2024 Grant Recipients
FALL 2024 OPERATIONAL GRANTS
Bright Star UMC (now Douglasville First UMC) $2,500
Bright Star Church is committed to addressing homelessness in Douglas County, GA, through the compassionate and transformative power of our food ministries. By addressing both immediate needs and underlying issues, we are building community and trust. Grant funds will ensure that the food ministries keep providing meals to those facing hunger and that our outreach teams can keep visiting homeless camps, offering both spiritual and material support.
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Catholic Charities Atlanta $2,500
Refugees are an international homeless population, and the US resettlement program is designed to be a permanent solution, offering humanitarian protection for those fleeing persecution. As a resettlement agency, Catholic Charities Atlanta ensures that upon arrival, refugees have safe and affordable housing. Grant funds will ensure will be used to purchase essential supplies as refugees begin their new lives in Georgia and focus on becoming self-sufficient, which is CCA’s mission. Marietta First UMC is the endorsing church for this grant request.
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Central Outreach and Advocacy $2,500
For many people experiencing homelessness in Atlanta, Central Outreach and Advocacy Center (COAC) is the first step toward self-sufficiency. Central OAC assists guests with their most urgent and basic needs. One primary need addressed is the fact that many people experiencing homelessness are without personal identification documents. A valid ID is required to access many shelters, physical or mental health services, employment, Social Security, Medicaid or other benefits, and permanent housing. Central AOC is one of only three primary providers in Atlanta and Fulton Co. who assist with ID documentation and application fees. Grant funds will support this work as well as outreach to the unhoused in Atlanta. St. Paul UMC, Grant Park is the endorsing church for this grant request.
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The Drake House $2,500
Since 2006, The Drake House has served 650 vulnerable families addressing a long-standing need for emergency and transitional housing for women and children in North Metro Atlanta. The crisis housing shelter offers 15 one- and two-bedroom housing units at no cost to its residents for up to 180 days. The Drake Village, our transitional housing, offers 16 two-bedroom below-market-rate rent apartments to qualified graduating Drake House residents. Both the House and Village provide essential comprehensive services such as empowerment planning, grocery needs, laundry facilities, youth programming and afterschool care, life skills classes, career services, financial services, and mental health support. The Drake House helps families remain in the community and preserves intact families, supporting financial stability, improved employment, and transition to stable housing. Grant funds will support our general operating fund, providing a safe, supportive, and enriching environment ensuring uninterrupted services. Roswell UMC is the endorsing church for this grant request.
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Fayette Friendship Community Church - A UMC Congregation $2,500
Fayette Friendship Community Church provides nutritious food, outside of the regular staples, for families and children in its community. Each week they provide fresh produce to our clients, in addition to our regular food distribution. In addition to food, Fayette Friendship also supports those in need by including them in the life of the church and offering services such as day-care, after-school services, and camps as well as providing support and mentorship with finances, employment opportunities, service opportunities, and spiritual care. Grant funds will go directly toward purchasing food from Midwest Foods and Atlanta Food Bank. As our ministry grows, we will be able to maintain consistency in our hours and days of operation, which families need.
Glenn Memorial UMC $2,500
One in 6 children in metro-Atlanta and North Georgia face hunger. Glenn’s Snack in a Backpack ministry began 13 years ago and has grown from serving 50 children to approximately 400 children each week while school is in session. The program provides food to children identified by their teachers and counselors as being at risk of hunger, particularly on the weekends when free school meals are unavailable. Last year, Glenn Memorial UMC distributed over 16,000 bags of food. They partner with Hope-Hill, Perkerson, and Mary McLeod Bethune elementary schools as well as GVP (Global Village Project), a school in Decatur for refugee girls. The Snack in a Backpack program also serves about 50 Congolese refugee children in the Clarkston area. Grant funds will go to purchase food items for this ministry.
Hinton Rural Life Center $2,500
In Towns County, Georgia, many neighbors facing homelessness are finding that their only options are substandard housing. Hinton Rural Life Center works with individuals who are living in less than adequate housing or who are homeless to provide repairs so that an individual and/or parent and child(ren) can safely inhabit the home. Grant funds will be used to assess and make repairs that improve the safety and health of homes for neighbors in Towns County who are very low-income. Sharp Memorial UMC is the endorsing church for this grant request.
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Homeless Coalition of Cherokee County $2,500
Although the Homeless Coalition of Cherokee County is a relatively new organization, formed just 5 years ago, and small in size, their impact on the community has been substantial. Operation Roof (OR), is a referral-based 7-night hotel stay for those who are homeless in Cherokee County. Operation Roof is more than a voucher program in that trained volunteers meet with each guest before they check in to the hotel. Our volunteers spend time with our guests to listen to their stories, help guide them toward resources in the community that may meet their specific needs, and offer words of prayer and support. Additionally, after realizing that many of our guests would receive food from our local pantries but could not use it in the hotel setting, we created Motel Meal Kits. These kits are given to each guest and provide motel-friendly food for 10 breakfasts, 10 lunches/dinners, 10 sides, 20 snacks, a roll of paper towels, and other necessary paper products/utensils. Grant funds will support this work. Liberty Hill UMC is the endorsing church for this grant request.
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I-58 Mission, Inc. $2,500
The I-58 Mission cares for those in Coweta, Fayette, Spalding, and Meriwether Counties by meeting physical needs and showing the love of Christ. One particular need met by this ministry is providing beds. Working with DFACS, I-58 Mission plays a crucial role in reuniting children with their families by providing the bed that is required before a child returns home. In the past year, client numbers have increased. In 2023, I-58 Mission delivered 36 bed sets. Through June of 2024, they have already delivered 28 bed sets. This work compliments their other program areas which provide food and clothing to those in need. Grant funds will be used to purchase supplies for bed sets. Senoia UMC is the sponsoring church for this grant request.
