THE CITIZEN BLOG
THE CITIZEN BLOG
ACLU of Georgia, Hands On Atlanta Join Forces to Recruit Poll Workers for Georgia Elections
ATLANTA – The ACLU of Georgia and Hands On Atlanta are joining forces to recruit volunteers, so that our state has enough poll workers to run effective elections. The ACLU of Georgia created a poll worker recruitment program to prevent the State from a repeat of the massive failure experienced during the June 9th primary election, in which countless Georgians were deprived of their constitutional right to vote.
During the primary, many poll workers dropped out due to the risk of contracting COVID-19, poll worker recruitment efforts and/or websites failed to be clear how one becomes a poll worker and were hard to find, and some Georgians who asked to serve as poll workers never received any response. Many of the poll workers were also insufficiently trained, which led to the chaos of long lines, inoperable voting machines, and misinformation regarding provisional and absentee ballots.
Given the particular circumstances of our time and the fact that 72 is the average age of poll workers throughout the state, the ACLU of Georgia’s program seeks to recruit younger citizens who are at lower risk of COVID-19 complications, lawyers committed to understanding the ins and outs of election law and administration, and/or tech-savvy individuals who can help keep the electronic voter machines up and running.
“We are thrilled that Hands On Atlanta is partnering with us to answer the call to be involved to help recruit poll workers,” said Christopher Bruce, political director of the ACLU of Georgia. “Civic-minded citizens are key to protecting our sacred right to vote.”
“As the late representative John Lewis said, ‘The vote is precious. It’s almost sacred.’ Increasing access and rights to voting is at the core of our vision to make Atlanta the most civically engaged and equitable community in the world. We couldn’t be more excited to support the ACLU of Georgia’s efforts to recruit poll workers – supporting Rep. Lewis’s life’s work and ensuring everyone in Atlanta has the opportunity to vote.” said Jay Cranman, President and CEO of Hands On Atlanta.
Ready to learn more and get involved? We’re hosting a free, informational webinar (on Sept. 1 from 6:00pm - 7:00pm) on why poll workers are needed and how you can sign up.
For more information on the ACLU of Georgia’s Poll Worker Recruitment Program, visit acluga.org/pollworkers.
Spread Kindness, Not the Virus
Looking for a way to let your neighbors know you can help, if they need you? We’ve put together some “Kindness Cards” to help you spread kindness during the pandemic by reaching out and offering support to friends and neighbors.
These are especially helpful if you know any older or isolated individuals. You can make them feel supported, safe, and less lonely during self-quarantine by offering support via our “Kindness Cards”.
How it Works
Print Cards
Download greeting card template
Fill out with your information
Send to neighbors or friends by mail, dropping off, or via email
Digital Cards
Download the social media card (it’s like a photo)
Post it on your favorite social platform (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.)
Write a brief explanation of how/why you’re offering help and include contact details - “Send me a private or direct message” or “Comment on this post with how I can help”
Click post!
Virtually Volunteer with Atlanta Habitat
Learn how you can virtually volunteer with Atlanta Habitat and support their build operations and homebuyers remotely.
Atlanta Habitat recently announced that they are pausing any in-person or on-site volunteering opportunities. However, there are a number of ways that you can support their build operations and homebuyers remotely.
Check out their list of virtual volunteer opportunities below, and if you have any questions or want to learn more, contact their Sr. Volunteer Manager. Happy volunteering!
Write a letter of support to a new Atlanta Habitat homebuyer.
Our homebuyers would love to hear from you! Write a handwritten letter or email of support and send it to a new Atlanta Habitat homebuyer.
Complete this Volunteer Preference form to be paired with a current homebuyer.
Sign a virtual beam for a new Atlanta Habitat homebuyer as part of the Beams of Hope campaign.
Complete this Volunteer Preference form to be paired with a current homebuyer.
Build your own hands-on project at home for an Atlanta Habitat homebuyer.
Complete a small craft project at home (building templates available) and donate it to a new Atlanta Habitat homebuyer or the ReStore. Kids can help too! Projects ideas include:
Any other small building projects you can imagine (must easily fit in a car).
