She's working fulltime as the elementary school cafeteria manager and shuttling five kids to various sports and activities. She's in charge of an active youth group, trekking groups of kids all over Atlanta to Six Flags, bowling and beyond. She recently took in her teenage nieces after her brother died. By all accounts, Melody Guinn's to-do list shouldn't include spending evenings over the first two weeks of December standing outside in windy 40-degree chill filling boxes of food for the needy of Morgan County.
Her family and friends tell her she's crazy. Her co-workers say it might be best to take a year off. But Guinn's heart--which is what guides her in the end-- says there are people in greater need than her and the show must go on.
"In our family, the motto is 'sharing is caring,'" she says.
What began as a simple project with her son's pre-K class has blossomed into a full-scale, non-perishable annual food drive at Morgan County Elementary. And while people have made donations, even turkeys and cash occasionally, this is one charity whose needs continue to grow even as the volunteer staff stays the same.
Guinn is even planning an enclosure on her carport to allow for a year-round weekend food pantry for the working poor who can't make it to the Caring Place or other weekday food pantries.
As school counselor Stacy Waldron put it to me, "This is all Melody." It's her crusade. Her truck. Her storage facility. It's her family, husband and five kids who pack all the boxes and personally deliver them."
Guinn is reserved and humble, crediting her grandmother with her 'do-unto-others' approach.
"If I can't help but two families... if I can't help but one person..." Guinn says, "it's in me to help. Because hopefully that one person will turn around and help someone else."
Guinn puts a tidy conclusion on my homegrown charity adventure. Giving is something within us. One of the impulses we can't really control. And if we can help, we do.
And if someone we help helps someone else? The giving is all the sweeter.
Guinn Family Christmas Food Drive
Morgan County Elementary School
1640 Buckhead Road
Madison, GA
770-597-0618
Thursday, September 30, 2010
THRU WITH FLU
The second or so Saturday in October, stay away from Highway 44 in front of Putnam General Hospital. Unless you like traffic. Or need a flu shot.
As word has spread, the annual free "Drive-thru to stop flu" has attracted exponentially more people, over a thousand last year, forcing an early start-time just to clear snarled roadways.
Eight nurses stand at the ready over four lanes of traffic. As car windows roll down, sleeves roll up. A little brief paperwork, a healthy apple and the driver is off, armed to face another vicious flu season.
Paid for in full by the Putnam General Auxiliary, President Pat Henderson says that while they love to help different hospital departments with their "wish lists," the flu shots are the primary focus of their many fundraisers.
"With the bad economy, flu shots are usually not a priority," Henderson says. "Food, shelter and clothes are a priority." And, she says since the CDC can't predict which flu strain will be active each year, annual shots help build protection for different strains.
The price tag is far from cheap. Nearly $20,000 in the past three years, not including band-aids, needles and fruit.
The group hosts events almost year-round to make their money. In July there’s a linen sale. November 22, it’s the $5 jewelry sale. December 5 is the annual Love Light tree lighting and veteran salute. January 28 is the popular soup luncheon and March 26, a fashion show, both at First United Methodist in Eatonton.
With some volunteer retirees headed back to paying work, Henderson says they're always seeking new members. The community and hospital are counting on them.
Flu Shot Drive-by
Putnam General Hospital Auxiliary
101 Lake Oconee Parkway
Eatonton, GA Pkwy
706-485-2711, ext. 249
As word has spread, the annual free "Drive-thru to stop flu" has attracted exponentially more people, over a thousand last year, forcing an early start-time just to clear snarled roadways.
Eight nurses stand at the ready over four lanes of traffic. As car windows roll down, sleeves roll up. A little brief paperwork, a healthy apple and the driver is off, armed to face another vicious flu season.
Paid for in full by the Putnam General Auxiliary, President Pat Henderson says that while they love to help different hospital departments with their "wish lists," the flu shots are the primary focus of their many fundraisers.
"With the bad economy, flu shots are usually not a priority," Henderson says. "Food, shelter and clothes are a priority." And, she says since the CDC can't predict which flu strain will be active each year, annual shots help build protection for different strains.
The price tag is far from cheap. Nearly $20,000 in the past three years, not including band-aids, needles and fruit.
The group hosts events almost year-round to make their money. In July there’s a linen sale. November 22, it’s the $5 jewelry sale. December 5 is the annual Love Light tree lighting and veteran salute. January 28 is the popular soup luncheon and March 26, a fashion show, both at First United Methodist in Eatonton.
With some volunteer retirees headed back to paying work, Henderson says they're always seeking new members. The community and hospital are counting on them.
