HomeAid Atlanta’s 16th Annual Essentials Drive concluded on May 12 and collected more than 134,000 essential baby items valued at over $24,000. Just in time for Mother’s Day, 24 Atlanta-area nonprofits serving homeless families and children received donations from more than 40 Atlanta businesses, organizations and individuals.
Community-wide collections and donations took place from May 1 to May 9. On May 11, volunteers from Denim Marketing, CBRE McMichael & Gray PC, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Bank of America sorted and packed the collected baby items for delivery. For the 11th year, UPS joined HomeAid to deliver the donated items to Atlanta-area organizations.
“Year after year, HomeAid Atlanta and its supporters have continued to surpass our expectations and we consider HomeAid to be one of our greatest allies in the fight to alleviate homelessness in metro Atlanta,” said Marlene White, Executive Director of Decatur Cooperative Ministry.
This year, 24 organizations in Atlanta, Conyers, Decatur, Duluth, Gainesville, Marietta, Roswell, Snellville and Tucker received donations. The recipients included Action Ministries, Atlanta Dream Center/Out of Darkness, Atlanta Mission, Ceek to Fulfill, City of Refuge, Community Advanced Practice Nurses, Decatur Cooperative Ministry, The Drake House, Family Promise of Hall County, Our House, HavenATL, Helping Mamas, HomeStretch, MUST Ministries, New American Pathways, Nicholas House, Partnership Against Domestic Violence, Phoenix Pass, Rainbow Village, Salvation Army’s Red Shield Shelter, Sheltering Arms, Sheltering Grace Ministry, Solomon’s Temple and United Methodist Children’s Home.
Launched in 2002, the essentials drive helps meet the growing needs of Atlanta’s changing homeless population. Many of the nonprofits who received donations were built or renovated in partnership with HomeAid Atlanta. Since the essentials drive’s inception, more than 1 million essential baby items have been raised and distributed.
Founded in 2001, HomeAid Atlanta builds new lives “for homeless families and individuals through housing and community outreach.” HomeAid partners with the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association, in addition to others in the building community, to help those experiencing temporarily homelessness. HomeAid Atlanta has completed over 50 housing, remodel and care day projects at locations that serve victims of domestic violence, teen mothers, abused and abandoned children, and more. Learn more at www.HomeAidAtlanta.org.