Complete this Volunteer Preference form to be paired with a current homebuyer.
Learn new construction skills virtually and complete your own DIY home maintenance project.
Learn a new skill from one of our House Leaders or Skilled Supervisors virtually.
Complete your own maintenance project at home. Don’t forget to share your handiwork with other Atlanta Habitat volunteers by tagging photos or video of your project on social media with #atlantahabitatathome.
Atlanta Habitat Home Maintenance Instructional Videos
Join Coca-Cola's Week of Service
Our friends at Coca-Cola have organized a week of service (July 27-31, 2020) to join the fight against food insecurity. You can join their local efforts with a variety of volunteer options for you and your family to participate in. We've highlighted a few marquee, in-person projects and you can explore all of their projects, including virtual. Learn more and sign up now!
We've been talking about it for months, but food insecurity has risen in the United States by 46% since the COVID-19 crisis began. This equates to having challenges feeding 1 in every 6 Americans, and 1 in every 4 children are at risk of not having enough food since schools closed. This is the worst food crisis, at any point in our country’s history. Food insecurity is real…in every state, county and city across the country - including right here in Atlanta, GA.
The good news is our friends at Coca-Cola have organized a week of service (July 27-31, 2020) to join the fight against food insecurity. You can join their local efforts with a variety of volunteer options for you and your family to participate in. We've highlighted a few marquee, in-person projects and you can explore all of their projects (including virtual) by clicking the button below.
Featured In-Person Projects
Coca-Cola Week of Service in-person projects are located on-site, with other volunteers. All in-person projects follow suggested CDC guidelines including social distancing, small groups, and PPE.
Beautification at Bush Mountain Community Garden | July 27-31, 9:00am- 12:00pm
Volunteers are needed to join the Coca-Cola Week of Service with West Atlanta Watershed Alliance to help with weeding, mulching, harvesting, planting & doing beautification at the 2 acre Bush Mountain community garden. Learn more and sign up now!
Fun on the Farm | July 27, 29, 31, 9:00am - 1:00pm
Truly Living Well needs volunteers to help complete farm tasks in order to keep the farm operating at peak level and its herbs and plants flourishing. You'll help grow food, connect people to the food, and build equitable and sustainable food communities. Learn more and sign up!
Support the Sustainable Agriculture Movement | July 27, 28, 29, 9:00am - 12:00pm
Patchwork City Farms is looking for volunteers to help with weeding, planting and more! This certified Naturally Grown farm is on the leading edge of the Farm to Table, Slow Food, and Sustainable Agricultural movements. Learn more and sign up now!
Meal Packing + Food Distribution | July 28, 1:00pm - 4:30pm
In partnership with the Atlanta Community Food Bank, and Whitefoord, Hands On Atlanta is hosting a meal packing and distribution site. Volunteers will unload pallets of food, pack the food in bags to be distributed to families through a drop off-line, and assist with clean up. Learn more and sign up now!
Build Food Boxes | July 28, 9:00am - 12:00pm
Action Ministries is in need of volunteers to help build food boxes for families in need. You'll assemble a flat food box, fill it with food, breakdown packaging/cardboard, recycle excess material, stack on a pallet and repeat! Learn more and sign up!
Featured Virtual Projects
The Coca-Cola Week of Service virtual projects can be done from anywhere, including home. We’ll provide you with all the details, instructions, and what you’ll need. You’ll handle the rest!
Collect and Donate Items to the Atlanta Community Food Bank
The Atlanta Community Food Bank is gathering every possible resource to provide food and supplies to all who need it as they face a sharp increase in demand. Those who were already struggling face even greater challenges — not only to be fed, but to stay healthy. Learn more about this virtual project and get involved!
Meals On Wheels Emergency Food Pantry and Pet Food Donation
Meals On Wheels Atlanta offers a Pantry Program, serving as a critical stop-gap for seniors waiting to receive home-delivered meals. They also deliver adult dog and cat food to help feed furry companions. You can help by donating items to support the emergency pantry and pet food delivery. Learn more about this virtual project and get involved!
