October 9, 2025

Flourish Atlanta

Mark your calendars for a very special Heroes for Hope gala, a cornerstone of our mission to prevent and end homelessness.

For over 125 years, Hope Atlanta has been a guiding light for individuals and families facing the challenges of homelessness. This milestone anniversary calls for an extraordinary celebration of the leaders and partners who share our unwavering commitment to creating brighter futures.

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We’re thrilled to announce that Matt Keith of Bank of America and Tiffany Callaway Ferrell of Atlanta Gas Light and Chattanooga Gas Company have returned as Co-Chairs for Heroes for Hope 2025. This year, we are proud to recognize Norfolk Southern as our Corporate Hero, accepted by President & CEO, Mark George. And, as part of our 125th Anniversary celebration, we will also present the distinguished Founder’s Award to Crystal Hanlon, Senior Vice President and Culture Officer at The Home Depot. We hope you’ll join us for an unforgettable evening celebrating this year’s extraordinary Heroes and their invaluable contributions to our community!

Honorees

Corporate
Hero for Hope

Norfolk Southern logo.
Accepted By
Mark George
President & CEO

Individual
Hero for Hope

Cathryn Vassell
Chief Executive Officer,
Partners for HOME

Founder's Award
Winner

Crystal Hanlon
Senior Vice President and Culture Officer,
The Home Depot

Event Co-Chairs

Matt Keith
SVP, Segment Executive-West Division, Bank of America
Tiffany Callaway Ferrell
Vice President, Operations, Atlanta Gas Light and Chattanooga Gas Company

As Hope Atlanta celebrates 125 years of service this year, we are reflecting on the incredible individuals, corporations, and organizations who have shaped our journey. We look forward to celebrating this milestone anniversary and recognizing our past honorees at this year’s Heroes for Hope.

Our Legacy Heroes have played a special role in our journey and have helped make Hope Atlanta the organization it is today.

Past Individual Hero Honorees

  • Former Mayor & Ambassador
    Andrew Young
  • Reverend Hosea Williams
  • Former Congressman
    John Lewis
  • Former Mayor Shirley Franklin
  • Horace Sibley
  • Mark O’Connell
  • Jack Hardin
  • Former Councilwoman
    Debi Starnes
  • Tad Hutcheson
  • Milton Little
  • Former Councilman
    Kwanza Hall
  • Noel Khalil
  • Aaron Goldman
  • Ken Baggett
  • Former Mayor Kasim Reed
  • Egbert Perry
  • Robert LaChapelle
  • Ann Cone
  • Althea Broughton
  • Bentina Terry
  • Shan Cooper
  • Mayor Andre Dickens

Past Corporate and Nonprofit Honorees

  • Cobb Family Resources
  • The Coca-Cola Company
  • PwC
  • The Atlanta Spirit/The Hawks
  • Atlanta Real Estate Collaborative
  • Northside Hospital
  • The Home Depot
  • Chick-fil-A
  • Atlanta Gas Light
  • QuikTrip
  • Atlanta Union Mission
  • Initiative for Affordable Housing in Dekalb
  • Crossroads Community Ministries
  • Atlanta Community Food Bank
  • The Gateway Center
  • Cobb County Family and Children Services
  • Mercy Care

Thanks to Our Heroes for Hope Sponsors

LEGACY SPONSORS
TITLE SPONSORS
CHAMPIONS
GUARDIANS
ADVOCATES

Atlanta Braves Foundation
Blaylock Van
Eversheds Sutherland
Gorman & Company
JPMorganChase
Marc and Robin Pollack
Truist
VyStar Credit Union

FRIENDS

Molina Healthcare
Cox Enterprises
Gas South

Previous Heroes for Hope Events

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.

On October 9th, 2024, Atlanta civic and corporate leaders championed progress and Hope during the sold-out 2024 Heroes for Hope gala that raised a record-breaking $800,000!​

  • Individual Hero for Hope: Mayor Andre Dickens, City of Atlanta
  • Corporate Hero for Hope: QuikTrip, accepted by Kevin Thornton, President of QuikTrip
  • Volunteer Hero of the Year: Cheryl Naja, Hope Atlanta Board of Directors, Alston & Bird (retired)
  • 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

“Visions of Hope”

On October 26th, 2023, we celebrated our Heroes,  unveiled a bold new strategic plan, and held a live auction.

  • Individual Honoree: Shan Cooper, Founder and CEO of Journey Forward Strategies, LLC
  • Corporate Honoree: Atlanta Gas Light, accepted by Pedro Cherry, President and CEO of Atlanta Gas Light and Chattanooga Gas
  • Co-Chairs: Kashi Seghal, Founder and CEO of Retaaza, and Chris Sizemore, CEO of Incisive

“Voices of Hope”

November 17th, 2022, Heroes for Hope returned in person to celebrate our honorees and several milestones, like the expansion of Hope Atlanta’s services to include hunger relief.

  • Individual Honoree: Bentina Terry, Senior Vice President of Customer Strategy & Solutions at Georgia Power
  • Corporate Honoree: Chick-fil-A, accepted by CEO Andrew T. Cathy
  • Co-Chairs: Ashley Northcutt, Tax Partner at Tidwell Group and Chris Sizemore, CEO of Incisive

“A Day of Hope”

Our virtual Heroes for Hope event took place on October 7th, 2021.

  • Individual Honoree: Ann Cone, Senior Vice President of CBRE
  • Individual Honoree: Althea Broughton, Partner at Arnall Golden Gregory LLP
  • Co-Chairs: Heather Olson, Managing Director at Berkadia, and Monalisa Chowdhury, Head of Financial Reporting & Business Unit Controllership at Voya Financial