THE CITIZEN BLOG
THE CITIZEN BLOG
Hot Projects: Week of February 4
Check out this week’s Hot Projects that include awesome volunteer opportunities with West Atlanta Watershed Alliance, Southeast Gwinnett Co-op, Open Hand and more!
West Atlanta Watershed Alliance 2nd Service Saturdays
Saturday February 9 from 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM (Southwest Atlanta)
This program facilitated by the West Atlanta Watershed Alliance and made possible by a grant from USDA Forest Service for our Atlanta Children’s Forest Network, provides the opportunity for youth 10 years and older to participate in meaningful activities encouraging conservation, stewardship and experiential learning on the second Saturday of every month (excluding January and July). Tasks: Trail building and maintenance, Invasive Plant Eradication, Habitat Restoration and other activities needed to manage the facility and grounds of this unique urban resource!
Volunteer Orientation Program
Monday February 11 from 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM or Wednesday February 13 from 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM (Grayson)
Prior to serving along side us at the SE Gwinnett Cooperative Ministry we require ALL volunteers complete our Volunteer Orientation Program. The orientation program provides new volunteers with information about our mission, the people we serve, the types of volunteer opportunities available, and our requirements and expectations for all those serving in our ministry.
Discovery Program @ Belmont Hills Elementary
Saturday February 9 From 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM (Smyrna)
The Hands On Atlanta Discovery program is a volunteer-led Saturday tutoring and enrichment program. The two-hour session occurs twice a month from 10am to 12pm. The program reinforces weekday learning through academic assistance, educational games, service-learning projects, and other enrichment activities. Volunteers who speak Spanish are especially needed. Students are engaged in a variety of subjects depending on the needs of their particular schools. Our goal is to have a one-on-one volunteer to student ratio, allowing for individualized attention and the building of relationships between students and volunteers.
Meal Packing
Various Weekdays Throughout February 9:00 AM -12:00 PM and 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM (Lindbergh)
Open Hand helps people prevent or better manage chronic disease through Comprehensive Nutrition Care, which combines home-delivered meals and nutrition education as a means to reinforce the connection between informed food choices and improved quality of life. Packing involves portioning food into individual containers and snack bags on our packing assembly line. With over 5,000 meals to package every day, your help is essential. This is a great project for individuals and families, and a great team-building exercise.
Share the LOVE Family Volunteer Day @ Easterseals North Georgia
Thursday, February 14 From 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM (South Atlanta)
Easterseals North Georgia is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization serving children with disabilities and their families locally for over 50 years. Come share the love on Valentines Day! We welcome families of all ages to do a book drive for children age 6 weeks to 5 years. Please bring your books and write a short summary of how you did your drive. We will place you in a classroom so you can share your books with the children. We are all about literacy! We encourage you to engage with our kids, make them feel special! When you read to them, they are likely to want you to look at them, ask them questions about the book.
Hot Projects: Week of January 28
Check out this week’s Hot Projects that include awesome volunteer opportunities with Open Hand, Hearts to Nourish Hope, Pajama Program and more!
Beautification @ Panola Way Elementary School
Saturday February 2 from 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM (Lithonia)
Panola Way Elementary School opened in 1986 and is located in Lithonia, Georgia in DeKalb County. Panola Way's mission is to provide an environment that addresses the emotional, social, physical, and academic needs of all our students. Volunteers will paint, clean and build garden boxes.
C3 Ministries’ Food Pantry Distribution
Tuesday February 7 with shifts from 9:30 AM - 7:00 PM (Marietta)
Our mission at C3 Ministries is to provide resources of four various ministries in order that families can become whole, independant and ultimately able to return to serve others. Serving over 250 families every Thursday and over 471,508 pounds of food this year, we are greatly impacting our communities and with your help, we can continue to be more successful in making an impact in our community. Give back to your community while having fun and meeting new friends, while re-stocking food shelves, loading boxes with food items and assisting in expediting boxes to attendees vehicles.