Share Hope with Meals On Wheels
For many of our homebound, Meals On Wheels clients, the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing have resulted in even greater isolation. You can help share hope and brighten the lives of our local seniors by writing a card or note of encouragement. Notes will be included in meal deliveries to Meals On Wheels Atlanta clients throughout Fulton County. Learn more and get involved.
Hot Projects: Week of July 20th
Check out this week’s Hot Projects that include awesome volunteer opportunities with Open Hand, Truly Living Well, West Atlanta Watershed Alliance and more!
Coca-Cola Week of Service: Truly Living Well
Monday July 27, Wednesday July 29th and Friday July 31st from 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM (Ashview Heights Neighborhood, Atlanta)
Truly Living Well is a 501C3 nonprofit educational Center for Natural Urban Agriculture. We grow food, we connect people to the food, and we build equitable and sustainable food communities. It is our mission to grow better communities by connecting people with the land through education and training. Volunteers will be working together to complete farm tasks in order to keep the farm operating at peak level and its herbs and plants flourishing. Tasks may include: weeding and cultivating beds, filling raised beds with soil, planting of seedlings and watering, mulch designated areas with wood chips, processing compost, harvesting and processing produce, light landscaping and other projects as needed.
Coca-Cola Week of Service: Patchwork City Farm
Monday July 27th, Tuesday July 28th and Wednesday July 29th from 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM (Oakland City Neighborhood, Atlanta)
Patchwork City Farms (PCF) is a 1.2 acre independently-owned urban farm located in the city of Atlanta GA. Its original inception began in the Historic West End neighborhood of Atlanta and has now moved to is permanent location of Oakland City. PCF continues to be at the leading edge of Farm to Table, Slow Food, and Sustainable Agricultural movements to name a few. The farm is Certified Naturally Grown and we are committed to growing produce that is safe and nutritious. Volunteers will be weeding, mulching walkways, filling raised beds with soil, and planting.
Coca-Cola Week of Service: West Atlanta Watershed Alliance
Daily Monday July 27th - Friday July 31st from 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM (SW Atlanta)
West Atlanta Watershed Alliance believes that a healthy environment equals a healthy community, our overall efforts are focused on growing a cleaner, greener, healthier, and more sustainable West Atlanta community. Coca-Cola Week of Service volunteers will be weeding, mulching, harvesting, planting & doing beautification at the 2 acre Bush Mountain community garden.
Coca-Cola Week of Service: Open Hand Driver
Monday July 27, Wednesday July 29th and Friday July 31st from 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM (Lindbergh/Atlanta)
Open Hand helps homebound seniors and others suffering from disability or chronic disease by providing Comprehensive Nutrition Care™(CNC), a combination of nutritious, home-delivered meals, and nutrition education. Open Hand prepares, packages, and delivers 5,000 nutritionally-appropriate meals a day, six days a week with the support of volunteers. Volunteer drivers are a critical part of the service Open Hand provides to the community, since a majority of the organization’s clients are homebound. In fact, a volunteer driver is quite often the only person a client may see on any given day. Volunteers will pick-up meals, deliver meals to clients using their own vehicles and gas, and return the delivery list and delivery bags back to the Open Hand site. Delivery routes are available throughout Metro Atlanta, and the Open Hand team will work with volunteers to select a route where they will feel comfortable. Training and detailed, turn-by-turn directions are provided for all volunteer drivers. The routes are for a specific area of town and the drop offs are only a few miles apart.
Coca-Cola Week of Service: SVdP Chamblee Food Distribution
Saturday April 4 From 8:00 AM - 11:00 AM (Newnan, GA)
The Society of Saint Vincent de Paul Georgia is an independently funded, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Funding comes from individuals, foundations, corporations, religious institutions and the community at large. Everyday more and more families are left without food due to the COVID-19 pandemic. SVdP has been working to provide food to families all over the Atlanta-metro area. As needs increase we are working to make sure families are being fed. Our food pantry has turned to a mobile model to best fulfill the needs of our clients, all while staying with in CDC COVID-19 guidelines. Clients will be able to pick up food via drive thru and we need your help to do it! Volunteers will help with Food Pantry Client & Delivery Check-In and Food Pantry Product Distribution.
