Nonprofits across the country are facing a lot of challenges right now.

An Urban Institute analysis showed that, in 2021, at least 33% of nonprofits received government grants. The vast majority of these would run deficits without federal funding.

It’s a situation that has been a long time in the making.

Instead of investing in state-sponsored programs, the US has always stressed the importance of neighbors helping one another. This led to the emergence of the charitable sector, which the federal government supported as a way of addressing social issues while minimizing government intervention.

Over time, many organizations have come to rely on that funding, which is why the current uncertainty is impacting so many.

Planning for the Future

The challenge isn’t just financial.

Regardless of what the current state of funding happens to be, the rapid pace of pauses, freezes, and proposed cuts have caused many organizations to scale back their programming—and their impact—in preparation for the potentially hard times ahead.

Policymakers hope that stimulating the economy will also stimulate giving, resulting in increased donations and leaner, more effective programs. And while experts are skeptical that the private sector can make up this gap in funding, at Emmaus House, we see some cause for hope.

Supporting One Another

Emmaus House is a community-based mission, which means we are committed to serving a specific place, but it also means we’re committed to one another. Everything we do is grounded in community and mutual service.

We’re more grateful than ever for our neighbors and the support we’re able to offer in the form of programs and critical services. We’re also grateful for our donors and volunteers, and the support you all offer us.

For now, funding insecurity is a reality all nonprofits—including us—must face. But history has demonstrated that our community is strong, and together, we will continue to empower our neighbors and lift up those around us.

Adolescence is an important time in life. As humans, we experience it longer than almost every other species. It includes a wide range of physical, neurological, cognitive, and social developments.

As important as adolescence is though, it’s also a uniquely vulnerable time for young people.

The combination of hormones, cognitive development, and complex social tasks can lead to a great deal of stress during a time most young people aren’t yet equipped to manage it, making it difficult for them to focus on learn­ing and forming healthy rela­tion­ships.

Youth who are under-resourced or living in marginalized communities are more likely to face chronic stress, which can have profound impacts on their growth and development.

Holistic Support

At Emmaus House, we believe it’s critical that young people have stable, supportive adult relationships in their lives to help them cope with adversity and build resilience.

That’s why programs like Freedom School and our newly-expanded Families on the Move program prioritize mentorship and emotional support alongside education and enrichment.

As adults, we sometimes forget that growing up isn’t easy. However, for our youth to be successful, they need every bit of support we can offer them.

Click below to learn more about how we support our youth.

The holidays are just around the corner, and we’re already making preparations to ensure our neighbors have a joyous holiday season.

Every year, with the help of our supporters, Emmaus House hosts a number of holiday programs that local children and adults look forward to throughout the year.

Thanksgiving at Home

We believe celebrating the holidays together is an important way of strengthening family ties. This year, we’ll gather donations to help 300 families in need enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving dinner at home.

Families on the Move Grandparents Party

Grandparents in Peoplestown are often the family guardians. We’ll celebrate the support they offer with a wonderful meal and entertainment.

Children’s Christmas Festival

On December 20, children, parents, and volunteers will enjoy a morning filled with fun Christmas activities before Santa and Mrs. Claus distribute presents donated by our community.

The holidays are a magical time at Emmaus House thanks, in large part, to you! Click below to learn more about our holiday programs and how you can support them.

We are thrilled to announce that Emmaus House is partnering with St. Paul's Episcopal Church to reopen the St. Paul's food pantry following a seven-year hiatus.

In addition to our current food pantry operations, which serve 75 families weekly, beginning this fall, we will be launching a mobile food pantry at St. Paul, which will provide fresh produce, protein, and canned goods to families in need every month.

Combining Emmaus House's operational expertise with St. Paul's dedicated volunteer base, this partnership will serve approximately 120-140 families each distribution day.

"This partnership multiplies our collective impact," said David-Lee Mattison, Emmaus House Chief Program Officer. "By combining our knowledge, skills, and passion, we're creating a model for sustainable community collaboration."

“As a church, our faith is most visible when we engage with the practical needs of our community,” said Bobby Young, a leader of the project at St. Paul’s. “We're grateful to Emmaus House for helping us to serve and care for our neighbors who are challenged by food insecurity.”

Your continued support makes initiatives like these possible. Together, we're not just addressing hunger—we're building bridges between communities and demonstrating how organizations can work together to serve our neighbors with dignity and compassion.

Thank you once again to everyone who donated to this year’s Freedom School program.

It was an incredible 6 weeks of mentorship and literacy training, as well as daily enrichment activities like dance, PE, photography, and swimming. 

CDF Freedom Schools© teach students to love reading using a research-based curriculum that prioritizes the whole child. This includes academic enrichment, of course, but also cultural experiences, family engagement, nutrition, mental and physical health, and opportunities to engage with and serve the community.