Flu Shot Drive-by
Putnam General Hospital Auxiliary
101 Lake Oconee Parkway
Eatonton, GA Pkwy
706-485-2711, ext. 249
Sunday, September 5, 2010
FERST IN BOOKS
Sitting hunched over her dining room table, licking stamps and stuffing children's books she paid for into padded envelopes, Madison's Robyn Ferst never doubted that her charity would be big.
"She's the ultimate visionary," says Shauna von Hanstein, Ferst Foundation for Childhood Literacy's director of operations.
Going from soliciting kid readers at local festivals and the supermarket to sponsored programs in 73 counties of the state and joining Dolly Parton's Imagination Library in forging a partnership with Rotary International is definitely big.
As a child, Ferst had degenerative hearing loss and books gave her a world where being unable to hear didn't matter. She couldn't imagine a house without books.
It impresses me that this charity doesn't sit back waiting for people to ask for help. They actively advertise trying to reach more children. Their goal is to offer a book every month to every child under five in every county of Georgia.
They're motivated by the thought that having books in the home prepares a child for school and learning success. And they believe a larger group of better readers will someday result in a larger, better-educated workforce.
My youngest and I will be sad on his fifth birthday this winter when the books stop coming. But we have a huge library of well-read, well-loved stories that have him well on the way to reading himself.
Ferst Foundation for Childhood Literacy
P.O. Box 1327
Madison, GA 30650
www.ferstfoundation.org
706-343-0177
"She's the ultimate visionary," says Shauna von Hanstein, Ferst Foundation for Childhood Literacy's director of operations.
Going from soliciting kid readers at local festivals and the supermarket to sponsored programs in 73 counties of the state and joining Dolly Parton's Imagination Library in forging a partnership with Rotary International is definitely big.
As a child, Ferst had degenerative hearing loss and books gave her a world where being unable to hear didn't matter. She couldn't imagine a house without books.
It impresses me that this charity doesn't sit back waiting for people to ask for help. They actively advertise trying to reach more children. Their goal is to offer a book every month to every child under five in every county of Georgia.
They're motivated by the thought that having books in the home prepares a child for school and learning success. And they believe a larger group of better readers will someday result in a larger, better-educated workforce.
My youngest and I will be sad on his fifth birthday this winter when the books stop coming. But we have a huge library of well-read, well-loved stories that have him well on the way to reading himself.
Ferst Foundation for Childhood Literacy
P.O. Box 1327
Madison, GA 30650
www.ferstfoundation.org
706-343-0177
Thursday, August 12, 2010
MY FRIEND'S HOUSE
The neat thing about living in the community you write in is that you get to see things unfolding, live, as they happen. As good fortune would have it, I’ve been watching a brand new, homegrown charity--a soup kitchen with planned clothes closet and overnight shelter--come to life. And Patrick Alligood, the exact right guy for the job, is learning the hands-on way that it takes a lot of work and time for that to happen.
Whether they have kids or like chocolate (or both), most Madisonians know Alligood. The Antique Sweets candy store owner directs traffic mornings at the primary school. He only misses to lead the All Pro Dads breakfasts, a rare opportunity for dads to share one-on-one time with their kids before the first morning bell rings.
Alligood also coaches soccer and serves on the elementary school council and volunteers on boards and committees and so he knows the community and understands its needs the way he gets how to cook up the perfect praline.
Which isn't to say he fully understands how to make that happen quickly.
Alligood wanted to do a collection for a world hunger fund but his young adult Sunday School students wanted to help with local food needs--a real “oh yeah....” moment for him.
From research to steering committee to incorporation has been a long, winding road on which Alligood has struggled to be patient.
“My intention was to get it up and running by now,” he says. “But there's usually a reason that timing doesn't work out like I want.”
For example, if the steering committee and feasibility study had been on schedule, it would have been ahead of the availability of the old county jail--the perfect facility for a project of this scope.
Also, in the delay, Madison Presbyterian Church has started up “Free Food Fridays,” proving grounds for volunteers and resources that will all transfer to Alligood's project in the long run.
Alligood says that after asking around about the idea, he pretty much had to get involved because “it was the right thing to do.”
“There are million dollar homes up and down Main Street and $40,000 vehicles all around town. But Morgan County average income is less than state average. There's a large population that struggles. Whether seniors or young families, children... 40 percent in the school system are on free or reduced lunch. So for me, I wanted to help the community, help my neighbors, help my friends....”
The charity's name—chosen by Alligood's mom--says it all. My Friend's House. As in "Where ya headed, man?" "Over to My Friend's House."
My Friend's House
1321 Dickson Rd
Rutledge, GA 30663
706-342-0034
Whether they have kids or like chocolate (or both), most Madisonians know Alligood. The Antique Sweets candy store owner directs traffic mornings at the primary school. He only misses to lead the All Pro Dads breakfasts, a rare opportunity for dads to share one-on-one time with their kids before the first morning bell rings.
