AMERICA TOGETHER: Atlanta insurer gives $100 Walmart giftcards to shoppers before Christmas
'I lost employment during COVID,' one recipient said
An Atlanta insurance company gave out $100 gift cards to shoppers at an area Walmart this week, spreading cheer during a holiday marred by spiking coronavirus infections and the worst economic downturn in decades.
"Today was a special day for Atlanta Life," the insurance company -- founded in 1907 by a former slave -- wrote on Twitter. "It warmed our hearts to give back to the community in such a big way. We were there for almost [five] HOURS!!!!"
In a video posted to Twitter, one lucky customer said the Walmart gift card was a "huge blessing" to her and her family "during this time."
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"I lost employment during COVID," she says in the video.
Overall, dozens of shoppers received the gift cards, which came with no strings attached, Fox News' Atlanta bureau reported. The insurance company told the outlet that its staff wanted to give back to the community while people are in need.
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Atlanta Life didn't immediately respond to inquiries from Fox Business.
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The coronavirus pandemic, and efforts to contain it, have ravaged the U.S. economy this year, shuttering wide swaths of businesses including restaurants and bars.
The unemployment rate spiked to 14.7% in April, the highest since the Great Depression, before sliding back to 6.7 percent in November. That's still almost twice the rate at the start of the year.