National Day of Social Action

The National Day of Social Action is an event organized by CDF Freedom Schools© each year to raise awareness, build community, and empower young people to use their voices to create positive change in society. 

The theme this year was inspired by a quote from Dr. Maya Angelou: “When You Learn, Teach.” In that spirit, Freedom School scholars visited a museum highlighting influential African American figures who advanced education and freedom. 

They also assembled gift bags containing books and other essential items for local families.

Exploring New Horizons

As usual, the program included a number of fun and enriching field trips, like indoor skydiving at IFly and an Alliance Theater production of Milo Imagines the World. 

For the first time, scholars were also able to visit Serenbe Farms, where they learned to harvest and witnessed first hand how the farm-to-table process works.

It was an incredible 6 weeks, and to cap it off, 41 of the 52 scholars were able to spend an additional week at Camp Mikell, a 460-acre campus owned by the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta which boasts forests, waterfalls, a swimming pool, and natural bodies of water.

It was a rare opportunity for our scholars to get away from the stimulation of city life and unwind a little before the start of the school year.

Our Deepest Gratitude

Your support makes transformative experiences like this possible for our youth. Thank you once again to everyone who has supported the Freedom School over the years. 

For as long as we’ve been hosting the CDF Freedom Schools® program, we’ve witnessed children grow in confidence and creativity throughout the summers. Part of what makes the program so effective is the way it engages, not just the scholars, but their families as well. 

By Popular Request

At the end of each session, the most common feedback we get is from families who wish this kind of support could continue throughout the year.

We’re excited to introduce a new year-round program designed to extend the impact of Freedom School into the school year.

Families on the Move (FOTM) is an expansion of our former Youth on the Move program, providing support to students ages 7–17 and their guardians.

Students will gather for reading and math support, creative exploration, and leadership development two days a week while their guardians participate in their own program, gaining access to resources, community, and tools for personal growth.

Supporting Families 

The evolution of this program reflects a deeper commitment to partnership, collaboration, and support that prioritizes the entire family. With it, we look forward to ensuring what begins in the summer continues all year long, allowing our children, families, and community to thrive together.

In 1954, Brown v. Board of Education ruled that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. However, since the 1960s, schools have once again become more and more segregated.

In the South today, 82% of Black students attend schools where students of color make up the majority. There are also disparities with respect to educational outcomes, including lower graduation rates, test scores, course completions, and more.

These educational disparities can have a lasting impact on children’s confidence and their ability to imagine different opportunities for themselves.

The Brown v. Board of Education ruling overturned the “separate but equal” policy, but unfortunately, it will take more than a single ruling to create an equitable educational system.

Miles to Go

In 2024, the Southern Education Foundation released Miles To Go: The State of Education for Black Students in America. The report examines the different educational outcomes facing white and Black students, finding that many stem from “opportunity gaps” that prevent many students of color from accessing opportunities to learn and succeed.

Some of these include low funding for school districts that serve Black students, lack of access to early childhood education, fewer opportunities for rigorous coursework (such as AP classes), Black teacher shortages, disproportionate school disciplinary practices, and, of course, the wide range of social and economic factors that continue to promote modern day segregation in the first place.

Showing Up for One Another

Advocating for equitable education policies is important. But history has shown that we can’t afford to wait for the system to fix itself.

In addition to the vital work organizations like the Southern Education Foundation is doing to advance equitable education policies, we also need to show up for one another locally, providing the support that school districts aren’t always able to.

At Emmaus House, we recognize the important role education plays in empowering children, youth, and adults to overcome challenges and change the systems around us. That’s why we prioritize educational supports like afterschool programming and the CDF Freedom School.

Click below to learn more about the strategic priorities that inform our work.

April was National Volunteer Month. As nonprofits, we often spend a lot of time talking about the challenges our communities face and the support we offer. But we don’t always talk enough about the vital role volunteers play in advancing our mission and lifting up our community.

For a place-based mission like Emmaus House, this is especially true. We don’t just serve the community, we are the community. Our campus is a space for community members to connect with one another and lift each other up through service.

For that reason, our volunteers aren’t just part-time workers—they are the very spirit of what we’re doing, and, as such, they deserve both our respect and our recognition.

In Their Words

We’re grateful to everyone who helps out at Emmaus House, whether it’s after school or during the holidays, but we want to call out a few of our long-term volunteers specifically for everything they do day in and day out to support and strengthen our community.

In honor of National Volunteer Week—and our profound appreciation for all that they do—we reached out to our Lokey Help Center volunteers to learn a little about what their experience volunteering has meant to them.

