Dear Members of the Emmaus House Community and Supporters,

A few months ago, we wrote to you with the news that the Executive Director of Emmaus House was moving to Chicago to pursue a new opportunity.  At that time, the Advisory Board began its efforts to identify a new Executive Director, but to ensure that the programs of Emmaus House continued uninterrupted, Greg Cole, Director of Development for the last four years, was appointed the Deputy Director of Emmaus House to help lead us in continuing our work in the Peoplestown neighborhood of Atlanta.

At the time, the decision to promote Greg was based on our desire to maintain stability and continuity in the senior leadership at Emmaus House and our faith in Greg to provide that leadership. After observing Greg’s performance in this senior leadership position and conducting an extensive review and interview process regarding his strengths, motivations, goals, objectives, and commitment to the organization, the Advisory Board is pleased to announce that Greg Cole has been named Executive Director of Emmaus House.  

Greg was an integral part of the development of Emmaus House’s new Strategic Plan that was launched in late 2016, and he is dedicated to promoting the strategic priorities captured in the Plan:  

• Economic Success
• Academic Achievement & Youth Development
• Grassroots Leadership & Social Justice

As we enter our 51st year, we are excited to see the mission of Emmaus Housein such capable and committed hands.  Through Greg and the entire leadership team at Emmaus House, we continue (in the words of the Strategic Plan) to “harness the power of community, education, hope and love to dismantle poverty, racism, and other barriers to opportunity in the lives and communities we serve.”

Thank you for your ongoing support,

Ward S. Bondurant

Chair, Emmaus House Advisory Board

From the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta

 The Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta and the Rt. Rev. Robert C. Wright are pleased to announce that Greg Cole has been named the new executive director of EmmausHouse in Atlanta. Emmaus House is a ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta that provides vital support, education, and services to residents in the Peoplestown community.

Cole previously held the title of deputy director following the departure of former Emmaus House Executive Director Joseph Mole in December. Cole joined the staff of Emmaus House in 2013 as director of development and communications.

“I am honored to serve Emmaus House as we move into our next 50 years,” Cole said. “As we have for the last 50, we will continue to advocate for those in our community whose voices are not heard.”

The Rt. Rev. Robert C. Wright, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta, is looking forward to the future of Emmaus House with Cole as executive director. “We are delighted that Greg will lead Emmaus House at this important time,” the Rev. Wright said. “He has the heart of a servant, the mind of a leader, and is on fire for this work. Emmaus House and the Peoplestown community will be well served by Greg’s leadership.”

Cole received a Master of Divinity from Harvard Divinity School and earned a Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management from the University of North Florida. He has also worked with the Episcopal Church in a variety of capacities, including as a stewardship consultant to the national church.

Before his tenure at Emmaus House, Cole served as director of development for Habitat For Humanity in Jacksonville, Florida. While there, he developed a strong interest in community development as it pertains to poverty reduction, he said.

Since adding Cole to its staff four years ago as director of development and communications, Emmaus House has almost doubled the financial support that it receives, allowing it to dramatically increase its programs and its effectiveness in the neighborhoods it serves. Now as executive director, Cole will lead the organization in its continued efforts to support the residents of Peoplestown as they work toward economic security.

“During this time of community change, we want to make sure that everyone has the opportunity to thrive in Peoplestown and the surrounding neighborhoods,” Cole said. “I’m thrilled to work at an organization that’s dedicated to making measurable, systemic change that results in transformed lives.”

Applications are now available for the summer Freedom School at Emmaus House. The camp is a Children's Defense Fund Freedom Schools® program, open to completed kindergarten through fifth-grade scholars and is free for all eligible campers. The camp offers six weeks of reading enrichment, art, field trips, recreation, breakfast, lunch and snacks. Freedom School takes place June 12-July 21, Monday through Friday, from 8 am to 3 pm and is located at Emmaus House, 1017 Hank Aaron Drive, SW, Atlanta, GA 30315. Parents or guardians are required to attend mandatory parent meetings each week. Applications are available at D.H. Stanton Elementary School and Emmaus House. The application deadline is April 21.

The Emmaus House Freedom Schoolparticipates in the Summer Food Service Program. Meals will be provided to all eligible children free of charge. Children who are part of households that receive foods stamps, or benefits under the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR), or Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) are automatically eligible to receive free meals.

