At Emmaus House, we’re committed to promoting and improving well-being in our community. But economic and social well-being—like so many things—begin with one’s health.

Food scarcity and diabetes are intimately connected. Due to increased food costs, households with low income are often forced to make unhealthy choices in order to feed themselves and their families. Studies show that individuals with low income are up to 100% more likely to suffer from diabetes than those with moderate or high income.

However, eating foods filled with nutrients has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, obesity, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. That’s why Emmaus House is partnering with the Diabetes Association of Atlanta to provide 100 bags of fresh produce to individuals and families in our community. This produce is all sourced locally from Eat Right Atlanta, a local fruit and vegetable co-op, and is funded by Fulton County.

“We are honored to support Emmaus House and their awesome work,” says a representative from the Diabetes Association. “We hope to continue to work together to combat food insecurity and risk of developing diabetes in our community.”

The Diabetes Association of Atlanta is committed to alleviating the medical, financial, and psychological impact that diabetes has on individuals and their families. We’re proud to partner with them to promote health and well-being in Peoplestown and surrounding neighborhoods. Click below to learn more about the Diabetes Association of Atlanta.

There is much to celebrate at Thanksgiving: friends, family, the many things we each have to be thankful for… and, of course, delicious food.

So much goes into this single meal, and at Emmaus House, we want to make sure our neighbors are able to share this special tradition at home with the people closest to them.

With your help, our goal is to provide dinner for 200 of our neighbors this Thanksgiving. We’re partnering with the Atlanta Community Food Bank and Hands-on Atlanta to ensure that we have plenty of volunteers to help distribute meals, but we’re still collecting bags filled with ingredients that families can use to make their favorite Thanksgiving sides.

For more information about the ingredients and where to drop off the bags, please click below to visit our website. There is also an option to donate money for turkeys.

Join us as we observe one of Thanksgiving's most important traditions: that is, people helping one another.

Youth on the Move (YOTM) is a comprehensive out-of-school program that empowers middle and high school students by providing enrichment, education, and peer support.

This program is managed by Rakia Reeves. “I take great pleasure in being able to give back to the neighborhood where I grew up,” she says. “Serving and working with young people brings me joy and keeps me young in mind and spirit.”

We’re also excited to welcome Tiquisha Scott back as Program Coordinator for YOTM. As a former participant in the program, Ms. Scott has first-hand knowledge of how important holistic support is in helping students develop their voice and realize their potential. We’re delighted to have her back.

And lastly, a bit of unfortunate news: one of the three vans we use to transport students to and from YOTM was stolen recently. Because many of our students lack access to reliable transportation, having a means of getting them there is vital to the program’s success and, ultimately, to theirs.

If you are able to contribute funds to help us replace the van, please visit the link below.

We’re thrilled to welcome you all back to our campus for the Emmaus House 2022 Benefit.

The theme for this year’s event is Welcome Home. It will feature barbecue from Rodney Scott, homemade cupcakes, as well as a selection of beer and wine. The event will take place at our new education building, with plenty of space indoors and outdoors to mingle.

The pandemic put many things on hold the past several years, but the services we provide are more important now than ever. We’re excited to celebrate our successes these past several years, and to present Ann Fowler with the Ethel Mae Mathews Courage and Character Award for her 12 years of service.

Please join us as we celebrate the past and look forward to the future. Your support means the world to us. Welcome home.

For many years, Camp Mikell has reserved the final week of its season for Emmaus House Freedom School scholars fresh off of our six-week summer literacy program. What better way to unwind and prepare for the upcoming school year than to spend a week in the beautiful northeast Georgia mountains?

Camp Mikell is the camp and conference center of the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta. Its 460-acre campus includes forests, waterfalls, a swimming pool, and plenty of natural bodies of water.

For many of our students, it’s a rare opportunity to get away from the stimulation of city life and enjoy some relaxing fun in a stunning natural landscape.“I love Camp Mikell,” says 14-year-old Kalel Jenkins. “I can come here to get peace of mind out of the city.” Kalel said it was his first time hiking in the woods.

For Shawndell Clifton (7 yo), her favorite part was being able to eat lots of food in the canteen and play with friends every day.

Niaomi Smith (9 yo) enjoyed performing in the talent show.

India Rose Jemison (14 yo) taught herself how to swim.

Whether it’s hanging out with friends and camp counselors, making bracelets in art class, or playing four square, Camp Mikell is an opportunity for our young scholars to celebrate what they’ve accomplished this summer, and to take in new experiences. We’re grateful to the Diocese and to Camp Mikell for making this week possible.

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We’re nearing the end of our annual CDF Freedom School® program at Emmaus House, and it’s been fantastic. The children are happy and inspired, and we’re all excited to see them build upon the foundation of literacy they’re gaining during this six-week program.

Emmaus House partners with the Children’s Defense Fund to present the only CDF Freedom School® site in the state.