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Lokey Help Center Volunteers

The Lokey Help Center offers a wide range of community services, all under one roof. From help with SNAP applications to Georgia ID assistance, disability insurance applications, and more, Lokey is a place where residents go to be seen and served.

Chenelle Garner

As a child, the summer program taught me the importance of helping others. Being a volunteer allows me to pass on the gift that was given to me at a very young age. My work with Emmaus House has taught me to look at people from the heart’s perspective. It has shown me that, when you show you care, it can change someone’s life.

Mark Laster

I grew up in this community and volunteering allowed me to see how much the community needs resources like food and help with things like food stamps and disability help. I like helping put food in families’ homes. I have been volunteering at Emmaus House for 10 years now and plan to make it another 10!

Annie Swinger

Emmaus House helps our community by taking some of the weight off families. They helped me when I was in need. I wanted to give back and be a part of the change. Anybody can give their time and every little bit helps. When I came, I only volunteered for 2 hours for 2 days. Once COVID hit, I saw the increased need and wanted to help more. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Harris Allen

My volunteer work at Emmaus House has expanded my sense of community into areas of Atlanta with which I previously had little contact. It has provided a simple, concrete way for me to give back, which is worthwhile and rewarding on so many levels. The friendships I’ve made here have become an enriching and significant part of my life.

Mary Ann Schneider

It upsets me when the most vulnerable people are not able to get their government benefits. There just isn’t enough time, energy and stamina to do all that needs doing to make people’s lives a little more tolerable.

Stephanie Sherman

The mission to help others in need led me here. Since then, I have learned so much and grown in spirit. No matter what their struggles, the people in this community remain hopeful and use their sense of humor and religion to get through the day. I am thankful for the opportunity to volunteer at Emmaus House.

Colleen O’Rourke

I began volunteering at Emmaus House at the start of the COVID pandemic when my other volunteer activities were closed. I knew about the good work they were doing and wanted to be a part of it. Volunteering with Emmaus House has shown me how close-knit the community is and how grateful our clients are for the services we provide. The staff at Emmaus House are truly committed to the welfare of our clients and of the community!

Brian O’Rourke

I began volunteering because Emmaus House needed help and I had the extra time. People in the community are very appreciative of the services we provide. It’s nice to see people leave happy with full grocery bags and/or after getting help with social services.

Geannette Fuentes

Everyone is going through their own health and financial challenges. No one is immune. We all go through difficult times. At Emmaus House, we help each other with love and respect. It’s rewarding to help people open doors to benefits that can change their lives in a positive way. I am proud to be part of the Emmaus House family.

Rev. Derrick D. Henderson

I was inspired to volunteer at Emmaus House because, growing up, I saw so many people in need and wanted to give back what was given to me. Emmaus House has been around for over 50 years thanks to the vision of a young priest; that vision helped make me who I am today. Volunteering has taught me that we are family, and when family is in need, you show them love the way Jesus loves us all.

Peggy Ballard

In my twenties, I volunteered with a group hosting Halloween parties for children at Emmaus House. The kid’s excitement created memories that stayed with me. Now, 50+ years later, I wanted to be involved again. Being part of this community has shown me that, regardless of circumstance, we all desire the same fundamental things and deserve the same basic necessities: shelter, food, clothing, healthcare, and meaningful work. This community enriches my life in ways I never anticipated. I've discovered that receiving these unexpected treasures often begins with a simple question: "How can I help?”

Mark Clark

My mother inspired me to start volunteering at Emmaus House. She was the type of person to help anybody and everybody. She taught me that you have to give people a helping hand and send them out better than the way they came in. People in this part of Atlanta need our help and many of them don't know where to turn. I have been volunteering for over 30 years now and there is still so much to be done.

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Volunteering allows friends of Emmaus House to walk alongside our program participants in mutually beneficial ways.

To learn more about volunteer opportunities at Emmaus House, visit: emmaushouseatlanta.org/volunteer.

The COVID lockdowns were hard for many of us, but they were especially hard for our vulnerable neighbors who have difficulty affording and accessing healthy food options. Those who don’t have access to a car, for example, might find it difficult to reach food bank locations and other forms of assistance.

One of the ways communities responded to this issue during the pandemic was expanding the number of “free fridges,” making food accessible 24 hours a day without any red tape or bureaucracy to navigate.

At their peak, there were six free fridge locations around Atlanta.

In August of this year, the last one closed.

Opportunity & Access

Free, healthy food options are critical supports for vulnerable neighbors in our community, but just as important as the food is the ability to access it.

The Emmaus House Food Pantry provides more than 75 households in our community with healthy food options annually. Our food supply, however, is currently lower than we would like, especially with winter around the corner.

Click below for a list of items we’re seeking and to learn more about how you can support the Emmaus House Food Pantry.