Alligood also coaches soccer and serves on the elementary school council and volunteers on boards and committees and so he knows the community and understands its needs the way he gets how to cook up the perfect praline.
Which isn't to say he fully understands how to make that happen quickly.
Alligood wanted to do a collection for a world hunger fund but his young adult Sunday School students wanted to help with local food needs--a real “oh yeah....” moment for him.
From research to steering committee to incorporation has been a long, winding road on which Alligood has struggled to be patient.
“My intention was to get it up and running by now,” he says. “But there's usually a reason that timing doesn't work out like I want.”
For example, if the steering committee and feasibility study had been on schedule, it would have been ahead of the availability of the old county jail--the perfect facility for a project of this scope.
Also, in the delay, Madison Presbyterian Church has started up “Free Food Fridays,” proving grounds for volunteers and resources that will all transfer to Alligood's project in the long run.
Alligood says that after asking around about the idea, he pretty much had to get involved because “it was the right thing to do.”
“There are million dollar homes up and down Main Street and $40,000 vehicles all around town. But Morgan County average income is less than state average. There's a large population that struggles. Whether seniors or young families, children... 40 percent in the school system are on free or reduced lunch. So for me, I wanted to help the community, help my neighbors, help my friends....”
The charity's name—chosen by Alligood's mom--says it all. My Friend's House. As in "Where ya headed, man?" "Over to My Friend's House."
My Friend's House
1321 Dickson Rd
Rutledge, GA 30663
706-342-0034
Friday, July 16, 2010
AUTO ASSIST
If you don't have a car, you can't work. That's the simple concept behind Episcopal Church of the Redeemer's vehicle assistance program.
I'm floored by the thought. I hate my dented, dirty mini-van, but take it completely for granted. High mileage, squeaky breaks and all, it takes us everywhere we need to go.
Les Reed is the brainchild behind the program and he leads the all-volunteer, zero-overhead team that researches and buys quality used cars off Craig's List, eBay and from local dealers.
Thanks to an anonymous donation, the group has put 14 people in cars in the past two and a half years. And thanks to their clients' monthly payments (set at what they can reasonably afford each month for around two years with 0 percent interest) Reed and Co. are able to continue car purchases.
Motivation to pay is less threat of repo-man and more "if you don't --we won't have the money to help someone else."
I'm curious if a church that gives so generously hopes to recruit new members, but Reed calls it an unconditional gift. Besides, he says, most of the people taking advantage of the program are working constantly to make ends meet and too busy with young families to come to church.
They aren't trying to convert anyone. Just lend a hand.
Episcopal Church of the Redeemer Vehicle Assistance
303 N. Main Street
Greensboro, Ga.
706-453-7171
I'm floored by the thought. I hate my dented, dirty mini-van, but take it completely for granted. High mileage, squeaky breaks and all, it takes us everywhere we need to go.
Les Reed is the brainchild behind the program and he leads the all-volunteer, zero-overhead team that researches and buys quality used cars off Craig's List, eBay and from local dealers.
Thanks to an anonymous donation, the group has put 14 people in cars in the past two and a half years. And thanks to their clients' monthly payments (set at what they can reasonably afford each month for around two years with 0 percent interest) Reed and Co. are able to continue car purchases.
Motivation to pay is less threat of repo-man and more "if you don't --we won't have the money to help someone else."
I'm curious if a church that gives so generously hopes to recruit new members, but Reed calls it an unconditional gift. Besides, he says, most of the people taking advantage of the program are working constantly to make ends meet and too busy with young families to come to church.
They aren't trying to convert anyone. Just lend a hand.
Episcopal Church of the Redeemer Vehicle Assistance
303 N. Main Street
Greensboro, Ga.
706-453-7171
Monday, June 14, 2010
MOTHERS UNITE
Georgia Smith has spent nearly 20 years with her guard up. And she’ll gladly leave it there, her eyes and ears peeled, to keep her neighborhood and community safe. As president of Mothers Against Crime in Eatonton, she remembers the moment she knew she couldn’t just “sit there and let these things happen anymore.”
In 1992, just seven months after her youngest daughter’s classmate had been shot and killed in the parking lot of Hardees, a young woman caught in the crossfire of a drug-related gunfight was shot in the back of the head. She was only 27 and had a baby in her arms. Smith worked as coordinator of organ and tissue donation at Putnam General at the time and cried with the girl’s mother as she struggled with the decision to take her off life support.
“I was so distraught. When they took her off, I knew right then that something had to be done.”
Smith is one of those people who, moments into your first meeting, radiate the confidence and fearlessness of a born leader. ("I'm a Leo like that," she says.) Her suggestion to picket a strip of "juke joints" in Putnam County exploded into a media frenzy, public involvement and eventually, the destruction of all but one of the buildings.
