September Summit Recap: Westside Future Fund’s Our Next Chapter

Westside Future Fund hosted a fireside chat to provide an update on its “Our Next Chapter” capital campaign. Launched officially on August 2, 2023, this campaign is aimed at raising philanthropic funds to support charitable initiatives for the development of land holdings acquired over the past few years. With $55 million in philanthropic support, WFF will be able to build on this progress and leverage an additional $45 million in low-cost financing from its Impact Fund. An additional $10 million in public grants will help the organization finance:

  • 285 multifamily units, of which 185 will serve families at 60% Area Median Income (AMI) and less.
  • 225 single-family homes with accompanying income-qualified down-payment assistance, and
  • Supporting the Anti-Displacement Tax Fund to help legacy resident homeowners stay in the community

Panelists explained the campaign’s purpose, its intended impact, and concluded with an overview. 

Panelists included: 

  • John Ahmann, President & CEO, Westside Future Fund
  • Rachel Carey, Chief Real Estate Officer, Westside Future Fund
  • Derrick Jordan, Real Estate Development Consultant

The event began with a compelling testimonial video featuring individuals who had participated in one of three service areas for WFF’s signature affordable housing program “Home on the Westside.”

Westside Future Fund’s was established as a place-based non-profit focusing on equitable neighborhood revitalization on the historic Westside. WFF’s service footprint includes English Avenue, Vine City, Ashview Heights, the Atlanta University Center and Just Us. The organization has championed four impact strategies: safety and security, community health and wellness, cradle-to-career education, and mixed-income communities. WFF is now intentionally pivoting its focus to the development of quality affordable housing to ensure a mixed-income community where legacy residents and those with live, work, learn connections to the historic Westside can take part in its prosperous future.

Historically, the Westside has experienced significant disinvestment. WFF’s initial challenge was raising sufficient funds to acquire land for redevelopment. To address this challenge, a groundbreaking partnership with 10 Atlanta corporations was formed. This partnership established an Impact Fund that provided low-cost loans to Westside Future Fund for land acquisition and development, with a commitment to return the funds over 15 years. This collaboration served as a crucial enabler for WFF’s work, allowing it to acquire land for deep affordability initiatives. Due to the success of the Impact Fund, WFF now owns enough land to meet its housing development targets established in 2017: 1,500 high-quality, affordable units serving families at 60 percent AMI and less, 250 new single-family homes with down payment assistance for mortgage-ready buyers, and the establishment of the Anti-Displacement Tax Fund for legacy resident homeowners. 

Panelists recognized the contributions of various philanthropic partners who played a vital role in enabling progress. The neighborhoods under Westside Future Fund’s focus had experienced significant shifts in population over the years, primarily due to historical factors, such as Jim Crow, segregation, and economic changes. Despite these challenges, these communities had a rich history of intellectual, business and faith leadership.

The Summit highlighted WFF’s efforts in acquiring blighted properties for redevelopment and its commitment to deep affordability, emphasizing that these initiatives aimed to restore the neighborhoods to their thriving historical states rather than creating something entirely new.

Panelists pointed out key achievements, including the development of various community assets such as new parks, housing initiatives, job training programs, and historic property preservation. The emphasis was on community retention, ensuring that existing residents could afford to remain in their neighborhoods as redevelopment occurred.

The presentation also delved into WFF’s land acquisition efforts, which included purchasing vacant or blighted properties to repurpose them for high-quality, affordable housing. Several case studies were presented, showcasing successful housing initiatives and their positive impacts on residents.

Westside Future Fund highlighted its significant land holdings in English Avenue and Vine City, illustrating its readiness to meet its deep affordability targets. To fund initiatives like down payment assistance, WFF announced the availability of $55 million from various sources, including public grants and philanthropic contributions.

The event concluded by presenting images of planned housing developments in English Avenue and other areas, emphasizing WFF’s commitment to creating high-quality, affordable homes.

You can learn more about WFF’s Our Next Chapter campaign here

You can watch the full Transform Westside Summit on YouTube. 

Finding Home on the Westside – Colette Haywood’s Story

Colette Haywood’s connection to the Westside is lifelong. Though she grew up in Flint, Michigan she recalls spending summers in Atlanta, as a young girl — taking ballet classes at the Phyllis Wheatley YWCA and attending the opening ceremonies for the Morehouse School of Medicine. She met her partner at Morehouse College, where he was a student, and they eventually held their wedding ceremony on the college’s campus.

