Atlanta’s home building community supports the 22nd Annual Essentials Drive
HomeAid Atlanta’s 22nd Annual Essentials Drive wrapped up just in time for Mother’s Day, delivering essential baby items to families in need. Throughout the month of April, members of Atlanta’s home building industry and the general community donated diapers, baby wipes, and funds to help families experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness. HomeAid recognizes how challenging it can be for families and individuals to provide for their most basic needs during times of crisis and transition. Babies can go through 8-12 diapers a day, and the average monthly cost of diapers for one child is $80. Many families experiencing homelessness or economic hardship must improvise to make diapers last longer, changing diapers less often, or even attempting to clean and reuse disposable diapers.
Along with countless individuals who donated baby items, these local organizations collected donations of diapers and baby wipes internally and/or served as Essentials Drive Drop-Off locations throughout April:
Ameris Bank
Ashton Woods
Bank of America
BankSouth Mortgage
Buckingham Properties
Cherokee County Vets
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta – Scottish Rite TICU
CORE Property Capital
D.R. Horton West
Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association
Juneau Construction Company
Lennar
Northview Church
Pinnacle Financial Partners
Rockhaven Homes
SouthState Bank
Taylor Morrison
On May 10, these organizations delivered their collected donations to Longo Custom Builders’ warehouse in Smyrna. The following day, more than 30 volunteers sorted, counted, and packed approximately 200,000 items at the warehouse. On May 12, donations were delivered just in time for Mother’s Day, thanks to UPS, BankSouth Mortgage, and O’Kelley & Sorohan, Attorneys at Law. This year’s Essentials Drive donations supplied baby items for these 27 local nonprofits providing housing and services for families in need:
4Sarah, Inc
Atlanta Children’s Shelter
Atlanta Mission
CEEK To Fulfill
City of Refuge
Crossroads Community Ministries
Forsyth County Family Haven
Gateway House
Helping Mamas
Family Promise of Hall County
Family Promise of North Fulton/DeKalb
Motherhood Beyond Bars
MUST Ministries
New American Pathways
Nicholas House
North Fulton Community Charities
Our House
Phoenix Pass
Rainbow Village
Serenade Heights
Sheltering Grace Ministry
Solomon’s Temple Foundation, Inc.
The Drake House
The Salvation Army Metro Atlanta
The Salvation Army Red Shield Services
Wellroot Family Services
Women’s Resource Center to End Domestic Violence
Auvronette Guilbeaux, Phoenix Pass Executive Director, remarked, “The Essentials Drive provides baby products that would otherwise be a hardship between paydays for our moms. One mom said that she felt like a burden had been lifted because she did not have to choose between diapers and other baby products for her daughters. Another mom felt like it was truly a Mother’s Day gift because without having to buy diapers, she had a little more money in her account to save.”
HomeAid Atlanta is a nonprofit organization founded in 2001, with a mission to help people experiencing or at risk of homelessness build new lives through construction, community engagement, and education. HomeAid builds, renovates, and maintains facilities for nonprofits serving people experiencing homelessness. HomeAid has completed over 170 construction projects at locations for victims of domestic violence, teen mothers, veterans and more, utilizing connections with building industry professionals and community organizations. HomeAid also provides essential items like diapers, wipes, and hygiene products to those affected by homelessness. HomeAid is the designated charity of the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association. Learn more at www.homeaidatlanta.org.