Discovery Program @ Parklane Elementary
Saturday February 9 From 9:45 AM - 12:00 PM (East Point)
Parklane Elementary Discovery is a Saturday morning tutoring program that offers one-on-one and small group enrichment activities for at-risk children. Volunteers lead activities and help with reading and math skills for students in kindergarten through 5th grades. Volunteers who speak Spanish are especially needed.
Share In Our Valentine
Wednesday February 13 From 9:30 AM - 12:00 PM (College Park)
At InCommunity we partner to enrich and sustain the lives of individuals who have developmental disabilities, their families, and their communities. This volunteer opportunity helps the InCommunity Organization carry out its mission by engaging the residents of InCommunity to engage in activites that are apart of everyday living and to work with volunteers. Volunteers will be participating in fun activities including the making Valentine Cards, playing boards games and BINGO, and distributing prizes to the winners.
Share the LOVE Family Volunteer Day @ Easterseals North Georgia
Thursday, February 14 From 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM (South Atlanta)
Easterseals North Georgia is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization serving children with disabilities and their families locally for over 50 years. Come share the love on Valentines Day! We welcome families of all ages to do a book drive for children age 6 weeks to 5 years. Please bring your books and write a short summary of how you did your drive. We will place you in a classroom so you can share your books with the children. We are all about literacy! We encourage you to engage with our kids, make them feel special! When you read to them, they are likely to want you to look at them, ask them questions about the book.
Sunshine, Smiles and Service: A recipe for impact for the 2019 MLK Day of Service
The masses were out in full force for another big day of impact for the 2019 MLK Day of Service. Numbers are still trickling in, but about 2,000 volunteers served at 32 projects across metro Atlanta. Backed by a huge turnout from all 20 of our corporate sponsors, volunteers rolled up their sleeves and worked on a diverse and impactful series of projects at our partner nonprofits and schools.
The masses were out in full force for another big day of impact for the 2019 MLK Day of Service. Numbers are still trickling in, but about 2,000 volunteers served at 32 projects across metro Atlanta. Backed by a huge turnout from all 20 of our corporate sponsors, volunteers rolled up their sleeves and worked on a diverse and impactful series of projects at our partner nonprofits and schools.
At Truly Living Well 200 volunteers helped winterize fruit trees, composting, cleaned up a pond and more. Teammates from our title sponsor Coca-Cola were busy at sites like Blue Heron Nature Preserve, getting dirty, removing invasive plants along one of their trails, and with Keep North Fulton Beautiful by unloading and sorting donated goods and helping with customers. There was a pop-up letter writing station outside of The King Center, where visitors could join the Atlanta Legends by crafting encouraging messages to Atlanta Public School teachers.
Not all projects were outside (thankfully) and there was plenty of work to do at both schools and nonprofits. At Stoneview Elementary, volunteers from State Farm and the surrounding community teamed up for a school maker with a ton of paint projects throughout the school and with some brand new picnic tables in the courtyard. At Helping Mama’s, volunteers sorted diapers, ran inventory on donations and bundled clothing by season & size. At Frederick Douglass High School, 50 volunteers helped paint a huge mural (thanks to sponsors Mercedes Benz USA) that was created in partnership by some of Atlanta’s top muralists. At the Amani Women’s Center volunteers helped sort sewing supplies for the classes they teach to refugee women along with interior painting and a few other beautification projects to give the women a nice place to work and learn.
These are just a sampling of the impactful projects accomplished by volunteers today. We can’t thank the Atlanta community enough for showing up and serving for another huge MLK Day of Service! We’re also sending high fives to all of our corporate sponsors for making this massive day of service possible. To all of the project managers, our AmeriCorps members, all of the current and past Civic Fellows, every task leader and each member of our team at Hands On Atlanta - THANK YOU!
See more photos and learn about the impact our volunteers created across metro Atlanta on the 2019 MLK Day of Service on Twitter and Instagram! Did you volunteer? Share your service with us across social media by using #HandsOnMLKDay.
Take a look back at our 2019 Signature Sunday Supper presented by The Coca-Cola Company —>
Sports and Social Justice: A look back at the 2019 Hands On Atlanta Signature Sunday Supper
On Sunday, January 20, almost 300 corporate and community leaders gathered around the dinner table at the College Football Hall of Fame, for an engaging evening of conversation on the intersection of sport and social justice.