Returning to Atlanta as an adult, Haywood, an alumna of Morris Brown College, moved to the historic Westside and has lived there for decades. When she initially started the process of trying to purchase a home, she looked at properties in her then neighborhood of English Avenue. The housing market was so competitive, however, she found herself repeatedly being outbid by purchasers with cash offers. Frustrated with the housing market, Haywood decided to apply for Westside Future Fund’s (WFF) Home on the Westside program.

The organization’s signature quality affordable housing program has three service areas: rental housing, homeownership, and property tax releife for legacy residents through the Anti-Displacement Tax Fund. Home on the Westside prioritizes residents with “live, work, and learn” connections to the historic Westside. “The fact that I had priority as a resident because I hit all of the checkmarks, took that factor [being outbid for homes] out of it,” said Haywood.

This summer Haywood became the first resident in WFF’s Home on the Westside program to purchase a home in Vine City. To date, home sales for the organization have been primarily in the English Avenue neighborhood. For Haywood, finding her home in Vine City is meaningful because it’s the community where she’s lived for the last decade, and also has so many personal connections to her and her family. Haywood says she’s grateful for WFF’s approach to helping legacy residents stay in their communities.

“People who are really involved in the neighborhood, all of us have our own individual relationships with the staff at Westside Future Fund,” said Haywood. “It extends beyond just getting you into the program.”

With many of her packing boxes put away, Haywood is now looking forward to decorating and designing her space filled with African art, books, and keepsakes from special moments in her life including the tiara she was given when she was crowned Miss Morris Brown College 2018 – 2019. She’s also looking to continue her professional work and personal life’s mission to be a resource for youth and families in her community.

To learn more about WFF’s Home on the Westside visit here.

En Pointe with Purpose: Atlanta Ballet’s Commitment to Giving Back to the Historic Westside

While Atlanta Ballet’s graceful performances have enchanted audiences for decades, there is a lesser-known but equally compelling story unfolding behind the scenes. Their recent endeavors have extended beyond the world of pirouettes and pliés as the Westside-based organization is embracing a new kind of performance – one that’s centered around giving back to the community they hold dear.

Tom West, Executive Director at Atlanta Ballet, moved to the city two years ago to assume his role with the organization, bringing with him over 20 years of experience in performing arts organizations across the nation leading development programs focused on supporting performers and the communities in which they live and work. Recognizing the value of bonding beyond the performance stage and ballet studio, West decided to lead his team on a journey that transcended dance and focused on community service. His aim was clear: create an experience that unites their staff and faculty around a shared purpose – a purpose that didn’t revolve around ballet but rather around the community they aspire to uplift.

It was amidst this backdrop that the partnership between Atlanta Ballet and Westside Future Fund began to take shape. West, having just moved and being unfamiliar with the community, reached out to current and former Atlanta Ballet stakeholders for leads on where to get started – which is when he met Virginia Hepner.

Hepner, a current WFF Board member and impassioned Atlanta Ballet supporter, played a pivotal role in bringing these two organizations together. With her guidance, the ballet’s leadership connected with the Westside Future Fund’s staff to understand their innovative and impactful initiatives.

“We went over for a meeting with WFF’s leadership team to learn more about the work that they are doing there, which turned out to be incredibly innovative and really powerful,” said West. “We got really excited thinking about how we could develop a meaningful relationship to help. When we started thinking about how we should volunteer, my first call was to the Westside Future Fund. Virginia is so passionate about the organization, it was hard not to share that same passion.”

With excitement and determination, the Ballet reached out to the Westside Future Fund to explore volunteer opportunities. WFF introduced them to M. Agnes Jones Elementary, a school with a need for volunteers to enhance the experience of their annual field day event for students. Eager to contribute, the ballet team jumped at the chance.

For two years running, the Atlanta Ballet team immersed themselves in the experience. Kids, faculty, and volunteers joined together for activities including relay races, tug of war, cornhole and more. For Kelly Tonina, Centre Administrative Director at Atlanta Ballet, it was a day to remember. 

“I’ve been to the volunteer field day at M. Agnes Jones both years, and both times it’s been so much fun. It’s just awesome to watch hundreds of little kids running around and having a good time. You can’t help but enjoy hearing the laughter of kids and seeing them be active and just having a good time,” said Tonina. “Myself and all of our colleagues were spread out with different tasks and it was a great time to see each other out of the office. Our artistic director was helping the kids at tug of war. It was so hilarious. I’d never seen him in that element before.”

