From left to right: Leah Erwin of eBay, Cindy Neal of Reflections of Trinity, State Representative David Wilkerson (GA-38), Laurie Wong of Reflections of Trinity, Lisa Cupid of Cobb Co. Board of Commissioners, and Georgiana Dorne of eBay. Photo taken by Michaela Joy of Michaela Joy Photography.
In the leadup to Thanksgiving, members of the eBay Government Relations’ Seller Advocacy Team as well as eBay’s Seller Community and eBay for Charity Teams joined eBay seller, Laurie Wong, for her annual Thanksgiving outreach event in Powder Springs, GA. Laurie is the founder and CEO of Reflections of Trinity, a nonprofit that raises funds through her brick-and-mortar thrift store and eBay storefront. She is also an eBay Small Business Ambassador Network(SBAN) Member Captain and welcomed other SBAN Members from around the country who volunteered at this year’s event.
Each year, Reflections of Trinity donates Thanksgiving meals to any family in need, including produce, protein, grain, and a turkey. This year, Reflections of Trinity and their 327 volunteers served 1,649 families with over 267,000 lbs. of food donated – all in one day. Laurie’s sales through eBay make it possible for her nonprofit to distribute approximately 4 million pounds of food each year and aid over 7,000 individuals monthly across Georgia’s 43 counties. Since 2012, Reflections of Trinity has helped 584,000 individuals with an estimated 17 million pounds of food.
Also in attendance were the Mayor of Powder Springs, Al Thurman, State Representative David Wilkerson, State Senator Michael ‘Doc’ Rhett, and several County Commissioners. During the event, Laure was able to share her story, and the impact Reflections of Trinity has in the community. She was also able to explain the need for state and federal support of nonprofits to provide aid in the communities who need it most and explain how she uses eBay to enable her mission in the Atlanta area.
The day before the event, eBay’s Seller Community and eBay for Charity Teams hosted sellers at a sourcing drive using Reflections of Trinity’s inventory. The eBay Seller Advocacy team also participated in a poverty simulation hosted by Reflections of Trinity, which demonstrated the difficult reality of food insecurity for individuals living without ‘margin’, or the funds needed to purchase necessities in their life without hardship.
The eBay Government Relations Team would like to thank Laurie Wong for the invitation to participate in Reflection of Trinity’s Thanksgiving Outreach and for her dedication and tireless efforts to help those in need.