Last week, Jennifer Grove of WSB-TV's People 2 People program visited Emmaus House! Her tour included Youth on the Move, a look at our food pantry and a chat with our very own YOTM Program Manager Rakia Reeves and Executive Director Greg Cole. Jennifer even got a close up of the Capoeira class, a Brazilian martial art form that students have been studying this fall.

People 2 People chronicles events and newsmakers in North Georgia. Fred Blankenship and Linda Stouffer anchor the half-hour program which is followed by a special "One on One" segment with community figures. Their mission is to help improve the quality of life for viewers in Georgia and to raise awareness of critical issues affecting our community.

Tune in to Channel 2 at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, December 17 to catch a glimpse of the Emmaus House spotlight.

At Emmaus House, we strive to help people overcome obstacles. To that end, we have the privilege of working with families like Janel’s. Like many of us, Janel wants nothing more than to create opportunities for her children, Maya and Malik.

Janel’s family learned about Emmaus House’s CDF Freedom Schools program in 2016 when Maya spent her summer reading with us. The following summer, Malik joined his older sister. Janel immediately noticed changes in her children. Maya became more confident and excited about reading, and Malik began excelling in school.

Inspired by the growth in her children, Janel began attending Parent Café, a new program that aims to help parents learn about child development and practice stress management techniques. Janel says Emmaus House programs like this make a difference. It’s easier to help Malik with his behavior, and she’s more comfortable helping with homework. Attending Parent Café also ignited a passion for leading in Janel. Thanks to a grant from the United Way called Fostering Family Leaders, she’s learning new leadership skills that work at home and help support other Peoplestown parents.

In the fall of 2017, Janel became Emmaus House’s first parent instructor at Parent Café. Other parents who attend say that Janel gets them and where they are coming from. She offers understanding when it comes to the challenges of tackling homework, managing their children’s behaviors, or balancing their personal educational goals. Her rapport with fellow parents gives them a level of comfort that allows them to be vulnerable and, in turn, they can offer one another deeper support.

At Emmaus House, we’ve seen the transformational benefits that can occur when we work with the entire family — providing support and learning opportunities for children and parents. We are encouraged by research that shows this type of two-generation approach can help to break the cycle of poverty in families and our community.

When you give to Emmaus House, you bless our neighbors like Janel with tools to strengthen their families and our community. Your support enables us to work alongside our neighbors every day, and provide interventions to serve them on their path to a better life. Thank you for remembering Emmaus House this holiday season. We wish you and yours the very best.

The holidays are a special time of year where we celebrate with our community in Peoplestown. We invite you to save the date for our upcoming events that spread holiday cheer throughout our neighborhood this season. We rely on the support of volunteers and supporters like you to make our holiday programs a success. View our 2017 Holiday Guide to learn how you can get involved. 

Secret Santa Shop

This is an activity of the Emmaus House Chapel. Children buy gifts for their parents, grandparents, and family members. Volunteers help shop and wrap gifts on Sunday, December 17 after the 10:30 a.m. service. 

Peoplestown 555 Senior Luncheon

Our 555 Seniors group celebrates Christmas with lunch, music, and a visit from Santa and his elves on Tuesday, December 19, noon at the Rick McDevitt Youth Center.

Grandparents Party

Community grandparents raising grandchildren are invited to take the night off and join us for dinner, singing, and a raffle on Tuesday, December 19, 7-9 p.m. at the Barack and Michelle Obama Academy. 

Children’s Christmas Festival

Emmaus House believes Christmas is an opportunity to bring the community of Peoplestown together. The Christmas Eve Festival offers residents entertainment, food, fun, and a visit with Santa and his helpers for more than 800 children and their parents on Saturday, December 23, 8-11 a.m.

As a reminder, Emmaus House, including the Muriel Lokey Help Center, will be closed from December 24 – January 1, 2018. We will reopen on January 2, 2018.

Each month, a member of our staff will share a look into their programs and experiences working at Emmaus House. This month's entry of ‘Staff Musings’ comes from our Family Engagement Manager, Tavon Betts. 

Education programs at Emmaus House have always focused on children and youth. Research suggests that families who are engaged in their child’s learning see not only an improvement in academic achievement but also a reduction in school absences. And parents build confidence as advocates for their children.

In 2016, Emmaus House parents expressed the desire for more experiences that help them support their child's academic success, as well as their own educational goals. Every day, I get to work with parents who want nothing more than to help their children and family succeed. Through Parent Power and Parent Café, we work to make that a reality.

Parent Café is a program that brings parents together in peer-to-peer conversation around five research-based, protective factors that mitigate the negative impact of generational poverty. This fall, we have seen parents become more confident in managing stressors at home and grow more connected with parents facing similar challenges. Our support doesn’t stop there. Parent Power uses a two-generation approach by increasing literacy skills of parents so they are more confident helping their children with reading and homework.