She and a group of other concerned mothers took their efforts to the schools. They provide scholarships for students, sponsor support programs for at-risk families, and organize parties, picnics and a mid-June all-community youth rally to keep locals focused on their youth and their future possibilities.
There’s Eatonton then and Eatonton now... and in between and in the future, you’ll find Georgia Smith and her fellow members in Mothers Against Crime working to make sure their community is safe.
Mothers Against Crime
403 Willie Bailey Street
Eatonton, Ga. 31024
706-485-5332
In 1992, just seven months after her youngest daughter’s classmate had been shot and killed in the parking lot of Hardees, a young woman caught in the crossfire of a drug-related gunfight was shot in the back of the head. She was only 27 and had a baby in her arms. Smith worked as coordinator of organ and tissue donation at Putnam General at the time and cried with the girl’s mother as she struggled with the decision to take her off life support.
“I was so distraught. When they took her off, I knew right then that something had to be done.”
Smith is one of those people who, moments into your first meeting, radiate the confidence and fearlessness of a born leader. ("I'm a Leo like that," she says.) Her suggestion to picket a strip of "juke joints" in Putnam County exploded into a media frenzy, public involvement and eventually, the destruction of all but one of the buildings.
She and a group of other concerned mothers took their efforts to the schools. They provide scholarships for students, sponsor support programs for at-risk families, and organize parties, picnics and a mid-June all-community youth rally to keep locals focused on their youth and their future possibilities.
There’s Eatonton then and Eatonton now... and in between and in the future, you’ll find Georgia Smith and her fellow members in Mothers Against Crime working to make sure their community is safe.
Mothers Against Crime
403 Willie Bailey Street
Eatonton, Ga. 31024
706-485-5332
Sunday, May 23, 2010
FEED THE CHILDREN
These days, most stay-at-home Moms don't stay at home much. It's a hard, busy job. So it's a huge commitment to also take on volunteer work that requires being at the same place at the same early hour every week when you could be catching up on your coffee consumption, or resting your weary bones for a minute or two.
That was my argument with Kelly Freyer, a stay-at-home mom and the coordinator of Panda Packs, a weekend food program for kids. But Freyer was having none of it. "This isn't hard," she says, eyeing my suspicious line of questioning, then batting off my compliments like a pesky fly. "It fits in my time frame. And I know it's going to someone who needs it. The hardest part about it is raising the money. But people have been very excited about this. And generous. It has a big impact for the small amount of work it takes."
The idea for Panda Packs was born when a taskforce at Freyer's church—Madison's Episcopal Church of the Advent--decided to fill some unmet local needs. The program's goal is to send at-risk primary-school-aged children home with nutritious and easy-to-prepare food for themselves and their siblings on the weekends. Think raisins, chicken noodle soup, peanut butter crackers, oatmeal.
Counselors and teachers make recommendations and the Panda Pack crew shops weekly, filling the bags each Friday morning for speedy delivery to the school where they are discreetly distributed.
When I was there, they packed 57 sacks and are expecting even more next year.
Every week different civic groups take turns helping -- another church group, a group of moms, the notoriously speedy special-needs class from the high school, a garden club. Kelly is right -- minimal work, but far-reaching.
As the project rolls on, more will be reached, more will become involved and more will be helped.
Everything I can think of to say about this "and-they-told-two-friends" grassroots effort would sound trite. Just know that while you're drinking coffee Friday mornings, Kelly Freyer and her gang are busy helping to feed the world, one kid at a time.
Panda Packs
Episcopal Church of the Advent
338 Academy Street
Madison, GA
706-342-4787
That was my argument with Kelly Freyer, a stay-at-home mom and the coordinator of Panda Packs, a weekend food program for kids. But Freyer was having none of it. "This isn't hard," she says, eyeing my suspicious line of questioning, then batting off my compliments like a pesky fly. "It fits in my time frame. And I know it's going to someone who needs it. The hardest part about it is raising the money. But people have been very excited about this. And generous. It has a big impact for the small amount of work it takes."
The idea for Panda Packs was born when a taskforce at Freyer's church—Madison's Episcopal Church of the Advent--decided to fill some unmet local needs. The program's goal is to send at-risk primary-school-aged children home with nutritious and easy-to-prepare food for themselves and their siblings on the weekends. Think raisins, chicken noodle soup, peanut butter crackers, oatmeal.
Counselors and teachers make recommendations and the Panda Pack crew shops weekly, filling the bags each Friday morning for speedy delivery to the school where they are discreetly distributed.
When I was there, they packed 57 sacks and are expecting even more next year.
Every week different civic groups take turns helping -- another church group, a group of moms, the notoriously speedy special-needs class from the high school, a garden club. Kelly is right -- minimal work, but far-reaching.
As the project rolls on, more will be reached, more will become involved and more will be helped.
