Atlanta Gas Light and its Foundation Energizes Independent Living for Physically Challenged Young Adults

What started as a simple idea that a father sketched on the back of a napkin about his son’s future has evolved into the Champions Community Foundation (CCF), a vital support system for young adults with physical disabilities. At the center of that support network is Champions Place, a private multi-resident home outfitted with cutting-edge adaptive technology allowing each resident to be self-reliant and experience life to its fullest. The 16-person home has established a model solution to a national
challenge: young, disabled adults growing isolated, lonely or depressed after aging out of high school and losing connections to social, sports and community activities. 

Atlanta Gas Light and the Atlanta Gas Light Foundation aid CCF in its mission to empower physically challenged young adults to live independently and remain active in their communities. The company’s initial contribution was used for a natural gas back-up generator that is a vital part of the home’s essential technology. Today, the Foundation continues its support of the organization’s work, funding critical projects.   

“Accessibility at Champions Place is dependent on a steady power supply,” said Rick Thompson, the father who first envisioned Champions Place and, today, serves as its executive director. “For all the power doors, voice-activated technology and medical support devices, the natural gas generator is a critical piece of equipment in our house.”  

The home also features specially adapted natural gas appliances, such as a range with leg room for wheelchairs that enables residents to cook for themselves. An outdoor natural gas firepit draws residents together for fellowship at the end of each day.  

Connie McIntyre, chair of the CCF board and a former Atlanta Gas Light employee, highlighted the broader impact: “Beyond our 16-resident campus, CCF provides families of young disabled adults with access to free in-home, voice-activated assistive tech installations; multiple in person social events each month; and nightly virtual community events that stream worldwide. We hope we can become a sustainable model for people living independently with disabilities. This could positively impact thousands of families across Georgia and the United States.” 

Over the past four years, the Atlanta Gas Light Foundation has served as a top contributor to CCF’s annual fundraiser. In December of 2024, volunteers from EverGreen, the company’s environment-focused employee resource group, installed a pollinator garden at Champions Place with assistance from SiteOne Landscape Supply. Residents joined in the plantings and learned how to create their own butterfly gardens from seed pods.

Watch the video to learn more about this inspiring initiative