Cobb Community Foundation welcomes new fundholders Keylan and Erika Mitchell, who chose to create their donor advised fund (DAF) with CCF to boost their support of their community.
When Keylan and Erika Mitchell were thinking of ways to help create positive change in their local Mableton community, they were thinking BIG! The Mitchells noticed a lack of high-quality restaurant options in their neighborhood where families could come and sit for a fresh meal together. They saw that locals wanted to visit these kinds of eateries but needed to drive significant distances to reach them. This also contributed to a lack of quality work opportunities for young people close to home.
Because they are problem solvers, Keylan and Erika began looking for ways to change what they saw. They were taught early by their own parents to value education and caring for their community. “My home growing up was like the Boys & Girls Club of the community. It was a home of safety, learning and fun. Kids would show up at the door asking to play in our backyard and my parents’ only question to them was ‘Have you finished your homework?’ If they had done their homework, they could play,” remembers Keylan.
It was those values that led them to open a MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes close to home in Mableton. They view their restaurant “as a community service organization that just happens to serve the best burgers, fries and shakes around,” shared Keylan. He praises the young people working the service counter saying that the whole reason they are open and running today is because of their dedication and resourcefulness. “I know the world is going to be okay when I see how these young people are working to succeed.”
Knowing how far they are willing to go to positively impact their community, it’s no surprise that the Mitchells decided to create a giving fund with Cobb Community Foundation (CCF). About the fund Keylan said, “Erika and I wanted to be strategic regarding philanthropy in our community. We wanted our giving to be streamlined and easy so we could focus on our business and helping our community. Cobb Community Foundation was recommended to us by people we trust.”
When asked how they would like to use the funds, they explained how they would like to increase opportunities for youth in South Cobb through mentorship, education, scholarships, and exposure to a better future. Keylan believes that it is not a lack of talent, drive or grit that keeps youth from exceling, but a lack of opportunity and exposure. Through their giving fund and sales proceeds from MOOYAH, the Mitchells have already made grants to local Boys and Girls Clubs to invest in mentoring and educational opportunities for local youth.
If you would like to learn more about how you can positively impact your community through a giving fund with the Cobb Community Foundation, please contact Barbara Garner at barbara@cobbfoundation.org or call (770) 859-2359.