What truly made this experience remarkable was the partnership between the Atlanta Ballet team and the school’s faculty. Working side by side with educators, the ballet staff saw a different side of their colleagues, allowing everyone to shed their professional roles and simply have fun together. This unique interaction demonstrated the profound impact of coming together for a shared cause.

Beyond the immediate impact of the volunteer work, the Atlanta Ballet team’s involvement with the Westside Future Fund has also offered them a deeper understanding of the fabric of Atlanta. Through their collaboration, they’ve come to appreciate the intricate aspects of the city, forming connections that extend far beyond the dance stage.

“Still being new to Atlanta, I’m learning a lot about the history and the geography of the city. The introduction that Virginia and the Westside Future Fund team did for me was a real gift,” said West. “Just understanding the makeup and dimensions of this particular part of the city.”

Atlanta Ballet’s commitment to the Westside community extends beyond field day, however. Their partnership with Hollis Innovation Academy, offering dance instruction at no cost, exemplifies their long-standing dedication to their neighboring communities.

“I’m impassioned for the area just because of what the Westside Future Fund is trying to accomplish, rebuilding the community in a way that people who live there can stay there and have a better place to raise their families,” said Tonina. “I appreciate that the Atlanta Ballet is a part of this community and I think it’s a great opportunity for us to branch out and let people know that we are here and we support them, especially right in our backyard.”

To learn more about Atlanta Ballet, visit https://www.atlantaballet.com/

Westside Future Fund Launches $55 Million Capital Campaign To Support Completion of Quality Affordable Housing Targets on Historic Westside

This month, Westside Future Fund (WFF) launched its $55 million capital campaign Our Next Chapter to support the completion of its quality affordable housing targets by 2028.

As Atlanta’s Westside continues to attract attention from local and national developers, there is an urgent need to ensure quality affordable housing options. WFF is a place-based organization focused on compassionate and equitable neighborhood revitalization on the historic Westside. Its service footprint includes English Avenue, Vine City, Ashview Heights, Atlanta University Center, and Just Us. The median household income for residents within WFF’s service footprint is just under $35,000.

WFF now owns enough land to reach its overall mixed-income goals established in 2017: 1,500 high-quality, affordable units serving families at 60 percent AMI and less, 250 new single-family homes with down payment assistance for mortgage-ready buyers, and the establishment of the Anti-Displacement Tax Fund for legacy resident homeowners. Its land acquisition has followed the priorities identified by historic Westside residents, community leaders, and stakeholders in the 2016 Westside Land Use Framework Plan, which was unanimously passed by the Atlanta City Council.

 

The organization’s progress to date includes 646 completed multifamily units, WFF owns 214 rental units with another 121 units under development and scheduled for completion by 2025. WFF has helped 35 families purchase homes, and provided property tax assistance to 133 legacy residents.

With $55 million in philanthropic support, WFF will be able to build on this progress and leverage an additional $45 million in low-cost financing from its Impact Fund. An additional $10 million in public grants will help the organization finance:

  • 285 multifamily units, of which 185 will serve families at 60% Area Median Income (AMI) and less.
  • 225 single-family homes with accompanying income-qualified down-payment assistance, and
  • Supporting the Anti-Displacement Tax Fund to help legacy resident homeowners stay in the community

“Our land acquisitions to date, reflect the priorities of the community,” said John Ahmann, WFF’s President & CEO. “In this next chapter of our work, we’re intentionally focused on moving faster to develop more quality affordable housing. This is necessary as market forces continue to drive up the cost of land and housing. It’s critical to build the affordability into these developments at the outset.”

Through its signature program Home on the Westside, WFF’s community retention guidelines prioritize legacy and future residents with live, work, and learn connections to the historic Westside. The program’s three service areas include single-family homeownership, rental housing, and property tax assistance for legacy residents. You can hear more from the residents WFF serves here.

Read more about WFF’s Our Next Chapter campaign in this recent Atlanta Journal-Constitution article, or listen to this interview on 90.1 WABE-FM’s Closer Look with Rose Scott.

To learn more about how you can support WFF’s Our Next Chapter campaign, email: John@westsidefuturefund.org.