Everything I can think of to say about this "and-they-told-two-friends" grassroots effort would sound trite. Just know that while you're drinking coffee Friday mornings, Kelly Freyer and her gang are busy helping to feed the world, one kid at a time.
Panda Packs
Episcopal Church of the Advent
338 Academy Street
Madison, GA
706-342-4787
Monday, April 12, 2010
GUIDING MIRACLES
A poor woman came to First Call Pregnancy Center one afternoon, desperate for help. Her husband wanted her to have an abortion--they had no insurance and already had another child they were struggling to care for.
Case workers did what they could to calm her, realizing if they couldn't see her husband, their efforts would be in vain. But he was a roofer and always working.
One day, in a teeming thunderstorm, they arrived. The sonographer and case worker showed the couple their baby's beating heart on a donated 32-inch plasma ultrasound monitor. Everyone on staff joined the father in his tears as he embraced his wife. And their unborn son.
Five minutes after the couple left, a bolt of lightning cut the power, leaving the center in total darkness. And in search of a back-up generator so future miracles could be assured.
It’s obvious a lot of thought (and a lot of caring volunteer hours) went in to rehabbing the old home into a new center. They've gone to great pains to overcome what could be sterile, scary even, and made it comfortable. The air oozes a quiet calm. The employees and volunteers radiate experience, patience, acceptance.
In back is a baby boutique nicer than any I’ve seen, lined with wicker armoires, stacked with tidy, color-coordinated onesies and pastel layettes. Clients (they see about 90 a month) can trade Mommy Money earned at appointments and parenting classes for baby clothes, formula and even expensive gear like cribs and car seats.
Executive director Margaret Keck says they try to give all they can every step of the way to build a circle of support around a mother and her family.
“So many women come in here very scared," she says. "Our main mission is to help them get past that and make a decision they can live with. After that we can build a relationship... get them to plan... teach them about taking care of themselves and their baby... help them understand that being pregnant doesn't mean you have to throw away your goals and dreams.”
First Call Pregnancy Center
1531 West Broad Street
Greensboro, Ga. 30642
706-453-1908
www.pregnancygreensboro.org
Case workers did what they could to calm her, realizing if they couldn't see her husband, their efforts would be in vain. But he was a roofer and always working.
One day, in a teeming thunderstorm, they arrived. The sonographer and case worker showed the couple their baby's beating heart on a donated 32-inch plasma ultrasound monitor. Everyone on staff joined the father in his tears as he embraced his wife. And their unborn son.
Five minutes after the couple left, a bolt of lightning cut the power, leaving the center in total darkness. And in search of a back-up generator so future miracles could be assured.
It’s obvious a lot of thought (and a lot of caring volunteer hours) went in to rehabbing the old home into a new center. They've gone to great pains to overcome what could be sterile, scary even, and made it comfortable. The air oozes a quiet calm. The employees and volunteers radiate experience, patience, acceptance.
In back is a baby boutique nicer than any I’ve seen, lined with wicker armoires, stacked with tidy, color-coordinated onesies and pastel layettes. Clients (they see about 90 a month) can trade Mommy Money earned at appointments and parenting classes for baby clothes, formula and even expensive gear like cribs and car seats.
Executive director Margaret Keck says they try to give all they can every step of the way to build a circle of support around a mother and her family.
“So many women come in here very scared," she says. "Our main mission is to help them get past that and make a decision they can live with. After that we can build a relationship... get them to plan... teach them about taking care of themselves and their baby... help them understand that being pregnant doesn't mean you have to throw away your goals and dreams.”
First Call Pregnancy Center
1531 West Broad Street
Greensboro, Ga. 30642
706-453-1908
www.pregnancygreensboro.org
Thursday, March 18, 2010
CIRCLE THE WAGONS
Down a hill and in the trees, under a canopy of dappled sunlight, the Circle of Love Center looks like a tidy little home in the suburbs. The driveway is framed by a knoll of freshly-mulched weeping willow trees. Out back by the playground is a courtyard of irises and a rosemary shrub the size of a Volkswagen.
Contrast what you see outside with what's going on inside the center. Not as pretty a picture.
The residents here are victims of domestic violence. And each of them has the grueling task of putting the pieces of their family's lives back together.
Serving more than 6,000 victims and their children since its inception, the center's executive director, Tyra Martin, says last year alone 187 families came through the doors of Circle of Love, looking for shelter from abusive relationships, using the center's resources to find new jobs, new lodging and counseling.
One woman--after years of mental and emotional abuse--was so belittled she couldn't even shop for groceries. The staff patiently re-taught her all the daily activities she needed to survive. Eventually, she found a decent job and even found love with a new co-worker.
What moved me the most was learning that the center was born from a hideous crime; in 1991 a man shot himself, his wife and his two children in front of the Union Point Police Department. Evidence surfaced that the woman had tried on many occasions to find help.