Equitable Dinners: Lift Every Voice (Virtual)
You're invited to join Equitable Dinners on Aug. 16 for a frank talk about race equity and housing, especially during a pandemic crisis. Enjoy a short play written by Dana Stringer, followed by intimate conversations in small groups.
Equitable Dinners: Lift Every Voice is a free, live, monthly conversation series featuring art, experts, and an opportunity to connect with your neighbors locally and around the world to talk about race and equity.
Join us one Sunday a month from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm through September 2020, we will hear from a new expert, watch a 10-minute play written for the event, and join together in conversation.
Needed: Facilitators and Virtual Hosts
Facilitators help guide the conversation and virtual hosts call each person that has registered to welcome them to the movement. We will train both facilitators and hosts. Please consider volunteering!
Help students with their Scholarship Research Process
The Scholarship Academy (TSA), is a nonprofit founded by a recipient of over $200,000 in scholarships, teaches low- income and first-generation high school students how to create realistic college funding strategies.
Through in-school curriculum modules, financial aid counselor trainings, and access to an innovative scholarship planning platform, The Virtual Scholarship Center, we connect students to local/state-based scholarship resources that enable them to pursue debt-free degrees.
How it Works
Students sign up for virtual office hours via their virtual scholarship center account
Based on availability and interest, volunteers (you) will help students:
Understand their Financial Award Letter
Identify additional private aid
Re-negotiate their financial aid packages
Edit scholarship essays
Hands On Atlanta and Sock Fancy Partner to Giveaway 50,000 Masks
In an effort to stop the spread of Covid-19, Sock Fancy and Hands On Atlanta will donate 50,000 non-surgical, protective masks to metro Atlanta community organizations.
Atlanta, GA -- Sock Fancy and Hands On Atlanta will distribute at least 50,000 non-surgical protective masks to metro Atlanta nonprofits, schools, and community organizations in need. The partnership was sparked through Sock Fancy’s timely pivot from making custom socks to making protective masks to meet the urgent demand for personal protective equipment (PPE) due to the global Covid-19 pandemic. Through their pivot, Sock Fancy launched a “One-for-One” campaign, promising to donate 1 mask for every mask purchased. With the state of Georgia reopening, the need for every member of our community to be able to protect themselves (and each other) has never been higher.
“We recognized our ability to help our [Atlanta] community as soon as we heard of the urgent demand for PPE from healthcare and nonprofit organizations across the country. We knew our staff and manufacturers would rise to the occasion to get the masks produced. Partnering with Hands On Atlanta to distribute the masks to our communities’ most vulnerable has made it possible for us to fulfill our “One for One” commitment” said Stefan Lewinger, Co-founder and CEO of Sock Fancy.
During the initial phase of their Covid-19 relief efforts, Hands On Atlanta focused on fighting food insecurity with Atlanta Public Schools and the Atlanta Community Food Bank. They also created a resource where Atlantans could find opportunities to serve in-person (utilizing social distancing) or virtually from home. As relief turns into recovery, they’ll continue to provide volunteer opportunities while shifting to meet the growing needs of the community. Food assistance, workforce development, voting, and access to PPE are among the core focus points of the next phase in their efforts.
“We’ve heard from our nonprofit and community partners that staff and client safety is their top priority. So, when the team from Sock Fancy called us to see if we could help with their distribution efforts, we dove in head first,” said Jay Cranman, President and CEO of Hands On Atlanta.
The partnership is already off to a great start. Over 4,000 masks have been donated to the Atlanta Police Department for distribution to those experiencing homelessness in downtown Atlanta.
“As has been said many times throughout the course of this pandemic, we are truly in this together and are grateful for your partnership, particularly in service to those who are most vulnerable among us,” said Tammy Hughes, Social Impact Director for Atlanta Downtown Improvement District/Central Atlanta Progress.
For more information on this partnership and to apply to get masks for your nonprofit, community organization, or school visit the Hands On Atlanta website at https://www.handsonatlanta.org/masks.