. We toured refrigeration, freezer, sub zero ice cream freezer (18 degrees below 0!), and produce. The students engaged in conversations about career opportunities with Publix and there are many! The hospitality was stellar and very much appreciated. We want to thank our partners at Publix for their continued support.