 

 

August Summit Recap: Fireside Chat with Danny Shoy Jr., Managing Director for Youth Development and Atlanta’s Westside at The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation

Community members and business leaders convened at The Gathering Spot August 18th for the Transform Westside Summit. The program began with a moving devotion from Shade’ Yvonne Jones, CEO of Green is Lyfe and proud chair of NPU-L and liaison for English Avenue and Vine City. Jones spoke about the importance of developing unity between organizations and people of the community. “You cannot have a Beloved Community without unity… Where there is unity, there is strength and power, that enables us to do the work before us”, said Jones as she delivered a powerful message.

Following the devotion, Danny Shoy Jr., Managing Director for Youth Development and Atlanta’s Westside at The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, and WFF Board Member was joined on stage by Caroline Huston, Director of Strategic Communications for the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation for an insightful conversation around the foundation’s evolving strategy for their work on the Westside.

Key Moments from the Fireside Chat

1. “The neighborhood has a rich history and legacy that we believe should continue.”
As the Westside continues to change the Blank Foundation wants to work to make sure legacy residents aren’t displaced from a community that has been their home for decades.

2. “Legacy Residents should benefit from the positive changes that are happening in the community.”
The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation’s total Westside commitment over the past decade exceeds $55 million dollars and will increase with the support of philanthropic funders, community members and organizations neighboring the community who are invested in the growth of the Westside.

3. “We learned the importance of Listening.”
As The Blank Foundation developed its strategy to support the revitalization of the Westside, it uncovered how necessary it is to listen to residents and remember to be thoughtful and focused on the mission at hand.

4. “Communities are really defined by their people.”
Residents living in communities that have endured economic hardship and blight is not the vision for Westside residents, our community members want their
community to thrive.

Miss the event? Watch the full Transform Westside Summit on YouTube.

Westside Future Fund Celebrates August Home Sales Through Home on the Westside

Earlier this month Westside Future Fund celebrated closings for two more homeowners through our signature affordable housing program Home on the Westside.

Kristen Folsom has purchased a home in English Avenue. She works in public health and is a Spelman College alumna.

Tiffany Tyuse is the second single-family home sale for WFF’s Home on the Westside in Vine City, and works in county government.

WFF created HOTW as part of our commitment to community retention and serves residents with key “live, work, and learn” connections to the Westside. WFF’s HOTW program provides key services for legacy and future residents of the Historic Westside, specifically in the English Avenue, Vine City, Ashview Heights, Atlanta University Center and Just Us neighborhoods. Those services include:

Learn more about our signature program Home on the Westside here. Stay tuned to our YouTube channel  and our Stories of Impact blog to hear more from the residents we serve.

Revitalizing Our Community: July Highlights from the WFF Volunteer Corps

July was a busy month for the WFF Volunteer Corps! Dozens of volunteers rallied together in our collective effort to revitalize our community and clean up entire blocks within English Avenue. We welcomed groups from Chick-fil-A and FirstKey Homes, as well as community members actively engaged in the transformation of the historic Westside. 

Over a dozen volunteers from FirstKey Homes cleaned up multiple lots that had been blighted and abandoned along Sunset Avenue, just blocks from the former home of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The group, formed primarily of interns from the Marietta-based company, filled two dumpsters worth of overgrowth, debris and garbage. Cameron, managing intern for the project, first learned about the Westside Future Fund while looking for a volunteer opportunity for herself and her colleagues and was quickly drawn to the organization’s mission.

“When I heard Westside Future Fund was providing affordable housing, I was immediately interested,” said Cameron. “I did a little research and saw the history of the community, and read about its needs, then I made sure that we came out to help out in any way we could.”

A familiar face joined the monthly Community Clean-Up early in the month. Sidy, who has attended three straight months of clean-up events, was happy to be back with the WFF Volunteer Corps – and let them know that he’s here to stay.

“It’s a great opportunity to get out and get active while doing something meaningful that helps others,” said Sidy. “I really enjoy being here, and plan to keep coming back.”

A huge crew, made up of several dozen volunteers, from Chick-fil-A cleaned and cleared blocks of blighted lots surrounding WFF’s 400 Paines Avenue Home on the Westside multi-family development, which is scheduled to complete later this year.

Westside Future Fund hosts volunteer events throughout the Historic Westside community each month. To explore how you can make a difference and find out about upcoming opportunities, we invite you to visit www.westsidefuturefund.org/volunteer. Together, we can transform the historic Westside into a community that Dr. King would be proud to call home.