Hands On Atlanta Signature Sunday Supper presented by the Coca-Cola Company
On Sunday, January 20, 300 corporate and community leaders gathered around the dinner table at the College Football Hall of Fame for an engaging conversation about sports and social justice.
Slam poet, Poetix, kicked off the night with an energetic and moving performance that set the tone for the evening. Jay Cranman, Hands On Atlanta President and CEO gave a warm welcome to attendees and Alba Baylin, V.P. Community and Stakeholder Relations at The Coca-Cola Company followed with a moving reminder of the importance of “having tough conversations.”
Guests enjoyed dinner before our panel shared their views and roles on social activism in sports. 11Alive’s Cheryl Preheim moderated the panel that included Nate Boyer, a former Green Beret and professional football player with the Seattle Seahawks. Nate was a catalyst in Colin Kapaernick's decision to take a knee in protest against police brutality. He shared his eye-opening story and challenged us all to have empathy for others. He shared his eye opening story and how important Dr. King’s idea of listening to others and having empathy for others helped his role in the movement. Nzinga Shaw, Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer of the Atlanta Hawks & State Farm Arena showcased how the NBA and the Atlanta Hawks are solving a set of diversity challenges. It’s safe to say, there isn’t a more transparent and inclusive organization in all of sports. Reverend Dr. Greg Ellison, founder of Fearless Dialogues and Associate Professor of Pastoral Care and Counseling at Emory University, passionately shared the connectedness of Dr. King’s vision to changemakers making a difference in today’s culture. He also dropped helpful tips for having a tough and sometimes uncomfortable conversation.
The panel was a great place setting for the table conversations, the night’s main course. We partnered up with The King Center and Civic Dinners, to create a series of questions built around the Building the Racial Divide civic dinner. Even more important, our Signature Sunday Supper was the official launch of a huge campaign. Our goal is to ignite the Bridging the Racial Divide conversation, sparking 1,000 Civic Dinners across the country!
Feeling inspired to create change? Join Hands On Atlanta and The King Center by hosting your own Civic Dinner on Bridging the Racial Divide.
Atlanta top muralists join forces on MLK Day
Ten Atlanta artists join forces to creating mural at Frederick Douglass High School on Atlanta’s westside during the King Holiday on Monday, January 21, 2019. Organized by Atlanta artist Charmaine Minniefield, the mural is sponsored by Spelman College for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service with Hands On Atlanta.
Photo by John Spink Sr. for the AJC
Ten Atlanta artists join forces to creating mural at Frederick Douglass High School on Atlanta’s westside during the King Holiday on January 21, 2019. Organized by Atlanta artist Charmaine Minniefield, the mural is sponsored by Spelman College for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service with Hands On Atlanta.
The project will return the portrait of Douglass originally painted in 1972 by then art teacher, Mr.William Murray to the school. Mr. Murray will be present on Monday to meet the artists and to lend a hand. The project features some of the city’s most prolific artists, including Fabian Williams (Occasional Superstar), Joe Dreher (Joe King ATL), Sachi Rome, Lauren Pallotta Stumberg (Think Greatly), Michael Jones (Letter 75), Angela Davis Johnson, Krista Jones (Jonesy), Shannon Willow and Sean Irving (BlesOne aka DeeJay Rebellion).
All artists are donating their time, and leftover paint from murals past, to model community service and civic duty on the 2019 MLK Day of Service. Hands On Atlanta volunteers, Spelman College students, and Clark Atlanta University students will join the team on the day as well. Over the weeks to follow, artists will work with former Frederick Douglass HS art teacher Murray, current art teacher Dr. Mark Jones and students to complete the wall.
The Frederick Douglass High School Alumni Association, Frederick Douglass Ole School, staff and faculty will host this mural project during the 200th anniversary of the birth of abolitionist namesake Frederick Douglass to return the portrait of Douglass to the campus grounds after renovations covered its original image a few years back. Frederick Douglass High School is the alma mater of Atlanta’s Mayor, Keisha Lance Bottoms. Minniefield worked with non-profit, fiscal sponsor Culture Centers International to bring attention, support, and talent to this important effort as a continuation of its Westside Murals project which seeks to preserve important Atlanta cultural histories and legacies in the community through public art and creative programming.