Acceptance and participation requirements for the program and all activities are the same for all regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability, and there will be no discrimination in the course of the meal service. Meals will be provided at Emmaus House, Mondays through Fridays. Breakfast will be served at 8-8:30 am, snacks at 10:30-10:45 am and lunch 12-1 pm.

Mindfulness, as a means of stress reduction, has been around for many years. Recently, mindfulness practices have entered the mainstream, providing opportunities for implementation in a variety of settings. Knowing this, in 2016, Emmaus House began to incorporate mindfulness practices into its program. We did this in response to parents who said that dealing with stress is one of the issues with which they need the most help. In partnership with Dr. Andy Roach, Associate Director at the Center for Leadership in Disability at Georgia State University we taught simple mindfulness practices to those who attended our Great Start for Parents program. The project was funded by Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning,

This pilot program was so successful that we decided to move further with mindfulness as an intentional practice. In 2017, with a grant from Trinity Church, Wall Street, to support social-emotional development, we plan to incorporate mindfulness practices into some of our other programs: Youth on the Move, the Road Episcopal Service Corp, and our Children’s Defense Fund Freedom Schools® program.

Susan Kaiser Greenland, mindfulness educator, defines mindfulness as “the capacity to be alert and open to life experience as it occurs in a non-reactive, resilient and compassionate way.” We at Emmaus House are very excited about this latest development in our journey to becoming a more impactful, transformative presence in Peoplestown and beyond.

To facilitate this work, Emmaus House engaged with Mindfulness Without Borders, a leading provider of best practices and evidenced-based programs on secular mindfulness and social-emotional intelligence to youth, educators, health and corporate professionals in communities around the world. On Monday, February 6, 11 members of the Emmaus House staff, along with nine people from Georgia State University, took part in the first of three days of training to become certified facilitators of the Mindfulness Ambassador Council (MAC). The MAC program “offers youth a forum to meet face to face and learn about constructive ways for addressing personal, social and community challenges.”

Stay tuned for updates as we participate in the remaining two days of training and begin to practice greater mindfulness as a staff and with our neighbors in Peoplestown whom we serve.

The Road Episcopal Service Corps began in 2011 as a conversation with a diverse and energetic group of people about building a dynamic young adult formation and leadership program in the Diocese of Atlanta. Youth on the Move started in 2003 to provide middle and high school students with opportunities that will prepare them for success as adults. In 2016, Emmaus House had the privilege of taking on and offering leadership to these two programs. We are very excited about the ways in which these two programs enrich our work at Emmaus House.

Ryan Bigg is a second-year fellow of The Road and works with Youth on the Move. He offers his reflections here.

“Hi, my name is Ryan Bigg. A lot of you might know me or have seen me around at Emmaus House the last year and a half or so. I am a second-year fellow for The Road Episcopal Service Corps and have spent both of those years on site at Emmaus House.

During this time, I have been a catch-all resource for Emmaus House. I have worked at the Lokey Center, the Chapel, Freedom Schools® summer program and the Parent Power literacy program. More recently, my focus has been with the Youth on the Move after school program, which is the newest Emmaus House program.

One of the reasons I am such a catch-all resource and always seem to be around is that The Road Episcopal Service Corp is now a program of Emmaus House, which hosts, offers staff support for and provides housing to the ten fellows who take part each year.

So, I live and work full time here on the campus. By design, the fellows live in community with Peoplestown neighbors. I am an example of how well this can work. I have loved living here, working here and being among the people of Peoplestown.

This experience has been life-altering because it has changed my perspective on how the world works. The relationships I have built here are more fruitful than those I have previously experienced. I think this speaks to the value of the community of Peoplestown. Even though there are not as many resources in this area, the richness of joy and love that I feel here outdoes that of any other place I have experienced.

These characteristics have been clear to me recently in my work with the Youth on the Move program. The goals of Youth on the Move are to educate, enrich and empower middle and high school students in the Peoplestown area through various activities and experiences. In my time being with these students, I have seen growth in each of them, and I have enjoyed the richness of life with them.

One of the activities that we offer is college/career workshops that show the youth some of the possibilities that are available after high school. A few months ago, my mom and sister, both nurses at Emory, held a workshop about being a nurse.