Westside Future Fund Receives HUD Approval

This month Westside Future Fund (WFF) became HUD-approved. As a nonprofit agency approved by HUD, WFF can continue its mission of building a mixed-income community, which ensures the inclusion of low-to-moderate-income families with key financing for home purchases. With this designation, WFF can now:

  • Purchase HUD-owned properties
  • Access FHA Mortgage financing
  • Direct fund down payment assistance on FHA-insured mortgages

“Having this approval from HUD is a key tool to help us continue to provide deeply affordable quality housing to legacy and future residents on the Historic Westside,” said Rachel Carey, WFF’s Chief Real Estate Officer.

Established in 1965 as part of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s administration, the Department of Housing and Urban Development was created to focus on urban housing issues. Today HUD’s mission is “to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all.”

WFF aligns with this mission through its signature program Home on the Westside (HOTW), which helps create a community Dr. King would be proud to call home. HOTW’s community retention guidelines prioritize people with key “live, work, learn” connections to the Historic Westside to live in WFF-owned properties. HOTW services include:

“Our goal is to always meet people where they are in their journey,” said Tameka Askew, manager for HOTW. “Having this approval from HUD for the historic Westside is a game changer for the residents we work with who have a dream of achieving home ownership.”

Learn more about our Home on the Westside program here.

Find out how you can support the mission of Westside Future Fund.

July Summit Recap: Fireside Chat with WFF’s Board Chair-Elect T. Dallas Smith

Community members and business leaders convened at The Gathering Spot July 21 for the Transform Westside Summit. 

The program began with a moving devotion from Reverend Winston Taylor, legacy Westside resident local preacher, and founder of The Beloved Community Inc. Taylor also owns the historic St. Mark AME Church, which he plans to make a community gathering spot for the Historic Westside.  Taylor’s message was centered on miracles. “In order to do this impossible work that we’re doing that is considered to be building Jerusalem, you’re going to have to believe in miracles,” said Taylor at the start of his message.

Following the devotion, T. Dallas Smith, T. Dallas Smith & Company Founder and CEO, and WFF Board Chair-Elect, joined John Ahmann, Westside Future Fund President & CEO, for a powerful and candid fireside chat about his early remembrances growing up on the Westside,, and his passion for seeing his childhood neighborhood restored to a thriving, mixed-income community.

Key Moments from the Fireside Chat

“It [the neighborhood] was paradise. People took care of one another.” 

Smith grew up in Hunter Hills, off of Simpson Road on Child’s Drive. It is now known as Joseph E. Boone. His mother watched children in his childhood home and his father, a former paratrooper in the Air Force’s 82nd Airborn division, worked at Lockheed Martin and drove a taxi for Simpson Road Cab Company. He attended EC Clement Elementary School and Turner High School before moving to College Park.

“…the first razor blade I had to swallow.”

At age 14, Smith’s family moved to College Park, where they were the first Black family on their street. The same day they moved in, his neighbors across the street made a point of posting their for sale sign. He recalls an incident where three white boys pulled up next to him as he rode his bike. They threw foul language, rocks and cans at him and told him to “get out of my neighborhood.” He described that event as “the first razor blade I had to swallow.” 

“…the okey-doke.”

In hindsight, Smith described his parents’ rationale for moving as “the okey-doke.” They thought everything would be better because they were moving to a white neighborhood. They believed Dr. King’s dream was integration and the grass was going to be greener on the other side. In reality, they moved to a neighborhood that didn’t want them in the first place.

“I knew one thing: I wasn’t going to get the benefit of the doubt.”

His book “In the Black, Changing the Dominant Narrative in the Commercial Real Estate Industry” features a poem he wrote in May 1996, entitled “Tears of Black Folk.” This moving poem was written when he worked at Cushman Wakefield, a self-proclaimed very tough time in his life, as he was the firm’s first Black broker. He recalls having to work harder than all the other brokers while feeling—very clearly—that he wasn’t supposed to be there. 

“It’s like God was pushing me back to this old neighborhood. I could not shake it.”

The two men met years ago at a networking event. Both were looking for homes and Ahmann mentioned that he was interested in purchasing a home on Sunset in the Historic Westside. Smith was struck by this response both because it was in his old neighborhood but also because Ahmann is a white man. This conversation, along with others he met who mentioned returning to live on the Westside, inspired Smith. He purchased T. M. Alexander’s house on Sunset two years ago. He plans to redevelop it and move back into the neighborhood.

“Giving the benefit of the doubt is such a treasure.”