That, and the tragedies of the other women Circle of Love serves, gave birth to their motto, "Love shouldn't hurt."
Circle of Love Center, Inc.
P.O. Box 641
Greensboro, Ga.
706-453-4017
Contrast what you see outside with what's going on inside the center. Not as pretty a picture.
The residents here are victims of domestic violence. And each of them has the grueling task of putting the pieces of their family's lives back together.
Serving more than 6,000 victims and their children since its inception, the center's executive director, Tyra Martin, says last year alone 187 families came through the doors of Circle of Love, looking for shelter from abusive relationships, using the center's resources to find new jobs, new lodging and counseling.
One woman--after years of mental and emotional abuse--was so belittled she couldn't even shop for groceries. The staff patiently re-taught her all the daily activities she needed to survive. Eventually, she found a decent job and even found love with a new co-worker.
What moved me the most was learning that the center was born from a hideous crime; in 1991 a man shot himself, his wife and his two children in front of the Union Point Police Department. Evidence surfaced that the woman had tried on many occasions to find help.
That, and the tragedies of the other women Circle of Love serves, gave birth to their motto, "Love shouldn't hurt."
Circle of Love Center, Inc.
P.O. Box 641
Greensboro, Ga.
706-453-4017
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
HUMBLE BENEVOLENCE
Dr. Carlisle Driggers doesn't want to take any credit for what Manley Memorial Baptist Church is doing to help their community.
"We don't make a big deal of it," the pastor says. "It's a humble effort."
He told me something valuable that I think sums up the mission of many charities in the lake area: “There are places around Lake Oconee and Lake Sinclair with people who have obviously done well in life. But there are many here who are just hurting."
Once a month his church observes a Last Supper Sunday service followed by a benevolent offering. ("I forgot to mention it one Sunday and they just about collapsed on my head," he says.) All the money collected goes to local families in the community struggling with food, rent and electric bills.
Manley Memorial is used to helping others: they were recently recognized by the Central Baptist Association for collecting more canned food for the Royal Ambassadors hunger relief program than any other church in the state. (827 cans to be exact.) They have a strong reputation in Eatonton for their adopt-a-family Christmas efforts. And last year they helped three families-- in Sparta, Milledgeville and Eatonton-- get back on their feet after fires destroyed their homes.
More humility, Driggers thanked me for writing the story... "People need to know churches are there. Not just for them, but for the whole community, too."
Manley Memorial Baptist Church
1259 Crooked Creek Road
Eatonton, GA 31024
706-485-8741
"We don't make a big deal of it," the pastor says. "It's a humble effort."
He told me something valuable that I think sums up the mission of many charities in the lake area: “There are places around Lake Oconee and Lake Sinclair with people who have obviously done well in life. But there are many here who are just hurting."
Once a month his church observes a Last Supper Sunday service followed by a benevolent offering. ("I forgot to mention it one Sunday and they just about collapsed on my head," he says.) All the money collected goes to local families in the community struggling with food, rent and electric bills.
Manley Memorial is used to helping others: they were recently recognized by the Central Baptist Association for collecting more canned food for the Royal Ambassadors hunger relief program than any other church in the state. (827 cans to be exact.) They have a strong reputation in Eatonton for their adopt-a-family Christmas efforts. And last year they helped three families-- in Sparta, Milledgeville and Eatonton-- get back on their feet after fires destroyed their homes.
More humility, Driggers thanked me for writing the story... "People need to know churches are there. Not just for them, but for the whole community, too."
Manley Memorial Baptist Church
1259 Crooked Creek Road
Eatonton, GA 31024
706-485-8741
Sunday, January 24, 2010
SAVE THE PAGE
What's not to love about a local, independent bookstore? Here in Madison, I fell in love with the sign outside before even stepping through the doors of the store. "Dog Ear Books" it reads -- a thoroughly weather-worn wooden sign, emblazoned with a perky pup who, with one ear pointed up and the other one flopped down, is looking at -- maybe even tousling with? -- a well-worn book. You know a store is going to be good when you can't get over the sign outside.
Inside is owner Jon Tonge, writer, musician and collector extraordinaire. He was made to be surrounded by these stacks -- though his genuine and unassuming social skills are as good, if not better, than his literary ones. And that's why, when the call went out to see if anyone could help him move his bookstore to a new, better, bigger, more-centrally located and possibly haunted shop (yep! that's a bonus for a bookstore, you know...), I was quick to lend a hand. Me and about 180 of Jon's closest friends, that is.
So, like an old-fashioned bucket brigade, we lined the streets and alleys from his old store to his new one. And hand-over-hand, about four books at a time, we passed several thousand books down the row and on to new, improved shelves.