This wall is the fourth wall in this series now on the Westside. The first, which honored Adrienne McNeil Herndon, was sponsored by DoSomething.org, Spelman College and Hands On Atlanta last year during the King Holiday on the Atlanta BeltLine Westside Trail. Since, other walls include a wall on the Adair Park Trail of the Atlanta BeltLine which honors Carrie Steel, matriarch and founder of the Carrie Steel Pitts Home for Children; and most recently the wall for Civil Right hero Ruby Doris Smith-Robinson, sponsored by the WonderRoot Off The Wall Project for the upcoming Super Bowl.
As an artist, arts administrator and producer for over 20 years, Charmaine Minniefield has worked with such arts organizations as the National Black Arts Festival, the King Center, Fulton County Department of Arts and Culture, Flux Project and the High Museum of Arts. She was a recent feature in the Mercedes Benz Greatness Lives Here Initiative and has been doing murals in schools during the King Holiday for many years with Hands On Atlanta. Minniefield states, “I am excited to collaborate with this group of amazing Atlanta artists. It is an honor to stand with as artist activists, working in communities as an example act of service during the King Holiday.
This is an exciting time in our city’s history. Each year during the King Holiday, we honor the shoulders on which we stand--the freedom fighters, the abolitionists, the suffragists, the organizers of resistance--who have come before us and are inspired by their example to use our work and our voices to affect change today.”
Participating Artists:
· Fabian Williams (Occasional Superstar)
· Joe Dreher (Joe King ATL)
· Sachi Rome
· Lauren Pallotta Stumberg (Think Greatly)
· Michael Jones (Letter75)
· Angela Davis Johnson
· Krista Jones (Jonesy)
· Shannon Willow
· Sean Irving (Bro Sean aka BlesOne)
· Charmaine Minniefield
Blue Heron receives Five Star grant for urban wetlands restoration
The Blue Heron Nature Preserve recently received a $30,000 Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) for urban wetlands restoration. The total conservation impact of the grant will be $71,000 including Blue Heron’s restoration partnership contributions.
The Blue Heron Nature Preserve recently received a $30,000 Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) for urban wetlands restoration. The total conservation impact of the grant will be $71,000 including Blue Heron’s restoration partnership contributions.
The project aims to engage 300 volunteers to restore 2.5 acres of wetlands on the Blue Heron property in Buckhead. Volunteers will focus on removing invasive plant species and planting native ones. Additionally, a Discovery Dock will be constructed to support education efforts and facilitate research. Blue Heron plans to utilize the Discovery Dock during their public programs and children’s camps.
“We are thrilled to be working with our long-time partner, Blue Heron Nature Preserve, on their Blueway Trail Initiative. With the population of Atlanta growing more each day, it's more important than ever that we endeavor to make our city more accessible and connected while preserving its beautiful natural habitats and green space. We’re excited to join in on this project by kicking things off during our annual MLK Day of Service,” says Elaine Hudson, Associate Director of Nonprofit Services at Hands On Atlanta.
The NFWF grant was supported with funds from Southern Company, Georgia Power and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and was selected from a competitive pool of 250 applications nationwide. This grant will be matched by Blue Heron, the Atlanta Audubon Society, the Amphibian Foundation, the Department of Watershed Management, Hands On Atlanta, Marcy Scott, a local ichthyologist, and Beech Hollow Farms. Over $70,000 will be allocated towards urban wetland restoration.
“This is a unique opportunity to not only restore a critical and disappearing habitat in an urban environment, but also to engage the community to allow them to discover for themselves why efforts like these are so important,” says Brooke Vacovsky, project and operations manager at Blue Heron.
Serve your neighbor being affected by the shutdown
The Atlanta Community Food Bank is proactively working to support impacted federal employees and contractors. We may see many more in the coming days if this shutdown continues. If you or someone you know is met with the new challenge of putting food on the table during the shutdown, please visit our Government Shutdown relief page to find help.