The workshop was very successful. They created four different interactive stations to show the students different aspects of nursing. At the Look and Listen station, they took each other’s blood pressure and listened to heartbeats with a stethoscope. At the Hand Hygiene station, they learned how to put on sterile gloves. They practiced putting bandages on each other at the First-Aid station. Finally, at the Healthy Habits station, they discussed how essential daily exercise and eating healthy are for our bodies. The program concluded with a Having Fun exercise where my mom showed them a favorite dance of hers. In turn, they taught her a favorite dance of theirs. That was the highlight of the day!

This work at Emmaus House has been crucial for my personal development and growth. Instead of trying to describe how it changed my life, I want to encourage everyone to find a way to get involved. Being able to bring my family into the Youth on the Move programs and intersect my two worlds for a moment brought so much life into the space. I would love to see more of that around here. After all, that is what Emmaus House and The Road is about – meeting someone on a path, intersecting and interacting with them and having your life and theirs be different afterwards.”

Emmaus House Executive Director Joseph Mole says goodbye.

It is bittersweet for us at Emmaus House to announce that Executive Director Joseph Mole has tendered his resignation to pursue an opportunity in his hometown Chicago area. We are grateful for the incredible growth Emmaus House has seen over the last two and a half years under his leadership.

In the interim, Emmaus House Director of Development and Communications Greg Cole will serve as Deputy Director providing senior leadership during the transition and beyond. 

Along with the Rt. Rev. Robert C. Wright, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta, we wish Joseph the very best.

Both Joseph and Bishop Wright wrote letters about the transition and what’s next for Emmaus House.

An excerpt from Joseph Mole's letter

"There are stops along life’s journey that leave marks on our heart that remain for a lifetime. For me, Emmaus House has been one of those stops. From the moment I heard about this special place founded by Father Austin Ford during the height of the civil rights movement of the 1960’s, it captivated my activist imagination for what a community could do for itself when organized for justice."

An excerpt from the Rt. Rev. Robert C. Wright, Bishop of the Diocese of Atlanta's letter

"There is a time and season for everything. So it is with gratitude that on behalf of the Diocese of Atlanta, I wish to thank Joseph Mole for his service as Executive Director of Emmaus House. His work as leader of this critical mission, in one of Atlanta’s important neighborhoods, has had a significant impact."

Dear Members of the Emmaus House Community and Supporters,

 There is a time and season for everything. So it is with gratitude that on behalf of the Diocese of Atlanta, I wish to thank Joseph Mole for his service as Executive Director of Emmaus House. His work as leader of this critical mission, in one of Atlanta’s important neighborhoods, has had a significant impact. Joseph has tendered his resignation, effective December 19, to undertake more good works in the Chicago area.

It has been a season of growth and advancement under Joseph’s leadership.

• The First Children’s Defense Fund Freedom Schools®  program in the state of Georgia was launched to prevent summer learning loss for more than 150 children
• Literacy and academic achievement efforts have been strengthened by tripling investment from foundations to support a two-generation strategy
• The mission’s first community-based case management model was started and then awarded a full funding grant from Fulton County
• Youth on the Move, a financially struggling tutoring and enrichment program for middle and high school students, was brought in-house with the first-ever United Way grant to Emmaus House
• Parents have gone on to learn mindfulness skills after Emmaus House was selected by Harvard’s Center on the Developing Child as a pilot site for their Frontiers of Innovation collaboration
• Emmaus House has nearly doubled its budget to approximately $1.4 MM

The Advisory Board will begin a search to fill the Director role. The search will be guided by the new Emmaus House Strategic Plan, adopted this October.

In the interim, Emmaus House Director of Development and Communications Greg Cole will serve as Deputy Director providing senior leadership during the transition and beyond. Greg has been with Emmaus House for four years. In that time, he has implemented a successful development strategy and diversified funding. This and his work on communications and awareness have strengthened Emmaus House’s position. I take comfort in the continuity he will provide.

Yes, there is a time and season for everything. I see the next season for Emmaus House as one of opportunity to further strengthen our partnerships and community as we strive to love as Jesus did.

Thank you for your ongoing support,

The Rt. Rev. Robert C. Wright

Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta

Click here to read Joseph's letter. 

There are stops along life’s journey that leave marks on our heart that remain for a lifetime. For me, Emmaus House has been one of those stops. From the moment I heard about this special place founded by Father Austin Ford during the height of the civil rights movement of the 1960’s, it captivated my activist imagination for what a community could do for itself when organized for justice. When I was chosen to serve as executive director of Emmaus House, I was both surprised and honored to be entrusted with such a legacy. And I’m so grateful that I was.