As the call went out to start, the laughter did too. Comments on bookcovers and authors got passed along, too. "The Civil War is starting!" came the shout as we dug into the history books. The little kids, who were meant to play upstairs with toys, couldn't resist joining in and getting their hands on passing the stacks. Jon ran up and down the road shouting encouragement and updating the count on number of books passed. I dare say everyone had a blast. I know I did... I meant to stay about 90 minutes and had to tear myself away at 2 hours.
Jon promised if we came, we'd be a part of history in the making. I like to think, like neighbors at a barn-raising, we were helpful in lightening his load and letting him know what he means to us in this community.
Inside is owner Jon Tonge, writer, musician and collector extraordinaire. He was made to be surrounded by these stacks -- though his genuine and unassuming social skills are as good, if not better, than his literary ones. And that's why, when the call went out to see if anyone could help him move his bookstore to a new, better, bigger, more-centrally located and possibly haunted shop (yep! that's a bonus for a bookstore, you know...), I was quick to lend a hand. Me and about 180 of Jon's closest friends, that is.
So, like an old-fashioned bucket brigade, we lined the streets and alleys from his old store to his new one. And hand-over-hand, about four books at a time, we passed several thousand books down the row and on to new, improved shelves.
As the call went out to start, the laughter did too. Comments on bookcovers and authors got passed along, too. "The Civil War is starting!" came the shout as we dug into the history books. The little kids, who were meant to play upstairs with toys, couldn't resist joining in and getting their hands on passing the stacks. Jon ran up and down the road shouting encouragement and updating the count on number of books passed. I dare say everyone had a blast. I know I did... I meant to stay about 90 minutes and had to tear myself away at 2 hours.
Jon promised if we came, we'd be a part of history in the making. I like to think, like neighbors at a barn-raising, we were helpful in lightening his load and letting him know what he means to us in this community.
Monday, January 18, 2010
HOPE FOR HAITI
Pluck a string in even the most jaded of hearts, the magnitude 7.0 earthquake in already-ailing Haiti is just nearly too much to bear. Across the ocean and a long state away, what can we do?
Apparently I wasn't alone in my craving to come together and try, ever how small, to make a show of support for the people in this devestated Caribbean island. Our small town of Madison joined up today at a benefit concert for earthquake rescue and put over $20,000 in the Hope for Haiti coffers. In fact, local resident and Hope for Haiti board member David Land is estimating it will top out around $30,000 as pledges from churches and civic groups are still rolling in.
Hope is not a local charity, but it is a fairly small one, and really, I got the sense from talking to people around me at the concert that they thought it was more of a local deal... all of us getting together and sending our money south.
And it wasn't George Clooney and Wyclef Jean on that stage. It was all locals. Our favorite bands like the Bearfoot Hookers and Chef Ron's big band. Shelby Moss and her teen band from Athens (I didn't know she could sing, by the by, and I go to church with her!) The Gathering Place Band and a few soloists from other local churches.
Town Park was probably the most crammed Madison has ever been on a winter weekday. Kids sloshed in the wet grass playing football and soccer, adults soaked in the sun and chatted in between sets and almost everyone whipped out their checkbooks.
Amazingly, David got the entire thing set up in a day, only three days ahead of the event. The word passed by email and a few posters, nothing more. Even though I left there with a crabby toddler in tow (thanks to aforementioned wet, muddy grass), I also left there with a heart full of pride to be a part of this community effort. A spontaneous outbreak of homegrown giving that might just make a small dent for people in the most serious of need.
www.hopeforhaiti.com
Apparently I wasn't alone in my craving to come together and try, ever how small, to make a show of support for the people in this devestated Caribbean island. Our small town of Madison joined up today at a benefit concert for earthquake rescue and put over $20,000 in the Hope for Haiti coffers. In fact, local resident and Hope for Haiti board member David Land is estimating it will top out around $30,000 as pledges from churches and civic groups are still rolling in.
Hope is not a local charity, but it is a fairly small one, and really, I got the sense from talking to people around me at the concert that they thought it was more of a local deal... all of us getting together and sending our money south.
And it wasn't George Clooney and Wyclef Jean on that stage. It was all locals. Our favorite bands like the Bearfoot Hookers and Chef Ron's big band. Shelby Moss and her teen band from Athens (I didn't know she could sing, by the by, and I go to church with her!) The Gathering Place Band and a few soloists from other local churches.
Town Park was probably the most crammed Madison has ever been on a winter weekday. Kids sloshed in the wet grass playing football and soccer, adults soaked in the sun and chatted in between sets and almost everyone whipped out their checkbooks.