Here at Emmaus House, we are committed to meeting the needs of the children and families we serve, and I am so grateful to be a part of that.

Tavon Betts
Family Engagement Manager

With the holidays and year-end quickly approaching, now would be a good time to discuss an alternative to a cash charitable donation. Gifting of securities may offer significant tax benefits and creates a win-win situation for both our donors and our neighbors in Peoplestown. 

When planning to make a gift of securities to Emmaus House, please keep in mind all stock transfers must be completed by 11:59 p.m. on December 29, 2017 to receive 2017 tax year credit. Once the transfer has been initiated, please complete the form below and return to Emmaus House for timely processing.

Submit via Email
melissabrogdon@emmaushouse.org                    

Submit via Post
Emmaus House c/o Melissa Brogdon 1017 Hank Aaron Dr SW
Atlanta, GA 30315

Please note: Emmaus House does not provide tax, legal, or financial advice and we strongly encourage donors to seek counsel from their own legal and financial advisors.
 

This year, Emmaus House commemorated our 50 years of service in Peoplestown. As we’ve celebrated, we’ve had the opportunity to learn so much more about our rich history of standing for justice and equity. We’ve honored the residents of this community as well as the many fascinating people who have made their mark on Emmaus House over the years. We have a past worthy of celebration!

Amid all this excitement, we know that our work is far from over. That’s why our theme this year has been “Forward From 50.” Too many families remain hungry, too many adults lack employment that provides livable wages, and too many children still fall behind in school. These are just some of the obstacles our hardworking neighbors face as they work to create more stable and healthy lives for their families. Together, we can be part of the solution!

During the holiday season, food is often at the center of our festivities. Through an extraordinary partnership with the Atlanta Community Food Bank, we continue to increase the amount of food that we distribute to neighbors who need it. Our goal is to remove hunger as a barrier so that our neighbors can work to overcome other challenges that make it difficult for them to provide for their families.

As you gather at your table with families and friends during this holiday season in gratitude for the abundance that you enjoy — we invite you to consider sharing some of that abundance. Your donation enables us to work alongside our neighbors for equity in Peoplestown by providing education, opportunity, assistance, and advocacy.

Each month, a member of our staff will share a look into their programs and experiences working at Emmaus House. This month's entry of ‘Staff Musings’ comes from our Director of Social Services, Adam Seely.

The Muriel Lokey Center is always a hub of energy and the holidays bring even more activity as we attempt to meet the increased needs. Our task is great, but we don’t do it alone. From social services resources to our food pantry, I am thankful that many partners support our work to strengthen families. This year, we have been blessed by the Atlanta Community Food Bank.

They have selected us as a recipient of the Food First Capacity Grant. This grant of $50,000 will go towards expanding our food pantry services and selections. It’s part of a research study that will provide better insight into the effects of food insecurity on the families that we serve. This information will help us to better support them.

Over the last 3 years, I have seen the Lokey Center transform lives. Increasingly, people come to us for rent and utility help, employment opportunities, help with medical bills, and earned benefits assistance. Our team is always happy to be a part of our neighbors’ journey to greater financial stability. Though it is sometimes difficult, we are eager to help and are grateful for the gifts that continue to bless our work.

Adam Seely
Director of Social Services

There is nothing quite like the Holiday season at Emmaus House! Our holiday traditions date back to the early days of Emmaus House. Each year, we welcome hundreds of Peoplestown residents and volunteers to celebrate the spirit of the holidays with us. First on our packed agenda of activities is Thanksgiving at Home! On Monday, November 20, Emmaus House will provide more than 300 families with provisions to celebrate Thanksgiving at home with a true feast.

How you can help:

• Donate side items (we provide the shopping list and bag for you to put the groceries in)

• Contribute to the cost of 300 turkeys. Bags are due by Friday, November 17 at 4:00 pm.

Contact Charlotte Cameron at (404) 525-5948, ext. 22, or charlottecameron@emmaushouse.org for more information.

First generation college students often face financial, academic, and cultural challenges when they try to pursue a postsecondary education. Typically, students of color from low-income neighborhoods and underserved schools do not receive the attention, resources, or information needed to successfully journey through college.

Emmaus House is addressing this challenge through our new program, Pipeline to College, that seeks to fill the gaps that form barriers and stumbling blocks to academic and vocational progression.

Our inaugural cohort of five first-generation college students from Peoplestown began their Pipeline to College journey on October 23. The students will participate in weekly group meetings with Candler School of Theology student Bridget Hall, who will lead them in discussion, offer advice, provide academic referrals and resources, and guide them through their first two years of college life. Mentors will provide monthly face-to-face individualized care and support for each student.

By supporting and encouraging first-generation college students to remain in college and to graduate, we help them to create a strong foundation for success. We wish our first cohort much success as they approach their first big milestone together, FINAL EXAMS!