During an emotional moment in the conversation, Smith stressed the importance of giving people the benefit of the doubt, likening it to giving someone fresh water. He boldly proclaimed that the Historic Westside is not less than; it is better than because it has survived despite the things that have happened to it..

“Until we have people who look like me…who can afford to live anywhere they want…come back to the neighborhood, we’re going to continue to have this issue. Give us the benefit of the doubt. This is a neighborhood that will save this city—because they did it before.”

Audience Questions

  • How does a young person find a house in Atlanta? It’s so hard to find anything.
    • Number one, get connected to an Empire Board of Realtors broker. Number two, come to Westside Future Fund. Maybe you don’t know this, but there are some down payment assistance programs giving up to $60,000 in assistance. These opportunities are available now. Another thing we’re working on is trying to get the message out for these resources within WFF.
  • People have different views of what the issue is. Some think it’s housing; others say preservation. What is the vision we can all come together to restore and revitalize the whole MLK quarter?
    • I think it’s the old adage—The Five Blind Men—who were all touching an elephant. The reality of it is we’re all talking about the same elephant and if we take care of the pieces we feel drawn to, they will all work together.

Miss the event? Watch the full Transform Westside Summit on YouTube. 

Quest Community Development Corporation and Westside Future Fund Announce 2nd Annual Ride for the Westside Fundraiser

A year since the inaugural Ride for the Westside, the Atlanta housing market continues to outpace the economic mobility of low-wage, working-class families. Recognizing a continued need for philanthropic support, the second annual Ride for the Westside fundraiser returns to support Quest Community Development Corporation’s (Quest CDC) and Westside Future Fund’s (WFF) community-oriented affordable housing efforts, while also celebrating the rich, cultural history of the Historic Westside.

Quest CDC develops affordable and supportive housing for formerly homeless and extremely low-income residents in metro Atlanta. Additionally, the organization provides key support services including comprehensive case management, financial management, and other resources for individuals and families affected by behavioral health, addictions, and physical disabilities.

“Quest is one of the few housing developers in Georgia intentionally focused on housing residents at the lowest income levels, and those who are most vulnerable, to advance social equity and economic inclusion,” said Leonard L. Adams, Jr., President & CEO of Quest CDC. “We are creating communities that change lives, believing purposeful living begins when you have a place to call home.”

WFF helps revitalize the Historic Westside into a community Dr. King would be proud to call home by championing four impact strategies: community health and wellness, safety and security, cradle-to-career education, and mixed-income communities. Its signature program, Home on the Westside, provides the opportunity for homeownership for people with key live, work, and learn connections to the Westside. WFF serves residents in the Vine City, English Avenue, Ashview Heights, Atlanta University Center, and Just Us neighborhoods.

“We know that healthy neighborhoods are a key social determinant for families including their health and well-being, economic opportunity, and access to quality education,” said John Ahmann, President, and CEO of WFF. “Our signature program Home on the Westside is a key part of our mission to advance a compassionate approach to neighborhood revitalization. Philanthropic support is key to helping us continue to develop deeply affordable, quality housing for current and future residents of the Historic Westside.”

Quest CDC and WFF are honored to announce actress, singer, and Real Housewives of Atlanta star Drew Sidora as this year’s emcee for Ride for the Westside. Through her non-profit DREAMAKERS, Sidora motivates young women from diverse backgrounds to be empowered as leaders in their schools, churches, communities, and the world.

“I’ve always been a passionate Dreamer hoping to Entertain and Inspire!” said Sidora. “I’m excited to join this year’s Ride for the Westside supporting a great cause.”

Ride for the Westside will take place on Saturday, September 30 from 8:00 am to noon with festivities and fun for all ages beginning and ending at the WFF Campus at 970 Jefferson Street, NW Atlanta.  The event will include an 11-mile bike loop, a 5K run, which is also a 2024 Peachtree Road Race qualifier, and a Heritage Walk highlighting historic landmarks, community gathering spots, and local businesses. For more information, visit westsidefuturefund.org/ride4westside.

Quest CDC and WFF are grateful to our sponsors for this year’s Ride for the Westside, including Chick-fil-A, The Home Depot Foundation, The Coca-Cola Company, Georgia Power Foundation, Schneider, WABE, Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), PNC, NCR, Aaron’s, Comcast, Brock Built, Dematic, Top Floor Insurance, TMPAV, Wharton Law, L.C., FirstKey Homes, General Parts Company, APD Urban Planning + Management, Marsh, and Lucie Content.