An important letter from Kyle Waide, President and CEO, Atlanta Community Food Bank
The current government shutdown is now the longest in U.S. history. Georgia’s federal employees and contractors are feeling the immediate impact. Roughly 16,000 of our neighbors have either been furloughed or required to work without pay since the shutdown began four weeks ago.
Many of these families are faced—for the first time—with impossible choices between food and other necessities, like housing, transportation and medication. During the past week, we've seen a 383% increase in searches for help on our website. We've heard from local TSA workers who have never had to ask for food assistance. And we've talked to multiple feeding partners who are reporting an increase in the number of people they serve daily.
The Atlanta Community Food Bank is proactively working to support impacted federal employees and contractors. We may see many more in the coming days if this shutdown continues. If you or someone you know is met with the new challenge of putting food on the table during the shutdown, please the ACFB Government Shutdown relief page to find help.
The Atlanta Community Food Bank and it’s partner food pantries need your help more than ever. The increased demand for food means there’s even more need for volunteers to support these distribution efforts. It’s time to step up and serve.
Hot Projects: Week of January 21
Check out this week’s Hot Projects that include awesome volunteer opportunities with Open Hand, Hearts to Nourish Hope, Pajama Program and more!
Open Hand Meal Packing
Daily Tuesday January 22 - Friday January 25 from 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM (Atlanta: Lindbergh)
Our mission at C3 Ministries is to provide resources of four various ministries in order that families can become whole, independent and ultimately able to return to serve others. Serving over 250 families every Thursday and over 471,508 pounds of food this year, we are greatly impacting our communities and with your help, we can continue to be more successful in making an impact in our community. Give back to your community while having fun and meeting new friends, while re-stocking food shelves, loading boxes with food items and assisting in expediting boxes to attendees vehicles.
TeamWorks! Kick Off
Saturday January 26 from 9:45 AM - 12:00 AM (Atlanta: Westside)
Hands On Atlanta TeamWorks! is a program that betters metro-Atlanta through meaningful service projects. It’s a program that affords you the opportunities to make a difference in the lives of others and our communities, and to develop friendships with your fellow volunteers along the way. It’s an opportunity to challenge yourself and get involved! Kick-off is the first meeting of every round. It is an orientation - a chance for volunteers to meet, form teams, and learn about the projects planned for that round. It is not a service project. For five to six Saturdays after the kick-off, teams compete to have the highest turnout at service projects that impact a variety of causes and communities throughout Greater Atlanta.
Centers of Hope Classroom Support Volunteer
One day per week Monday-Friday 3:00 PM - 6:00 PM from January through May (West Atlanta)
After-School Program volunteers engage Kindergarten students in STEM, literacy and service learning enrichment activities in City of Atlanta’s Centers of Hope. Volunteers also serve as positive and encouraging role models for students and create an environment that supports social-emotional development. Major responsibilities include working with Instructors to facilitate activities and nsuring a positive, safe and controlled environment.
Point In Time Homeless Count: Clayton County
Monday January 28th with Shifts From 4:00 AM - 10:00 AM (Riverdale, GA)
Hearts to Nourish Hope will be coordinating the Clayton County 2019 Point in Time (PIT) Homeless Count on the morning of January 28, 2019. We are currently asking for volunteers to help conduct this count. The surveys conducted by volunteers will provide demographic information on each unsheltered, homeless individual, give insight to their homeless history, and assess individual needs that will enable the Continuum to effectively plan housing and service interventions to prevent and end homelessness in Clayton County.
Pajama Folding Party
Wednesday January 30 From 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM (Atlanta: Glenwood Park)
Help fold pajamas that we give to the children that visit the Pajama Program Reading Center/Atlanta. Pajama Program knows that a loving good night leads to better days for all children, no matter how dire their circumstances. For thousands of children, often abandoned, abused and neglected, and living in group homes, shelters and temporary housing – the treasured bedtime ritual of changing into clean pajamas, reading a story and being tucked in with love is miles from their reality.