Heroes for Hope Dark Hope Rising Light Logo

A Night of Action and Hope

On October 8, civic, corporate, and nonprofit leaders will gather to celebrate the partnerships transforming lives across Atlanta. Join us for an unforgettable evening benefiting Hope Atlanta’s mission to prevent and end homelessness.

BECOME A SPONSOR
LEARN MORE
Atlanta skyline
Hope Rising
Starts Here

Heroes for Hope is more than a gala. It is where corporate leaders, philanthropists, nonprofit champions, and community partners come together to invest in our collective responsibility to combat homelessness in Atlanta.

Each sponsorship directly supports Hope Atlanta’s mission to prevent and end homelessness by empowering clients to achieve stability and self-sufficiency.

OUR 2026 HONOREES
INDIVIDUAL
HERO FOR HOPE
Chris Womack
Chairman, President, CEO Southern Company
VOLUNTEER
HERO FOR HOPE
Rocky Atkins
Board Chair
Hope Atlanta
CORPORATE
HERO FOR HOPE
Truist
Accepted by Regional President
Katie Saez
CORPORATE
HERO FOR HOPE
The Coca-Cola Foundation
Accepted by President
Carlos Pagoaga

EVENT CO-CHAIRS
Rose J. Hunter Jones
ROSE J.
HUNTER JONES
Partner
Hilgers PLLC
Dr. Kofi Smith
DR.
KOFI SMITH
CEO
Keystone Management

Guiding the evening as Co-Chairs are Rose J. Hunter Jones of Hilgers PLLC and Dr. Kofi Smith of Keystone Management – leaders whose cross-sector collaboration reflects the very model Atlanta Rising champions.

Heroes for Hope is not simply a gala. It is a night of celebration, connection, and community impact – where leaders recommit to solutions that prioritize permanent housing, coordinated outreach, and long-term stability.

OUR IMPACT
Clients Served 6,546 CLIENTS SERVED
IN 2025
Meals Served 17,576 MEALS SERVED
THROUGH OUR
OUTREACH CENTER
Engagements 8,505 ENGAGEMENTS BY
OUR OUTREACH
TEAM
Individuals Permanently Housed 1,263 INDIVIDUALS
PERMANENTLY
HOUSED
Veterans Received Housing or Employment Assistance 2,352 VETERANS
RECEIVED HOUSING
OR EMPLOYMENT
ASSISTANCE

THANKS TO OUR 2026 SPONSORS

TITLE
Northside Hospital logo.

CHAMPION
Chick-fil-A logo.

GUARDIANS
ADVOCATES
VyStar Credit Union
Cox Enterprises
Eversheds Sutherland
The Home Depot Foundation
Georgia-Pacific
Gorman & Company
Holder Construction
Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation
Bank OZK
JPMorgan Chase
Greenberg Traurig
Genuine Parts Company
Northside Methodist Church
Nancy Shaidnagle
Lulu's Cheese Crisps
Carter-Haston
Mabra Law
FRIENDS
AT&T
David & Katie Zanaty
Jack & Caroline Hardin
The McKelvey Family
Gas South
Colonial Pipeline
SCANA Energy
Molina Healthcare
True Natural Gas

HONORING HEROES FOR HOPE SINCE 2000

Since 2000, Hope Atlanta has hosted the annual Heroes for Hope gala, honoring community leaders making an impact in the fight to prevent and end homelessness.

Heroes for Hope 2025 was an incredible night. Together, we didn’t just celebrate 125 years of Hope Atlanta — we launched the next 125.

From Ms. Gloria’s powerful story to the voices of Ms. Tre, Ms. Lisa, and Mr. Jeffery, we saw what hope in action looks like: lives transformed through compassion, connection, and opportunity.

We were honored to recognize our Heroes for Hope and Legacy Heroes, whose leadership continues to shape Atlanta. Because of your generosity, we raised over $1 Million to advance Hope Atlanta’s mission and meet the challenges ahead proving that homelessness is not inevitable; it’s solvable.

  • Individual Hero for Hope: Cathryn Vassell, Partners for HOME
  • Corporate Hero for Hope: Norfolk Southern, accepted by Mark George, President and CEO of Norfolk Southern
  • Founder's Award Winner: Crystal Hanlon, Senior VP and Culture Officer, The Home Depot
  • Co-Chairs: Matt Keith, Senior Vice President of Bank of America and Tiffany Callaway Ferrell, Vice President, Operations at Atlanta Gas Light and Chattanooga Gas Company
Heroes for Hope gala

ATLANTA COUNTS ON HOPE.

HOPE COUNTS ON YOU!

Be the Hope, Atlanta needs.

Give Now ➞