Corners Industries at a Glance
One of the most intriguing things about Corners Industries is their connection to children. When I learned that part of the revenue generated from Jose & his crew goes back to help at risk children do better in school, I thought that was so inspiring! It brings me great joy to pass Corners’ name along knowing there is a much greater benefit being met than just paying for my grass to be cut. It warms my heart to know that we are working together for a greater purpose.
Leslie Worthington, Corners Industries client since 2018
In the last fifteen years, Hispanics in Georgia have grown by more than 120%. While they are grateful to call Atlanta home, many are struggling to make ends meet. The main challenges they face are:
Income inequality - metro Atlanta is recognized by Bloomberg as the worst in the nation for income inequality, and it continues to grow.
Children’s wellness - The United Way’s Child-Well Being Map shows an overall score of wellness for children at 58.9 in metro Atlanta but just 24 in the area Corners serves.
Corners Industries’ solution is innovative in these ways:
Bridges wealthy and poor communities in the work of social good
Teaches families to be self-sustaining
Teaches students to read, stay in school and graduate high school
Connects with business leaders on economic impact
Connects with school leaders on academic impact
Connects with people living in these communities by being on the front line with them
“When I learned about how Corners Outreach was helping the community through educating and tutoring kids, that brought a new aspect to landscaping that I had never thought of before. Having been in the landscape industry for over 20 years, I had never encountered anyone who was giving back so much to the community. And I feel very fortunate to be a part of that now.”
By creating businesses which pay workers well, give back to our students, and connect high- and low-income families, Corners has the ability to transform the whole community.
There are many ideas in process to grow the landscaping industry and to add additional industries, based on the assets of our parents, including:
Cleaning & repair of corporate facilities
Handyman program
Translation services
Call centers
Corners has begun to survey our teens looking at three pathways:
Four-year university
Community college
Apprenticeships
Many of our teens are bilingual which is in great demand, and Corners foresees creating businesses to provide better paying jobs and work environments.
Many of our families have limited education and experience in breaking out of poverty. Making more money is always the priority, and education can take a backseat since long-term financial stability is difficult to grasp. This often translates to students dropping out of high school to bring money to their family now, rather than continuing toward graduation and creating a better life long term. Continued communication, relationship building and community involvement with the parents, in addition to the students, are critical to long-term changes.