Amazingly, David got the entire thing set up in a day, only three days ahead of the event. The word passed by email and a few posters, nothing more. Even though I left there with a crabby toddler in tow (thanks to aforementioned wet, muddy grass), I also left there with a heart full of pride to be a part of this community effort. A spontaneous outbreak of homegrown giving that might just make a small dent for people in the most serious of need.
www.hopeforhaiti.com
Friday, January 15, 2010
COFFEE AND A CAUSE
After a long day at work (which from my perspective is a whole separate definition of exhausting for teachers who work with special needs kids) imagine spending your free time volunteering for your job....
Essentially Meredith, Fran and Jean do just that. Jean takes her students on fieldtrips one Saturday a month. Fran spends her summers with them, carting them to all the fun summer activities she can dig up. Meredith, as CEO of Hand in Hand, is working hard to secure a financial partner to begin Phase II of their housing project. All three have been endlessly working on the fundraising -- a Festival of Trees at Christmas, a benefit concert last fall, and soon, the coffee shop profits, they hope.
They've explored a partnership with Camp Twin Lakes, a regional camp in Rutledge that hosts camps all summer for kids with various needs and illnesses. The property there is an option, and a good one, where these adults could live, interact, garden, go to chapel and some of them hold jobs. Community groups would have easy access for partnering and mentoring these high school graduates. A win-win, given the right financial backing.
Over a really tasty, steaming coffee yesterday, I got to meet the women at the heart of this project. I got to see their eyes gleaming with excitement and pride when they talked about their dreams. For their students and for their cause. I got to visit right at ground zero for something that just two years ago was only a suggestion,a pipe dream, not even a fully formed idea. It's infective, this energy, this coming together for such a good cause, helping to meet such an important need.
I'm starting to see how this homegrown giving takes root.
Hand in Hand Ministries
P.O. Box 1378 Madison, GA 30650
706-474-0247
www.handinhandministries.com
Essentially Meredith, Fran and Jean do just that. Jean takes her students on fieldtrips one Saturday a month. Fran spends her summers with them, carting them to all the fun summer activities she can dig up. Meredith, as CEO of Hand in Hand, is working hard to secure a financial partner to begin Phase II of their housing project. All three have been endlessly working on the fundraising -- a Festival of Trees at Christmas, a benefit concert last fall, and soon, the coffee shop profits, they hope.
They've explored a partnership with Camp Twin Lakes, a regional camp in Rutledge that hosts camps all summer for kids with various needs and illnesses. The property there is an option, and a good one, where these adults could live, interact, garden, go to chapel and some of them hold jobs. Community groups would have easy access for partnering and mentoring these high school graduates. A win-win, given the right financial backing.
Over a really tasty, steaming coffee yesterday, I got to meet the women at the heart of this project. I got to see their eyes gleaming with excitement and pride when they talked about their dreams. For their students and for their cause. I got to visit right at ground zero for something that just two years ago was only a suggestion,a pipe dream, not even a fully formed idea. It's infective, this energy, this coming together for such a good cause, helping to meet such an important need.
I'm starting to see how this homegrown giving takes root.
Hand in Hand Ministries
P.O. Box 1378 Madison, GA 30650
706-474-0247
www.handinhandministries.com
Thursday, January 14, 2010
HAND IN HAND
I met today with three dynamic women at the Bulldog Brew, Morgan County High School's coffee shop, who were somehow managing to whip up pumpkin spice cappuccinos, chat with me and calmly keep their special needs students in line and on task all at the same time.
Right off the bat, I'm digging deep on the big questions of this blog. Who are these superwomen and where in the world do they get the energy? But the final question is answered. As superwomen with super-human energy, they're more than capable and so they just DO. Because they can BE no other way.
What these women are doing goes beyond school. The coffee shop is a way to teach their students the vocational skills they need to get a job when they graduate. And the students are gaining independence. Confidence. A higher status in the school. (They're baristas after all. Who doesn't love a good barista?) A sense of purpose. And best of all, coming soon, a paycheck.
But most importantly, they are hoping the Brew will do so well, it will raise money for Hand-in-Hand ministries, which is another project of these superwomen--to build a housing community for these kids when they graduate high school. Teachers with their own non-profit. Now that's going beyond school.
Right off the bat, I'm digging deep on the big questions of this blog. Who are these superwomen and where in the world do they get the energy? But the final question is answered. As superwomen with super-human energy, they're more than capable and so they just DO. Because they can BE no other way.
What these women are doing goes beyond school. The coffee shop is a way to teach their students the vocational skills they need to get a job when they graduate. And the students are gaining independence. Confidence. A higher status in the school. (They're baristas after all. Who doesn't love a good barista?) A sense of purpose. And best of all, coming soon, a paycheck.
But most importantly, they are hoping the Brew will do so well, it will raise money for Hand-in-Hand ministries, which is another project of these superwomen--to build a housing community for these kids when they graduate high school. Teachers with their own non-profit. Now that's going beyond school.
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