Nothing But the Truth $2,500
The food Nothing but the Truth provides, which is often shared among family members, offers flexibility for parents to meet the increasing costs of housing, healthcare, and other daily necessities. Many of the families served experience homelessness or are on the cusp of homelessness. These families lack adequate transportation and rely on our organization for food delivery and other essential items. Nothing But the Truth gives these families resilience against food insecurity and raises the baseline amount of nutrition they receive on the weekends. The money saved on food can then be allocated towards rent and mortgage payments, alleviating homelessness or reoccurring homelessness. Grant funds will be used to purchase food to support the 2000 students we feed each week and will help offset the increase in demand and the rising cost of food. First UMC of Lawrenceville is the endorsing church for this request.
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Toco Hills Community Alliance $2,500
Toco Hills Community Alliance has been working to overcome food insecurity since 1998. The COVID crisis dramatically increased the amount of food insecurity and the number of people in our community seeking our assistance. Once the social safety net programs, such as the Child Tax Credit and increased SNAP benefits, were put into place, there was a decrease. Likewise, there has been an increase as each of those programs have expired. We are currently serving about 700 families each week, which is nearly triple the number we served even 5 years ago. Of those families, 16-18% are homeless, and the majority of the others we serve teeter close to the edge of homelessness. As the great need continues unabated and shows no signs of slowing, we are continually working to improve and enhance our services for our neighbors. Grant funds will be used to purchase food and supplies for this ministry. Oak Grove UMC is the endorsing church for this grant request.
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Tucker First UMC $2,500
The Shower Ministry at Tucker First UMC began on June 11, 2023, as an offshoot of our Cold Weather Shelter Ministry. In its first year of operation, the program served 400 people and 50-70 unique individuals. On the first day in 2023, the Shower Ministry served a handful of people, provided no laundry service, and served pizza. On a recent Sunday in August 2024, we had 48 guests, did 18 loads of laundry, and served all 48 a hot meal that included salad and dessert. Several came back for seconds and thirds. This grant will allow Tucker First to continue providing the homeless population in Tucker with the basic needs of a hot shower, a hot meal, and clean clothes every week. All these services are free to anyone who comes through the doors. There are no similar programs in the Tucker area.
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SPRING 2024 CAPITAL GRANTS
Branches of Hope - LaGrange/Troup County Homeless Coalition $10,000
Branches of Hope has been a warming shelter for Troup County for nine years. On November 27, 2023, they opened as a year-round, nighttime emergency shelter - filling a critical need in the LaGrange/Troup County area. Grant funds will be used to replace an HVAC unit in the building to keep guests comfortable during their stay. LaGrange First UMC is the endorsing church for this grant request.
East Cobb UMC $8,500
Recently, East Cobb UMC renovated an unused house on their property to serve as a transitional shelter for families experiencing homelessness. The transition house is managed by Family Promise of Cobb County. The grant funds to replace a 29-year-old HVAC unit.
Family Promise of Athens $10,000
Family Promise of Athens is preparing to add two new transitional housing units for families which will double their current capacity. Transitional housing units provide a safe and stable environment for families while they work to secure permanent housing. Grant funds will be used to purchase durable, high-use furniture for the new units that will make them feel like home. Chapelwood UMC is the endorsing church for this grant request.
Hands of Christ: Duluth Co-op $5,700
The Duluth Co-op has recently been gifted a new building which allows for increased operations and service to Gwinnett County. Grant funds will be used to purchase two commercial-grade, reach-in appliances - a freezer and a refrigerator. Duluth First UMC is the endorsing church for this grant request.
Wellroot Family Services $10,000
Wellroot Family Services is living into its mission “to restore children and families from trauma through Jesus Christ,” by renovating newly acquired apartment buildings to create a trauma-informed residential campus that provides safe and stable housing for youth ages 18-21 as they prepare for life beyond the foster care system. Grant funds will be used to support the cost of renovations to the new campus in Decatur. Dunwoody UMC is the endorsing church for this grant request.
Wesley Woods - St. John Towers, Augusta $10,000
St. John Towers provides affordable housing for seniors in the Augusta area. Currently, the community dining room needs flooring modification to ensure safe navigation for residents using mobility devices. Grant funds will be used to replace existing carpet flooring with LVP. St. John UMC Augusta is the endorsing church for this grant request.
HABITAT GRANTS
Gwinnett/Walton Habitat for Humanity $5,000
Seeking to put God's love into action, Gwinnett/Walton Habitat for Humanity brings people together to build homes, communities, and hope. Grant funds will be used in the development of 6-7 houses in Lilburn through this local Habitat affiliate. Gwinnett/Walton Habitat for Humanity is a partner of Lawrenceville First UMC.
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McEachern Memorial UMC $5,000
Since 2018 McEachern UMC has been part of the Cobb Interfaith Habitat Coalition (CICH) with involvement championed by the United Methodist Men. Each year, we help build a new house in our local community that will benefit a family for years to come. Grant funds will be used to support the 2024 build.
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Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity $5,000
Originally housed at Jonesboro First UMC, Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity serves the local community by providing needed repairs to homes in the Jonesboro and Fayetteville areas. The repairs prevent homelessness by allowing residents to remain in their homes. Grant funds will be used to repair the home of a disabled veteran.
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St. James UMC $5,000
St. James UMC in Atlanta is preparing for its 30th Habitat for Humanity Build as part of an ecumenical effort with other Atlanta-area churches. Grant funds will be used to support a new home build for an Atlanta native and his son.
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