Alcovy Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children of Covington has received a $1,000 grant from Wells Fargo's Rockdale Main branch through the company's Days of Giving program.

The group was among 44 south and east Atlanta metro groups honored at a community breakfast recently at Clayton State University's Student Activities Center in Morrow.

Across Atlanta, team members in the company's nearly 200 bank stores, and those in other business lines, selected 240 groups in all that were delivering vital services in their local areas for the honor. The program has been expanded by a third since last year.

The donations to the groups were distributed at five community breakfasts in November including the one in Morrow. The company began the program in Atlanta last year and in 2010 is expanding it by a third. Before the program, the company had typically not helped the groups.

The Days of Giving program came about as a result of the combination of Wells Fargo and Wachovia, said Debbie Dickinson, district manager for Rockdale County. The contributions help mark the changeover of Wachovia financial centers to Wells Fargo bank stores across the state in late October.

"A hallmark of Wells Fargo is local decision-making and local involvement," Dickinson said. "We'll continue to make grants of all sizes, but through Days of Giving we're connecting with local communities in a whole new way."

Across Atlanta Wells Fargo has 5,000 employees and serves half of all Atlanta households. It will make a total of $5 million in contributions to some 500 groups across Georgia in 2010.