Today is the last day of our 2021 CDF Freedom School program. These past six weeks have provided our children with enriching and empowering experiences.

We are grateful to everyone who has made our Freedom School program possible, from our generous donors and partners to our volunteers and staff. Your support means the word to us. Learn more about the wonderful people who make the program a reality.

We are blessed to have dedicated community volunteers who have served with us for several summers. One of them is Marni Davis, an associate professor of history at Georgia State University.

Servant Leader Interns (SLIs) are college students who lead each class of Freedom School students to success. They train with Children’s Defense Fund as well as with Emmaus House staff. We support our strategic priority of leadership development through the training and employment of our SLIs. Rayshaud Goolsby, an SLI, loves helping our Freedom School scholars.

One of the highlights of Harambee is the Read-Aloud, where community leaders and role models read to our Freedom School scholars. Bishop Rob Wright visits often. He recently read “Naturally Me!”, a book designed to boost self-esteem and build confidence in children.

During Harambee, we honored Herman Shackleford, “Shack,” our building and grounds coordinator. He keeps the grounds beautiful, ensures the classrooms are free of trash, and performs countless other maintenance duties at Emmaus House. It’s no wonder every Freedom School child and staff member signed his thank you card!

Our on-site healthcare assistant, Akeisha Moseley, treats our Freedom School scholars with loving care and attention.

We also want to thank the Emmaus House staff, especially Ann Fowler, our Director of Education Services. Ann oversees programs that are focused on eliminating poverty through education in the Peoplestown neighborhood and beyond. She has helped develop two-generational programs that engage children and parents through academic and personal support, cultural enrichment, and leadership development.

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Stay tuned for more Freedom School photos from this summer in the July newsletter.

Emmaus House is excited to partner with the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Arthur M. Blank Foundation, Partnership for Southern Equity, HEY! and CEO of My Life to offer a 12-week youth entrepreneurship program beginning this summer. The program will engage high school students interested in STEAM and entrepreneurship. The four-week intensive summer program will take place in July, with eight bi-weekly work sessions in the fall. Students will receive meals, a stipend, and help with transportation. Emmaus House will provide wrap-around services to the students and their families (i.e., financial assistance, work clothes, food access, case management, etc.).

The first week of Freedom School was a huge success. From the morning Harambee to the Integrated Reading Curriculum, our students are able to explore, read, connect and grow together. The week ended off in traditional Freedom School fashion. On Fridays at Freedom School, children receive books to keep. Because of tremendous book donations from the Cathedral's St. Veronica's Guild and members of the Church of the Epiphany, we are able to give even more books to scholars each week this summer!

The Children's Defense Fund Freedom Schools® program at Emmaus House is a summer program serving students from kindergarten through fifth grade. Its aim is to motivate young scholars to read, build positive attitudes towards learning, and empower them to make a difference in themselves, their families, their communities, and their world.

On average, over 90% of scholars who were evaluated maintained or gained in their instructional reading level over the six-week program as measured by pre- and post-program standardized testing.

For more information about the CDF Freedom Schools® program at Emmaus House, please contact Ann Fowler at (404) 525-5948, ext. 27 or annfowler@emmaushouse.org.

On behalf of Emmaus House and our CDF Freedom Schools program team, we want to thank all who helped us raise $55,000. This was possible thank to you and the generosity of a supporter who matched $20,000, doubling the impact of your contributions!

These gifts will have a major impact on helping or children in Peoplestown and the south side of Atlanta beat the “summer slide” and unlock their infinite potential!

Juneteenth is a holiday to commemorate the day that the last enslaved Black people learned of their liberation. On June 19, 1865, enslaved Black people in Texas finally learned about President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. Last summer, one week before Juneteenth, a police officer shot and killed Rayshard Brooks, an unarmed Black man, at the Wendy’s in Peoplestown. That incident served as a sobering reminder of the ongoing risks faced by Black people in this country. This tragedy affected people around the country and in our local neighborhood. It also had an impact on the Emmaus House staff. In response, Emmaus House leadership decided to recognize Juneteenth as an organization-wide holiday to celebrate and reflect.

