It is projected that over 5,500 individuals in metro Atlanta experience homelessness. Of those persons, 50% are women and 11% are veterans. Founded in 2001, HomeAid Atlanta’s mission is “to build new lives for families and individuals experiencing homelessness through housing and community outreach”. To aid those facing homelessness, HomeAid Atlanta connects builders, trades and suppliers with local community organizations that serve those enduring homelessness.
Hope & Homes Golf Tournament
On October 12, HomeAid Atlanta will be hosting the 19th annual Hope & Homes Golf Tournament, presented by FBC Mortgage, to support their mission of constructing new lives for families and individuals facing homelessness through shelter and community outreach. You can register online or sign up for sponsorships on their website.
There are currently ten foursomes available and four Hole Sponsorships remaining. The event will be located at 2595 Sugarloaf Country Club Drive in Duluth and will begin at 10 a.m.
Over 1,000 CareKits Donated in July
This past July, HomeAid Atlanta with the help of volunteers packaged and distributed over 1,000 CareKits, helping to ease the burden of homelessness. CareKits tremendously impact those individuals and help meet immediate hygiene and hunger needs.
The Northview Church middle school and teen ministry assembled 500 CareKits and donated them to Clifton Sanctuary Ministries in Atlanta, an organization that provides men seeking to overcome homelessness shelter, valuable life skills, case management and more.
The teen ministry from Cornerstone Church in Duluth packed 500 CareKits for Correctional Healthcare Services that were delivered to displaced females in the community.
HomeAid is proud to announce they have packed and donated 9,300 CareKits to date since they began the CareKits initiative with HomeAid national partner, Bank of America in 2014.
Caring in Clarkston
In June, helpers from Brightwater Homes and members of the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association’s Young Professionals group teamed up with HomeAid for a Care Day at Positive Growth Inc. in Clarkston. Positive Growth, Inc. provides a structured, home-like environment for adolescent males aged six to 21.
Care Days provide much-needed upkeep, repairs and upgrades for nonprofits serving the homeless community in metro Atlanta. Volunteers refreshed the home by painting bedrooms and staining an expansive outdoor deck that serves as a gathering place for the house.
Since 2008, HomeAid Atlanta has proudly held nearly 100 Care Days at various nonprofits serving victims of homelessness and domestic violence, teen mothers and veterans. This was the second Care Day at Positive Growth, Inc.
Finishing Lotus House
Uniting with Century Complete, HomeAid celebrated the completion of Lotus House at North Georgia Angel House (NGAH) this past May. The refurbished home serves as a haven for six young women in Canton in need of emergency housing. While staying there, they benefit from case management, life skills and career workshops and counseling services. The collaboration with Century Complete was born out of a recognized need for emergency housing for women aging out of foster care in Cherokee County.
During their time there, HomeAid and Century Complete demolished two old bathrooms with rotten subflooring, renovated the bathroom to one large dorm-style bathroom, replaced carpet with vinyl planking and repainted and replaced kitchen countertops, sinks and hardware.
20th Annual Record-Breaking Essentials Drive
Every year, HomeAid hosts a community-wide Essentials Drive to collect baby essentials for families facing homelessness in metro Atlanta. The past drive wrapped May 7 and HomeAid is thrilled to announce they collected and distributed over 225,000 baby necessities.
From April 1 to May 5, the metro Atlanta community pulled together to donate new diaper packages and baby wipes at more than 30 essentials drop-off locations. Local metro Atlanta companies held drives and contests to raise funds for the acquisition of essential items, raising $20,000 in support. The funds were used to buy diapers and baby essentials that contributed to the record-breaking number of items collected.
In early May a team of volunteers sorted and packed the essential baby items and HomeAid volunteers and staff, with the help of UPS volunteers and two UPS trucks delivered supplies to 23 nonprofits serving families with infants and toddlers experiencing homelessness with necessary baby items.
During 2020, Home Aid volunteers logged over 1,000 hours, packed and distributed 1,500 CareKits, collected 50,000 essentials (diapers, wipes, PPE and cleaning supplies) and aided 20 shelter providers with the help of Care Days, the Essentials Drive and various projects. This greatly helped ease the burden of homelessness during an international pandemic, when this group was largely forgotten.
To learn more about HomeAid Atlanta’s impact, volunteer opportunities and ways to aid the homeless community of metro Atlanta, visit them at www.homeaidatlanta.org.