At the beginning of 2017, I will be headed “home” to embark on a new chapter in my life and career as founding executive director of Covenant House Illinois. Founded in 1972, Covenant House is one of the largest privately funded agencies in the Americas helping homeless and trafficked youth. It has provided food, clothing, crisis, and long-term housing, medical care, and vocational and educational opportunities for over 51,000 homeless and trafficked youth each year. As I’m sure you’ve read in the news, Chicago is experiencing a perfect storm for homeless youth with gang-related deaths at their highest in 20 years, dangerously cold winters, and a state government slashing funding for social services.

Having started my journey into social justice ministry in Chicago nearly 20 years ago, my heart is being drawn home. In the words of Frederick Buechner, “The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” For this next chapter, my deepest gladness is to head home and play a role in addressing the deep needs of homeless youth fleeing gang violence, abuse, and the bitter cold. I’m thrilled to be entrusted with the task of building the work of Covenant House from the ground up in Chicago.

The last two and a half years have been an exhilarating ride at Emmaus House as together we’ve tried new things, taken risks, and learned new ways of telling our story and the stories of our resilient neighbors in Peoplestown. From the chants and cheers of Freedom School® scholars to Christmas dances with our feisty seniors, there are many memories I will treasure. But most of all, I will treasure the relationships I’ve made with Emmaus House staff, board members, and supporters. This is truly a special place, and it is made special by the love and support of so many whose lives have been touched in some way by Emmaus House. Thank you for allowing me to be one of those lives!

It is comforting to know that I leave Emmaus House in a stronger place than when I arrived, and with a capable and talented leadership team at the helm. With Greg Cole stepping into the role of deputy director, the organization will have steady leadership through the transition and beyond.

Joseph Mole, LMSW

Executive Director

Click here to read the Bishop's letter.

Students of Atlanta Public Schools return next Wednesday, August 3rd and Emmaus House has set an ambitious goal: to provide backpacks and school supplies for 1,000 area students.

We need your donations by August 2nd to make this happen.

Please help us equip these students with tools they need for success, by dropping off your donation at Emmaus House M–F, between 9–3pm. A list of school supplies needed can be found here.

If you need to arrange a drop off after-hours or if you have any questions, please contact Rakia Reeves at (404) 524-0229 or at rakiareeves@emmaushouse.org.

Our program’s purpose is to close the achievement gap by improving literacy and learning for children who face poverty and lack access to the educational resources they need to succeed. The Children's Defense Fund Freedom Schools® program at Emmaus House is a summer program serving students from kindergarten through 8th grade. It’s aim is to motivate young scholars to read, generate positive attitudes towards learning, and empower students to make a difference in themselves, their families, their communities and their world.

Last summer, we enriched the lives of 70 scholars. This summer we hope to make an even bigger difference by enrolling 100 scholars thanks to the support of our donors and Peoplestown Partners.

During an average summer, students may lose up to two month’s worth of learning. This is known as the “summer slide” and it accounts for more than half of the achievement gap between lower- and higher-income students.

And the statistics portray a sober reality:

• Children who can’t read by 3rd grade are 4x times more likely to drop out of school.
• In 2013, only 21% of 4th grade children from low-income families in Georgia could read at or above grade level.

Students who do not complete high school are significantly more likely than high-school graduates to become incarcerated, become teen parents, be subjected to violence as either an aggressor or a victim, be unemployed, and be recipients of Medicaid and welfare.

The good news is that studies have found that educational summer programs for children, like the CDF Freedom Schools® program at Emmaus House, can help reduce or eliminate the gaps. Plus, the effects of these summer programs last over time. We believe in solving problems instead of treating symptoms. The CDF Freedom Schools® program at Emmaus House is a perfect example of this.

Our 2015 Program Had Great Results!

Pre and post evaluations conducted with a sample of scholars, using procedures recommended by the Freedom Schools® program, indicated the following:

• 100% of scholars who were evaluated maintained or gained in their instructional reading level over the six-week program as measured by pre and post standardized testing.
• Of those, 79% of students tested improved their instructional level in reading.
• Students who maintained their reading level all showed gains in either accuracy, comprehension or fluency within that reading level.
• Children in grades 4-7 saw the greatest gains.

Support our scholars in their fight against the summer slide and the achievement gap by donating today.