Tanisha Corporal, our Director of Community Engagement and Strategic Initiatives, reflects on the death of Rayshard Brooks.

“This week we remember the tragic death of Rayshard Brooks. The incident was particularly poignant because of its proximity to my personal and professional life. While the national news is full of body cam and cell phone footage of the many horrific acts committed against black people in this country, it was dispiriting to experience this in my backyard. The Wendy’s where this incident occurred is halfway between my home in South Atlanta and my office at Emmaus House. My black son frequented that location for dinner on many Saturday nights. We have sat in that very drive-through, waiting to receive our food. It was a part of the fabric of our community. That summer weekend changed our neighborhood forever. The fire of injustice was ablaze in our neighborhood, both literally and figuratively. Like most wildfires, these tragedies scorch the foundations of equality and justice. It compromises the integrity of freedom and liberty in this county. However, times like these strengthen our resolve and that of those affected by injustice and inequity. We must continue to hold onto the humanity of our people and the hope for our community.”

—Tanisha Corporal,
Director of Community Engagement and Strategic Initiatives

In less than five weeks, the eviction moratorium passed to protect tenants and prevent the further spread of COVID-19 is set to expire.

As the end of this order looms, many social services workers have warned of an “avalanche” of evictions once the moratorium is lifted. Many families, including those in our Peopletowns neighborhood, have not been able to pay rent since the pandemic hit, but when the eviction moratorium is lifted, all past due rent will be due in full. Low-income families are at the highest risk of immediate eviction and displacement.

What this would do on a mass scale is hard to predict — but will undoubtedly affect many of the families Emmaus House serves. As we walk this unknown path, we are actively leaning into our partners and resources to assist the immediate needs within our community to keep Peoplestown residents housed and safe.

Our CDF Freedom Schools® program is designed to motivate young scholars to read, build positive attitudes towards learning, and equip them with the educational resources needed to succeed. After a year off due to COVID-19, our six-week summer reading program is back, ready to provide an enriching space for kindergarten through fifth-grade students to learn, be empowered, and have fun along the way.

We are currently accepting applications for the June 7–July 16 program. There are 50 spaces available, and to ensure the safety of our students, we are following CDC protocols. Students will have the opportunity to participate in yoga and meditation activities, social and emotional learning classes, drama classes, and water activities while improving their literacy.

Our goal is to help keep children from falling behind during the summer, known as the “summer slide,” which accounts for more than half of the achievement gap between lower and higher-income students. Qualified and dedicated counselors, nurses, and teachers from Barack and Michelle Obama’s school will be assisting us in fulfilling this program’s mission and preparing our students for a brighter future. We are also seeking afternoon teachers for activities such as art, robotics, drum circle, and STEM. Please contact Ann Fowler at annfowler@emmaushouse.org if you are interested in joining.

As our program continues to close the achievement gap and empower our students for success, we sincerely appreciate your support in making this program possible with your donations and volunteering.

Peoplestown was established as a streetcar suburb in 1885 and throughout its history, its residents have struggled to fight racism and the destructive effects of police brutality, expressways, urban renewal, baseball and Olympic Stadiums, and white flight. Peoplestown has approximately 2,700 residents. 40% live below the poverty level, 80% are Black, and 70% rent their homes. It’s a politically active neighborhood undergoing rapid gentrification

Beneath those statistics and obstacles are the stories of resilient human beings made in God’s image. For a Lenten reflection this year, we recontextualized elements of the traditional Stations service to present the stories and the history of the Peoplestown community. Stories that shed light on the injustices we are fighting to overcome while bringing hope to our community.

Our 3-mile walk began with a devotional on the front steps at Emmaus House (1017 Hank Aaron Drive). We gathered for this pilgrimage centering our baptismal promise to seek and serve Christ in every human being, while reflecting meditatively on the impact white supremacy and systemic racism has had on the lives of Black residents of Peoplestown.