This summer learning program grew out of the Freedom School movement during the 60s, when college students from around the country traveled to Mississippi to help secure voting rights. They provided Black students with education in core subjects like reading, writing, math, and science, but also subjects like Black history and constitutional rights. 

Even then, advocacy groups recognized that empowering marginalized people was about more than educating them. It was about inspiring them with information that was relevant to both their experiences and their struggles.

Today, CDF Freedom Schools® empower communities using a holistic approach. They prioritize culturally relevant instruction and intergenerational support, while helping to connect families with resources inside their community. 

It’s not just about teaching young scholars to read; it’s about teaching them to love reading. For this to happen, instruction must occur alongside the proper support and resources.

A Holistic Approach to Systemic Problems

The Children’s Defense Fund combines direct service, community organizing, and advocacy to promote racial justice and child well-being across the country.

Rev. Dr. Starsky Wilson, President and CEO of the Children's Defense Fund, explains the genius of CDF's founder, Marian Wright Edelman: “She didn’t choose one lane. She understood that strong public policy work was grounded in direct service and community—that’s what our Freedom Schools are.”

Dr. Wilson recently joined us at Emmaus House as part of The Village Speaks: CDF Listens tour to read to our young scholars.

The Emmaus House Freedom School is about more than literacy; it’s about showing up for children. With the Children’s Defense Fund, Emmaus House is committed to doing just that.

Ann Fowler, the Director of Education Services here at Emmaus House, will be retiring at the end of this month.

As we celebrate her 12 years of service, we took the occasion to sit down with her one last time to discuss the relationship between education and poverty, the role of faith-based missions, and a few of the things she has learned throughout her tenure at Emmaus House.

Ann will be sorely missed, but her legacy of service will live on in all of our future work.

What are some of the programs you’ve helped develop at Emmaus House?

In the early 2000s, I helped develop the children’s Saturday Community Arts program with Bishop Frank Allan. With a team of volunteers, we offered classes in woodturning, woodworking, weaving, pottery, knitting, painting, and more. During the week, I taught art to the Senior Strollers and to people in recovery from substance abuse. I also established the After School All Star program, first for sixth grade boys, and then for elementary school students. Volunteers taught, tutored, and mentored the children in these programs with me.

In 2015, I created Homework Relief Bootcamp for parents and families of young children in Peoplestown. Volunteers and Road Fellows tutored students while adults worked on reading skills with an instructor from Literacy Action. Churches provided dinners for the families. Eventually, participants renamed the program Parent Power.

In 2018, Tavon Betts and I co-facilitated Fostering Family Leaders, a United Way program for parents and family members. It promoted family leadership as an essential element in engaging parents and guardians to take active roles in building strong healthy families.

I’ve been the project director of the Children’s Defense Fund’s Freedom Schools® program since its inception at Emmaus House in 2015.

During the pandemic of 2020, I created Vision 2020, a six-week online literacy program that served 40 elementary school students during the summer. Volunteers delivered meals and books to the scholars’ families during that time, and I continued to deliver meals, books, school projects, and supplies to them during the 2020-2021 Supports for Students program.

In 2021-2022, Support for Students transitioned into an in-person tutoring program. Volunteers from Church of the Epiphany, All Saints’, St. Michael’s and All Angels, and the Emmaus House Chapel served as weekly tutors for K-2nd grade scholars at Barack and Michelle Obama Academy.

During the past year, I taught Art in the Park for the 555 seniors’ group at Four Corners Park.

How do you think educational programming can help address poverty?

Good educational programming cultivates an appreciation of knowledge and learning. Educational programs—especially those that foster an interest in reading and creative problem-solving—help equip scholars for higher academic institutions and the workforce. They also provide training and experiences for young entrepreneurs, inspiring them to establish their own businesses.

Could you describe some of the mission trips you’ve been on outside of your role at EH?

My mission trips to Belize and the Mississippi Gulf Coast focused on emergency relief after hurricanes ravaged those areas. They involved cleaning up destroyed properties and helping to rebuild schools and homes.

The trips to Haiti were more about forming collaborative long-term relationships with people living there. My home church, Church of the Epiphany, partnered with the Bishop Tharp Institute of Business and Technology in Les Cayes. We taught classes and, following the wishes of locals, helped finance the construction of a guest house on the campus.

I’ve traveled to Iona, Jerusalem, and Ghana, but these were spiritual pilgrimages rather than mission trips.

How would you describe the connection between faith-based missions and community initiatives?

I try to follow the Baptismal Covenant from the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer, seeking and serving Christ in all persons, striving for justice and peace among all people, and respecting the dignity of every human being.

For me, the connection between faith-based missions and community initiatives is asking, “How can I make the world a better place? How can I help my neighbor… in my city, and in the world?”

I may not be able to do much, but I can do something.

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What is the single most important thing you’ve learned during your time at EH?

I think Maya Angelou’s quote rings true, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

I’ve attempted to offer high-quality educational programming to the Emmaus House community, but it was just as important for me to care for—and give attention to—individuals seeking help or needing someone to listen to them. I’ve tried to treat people with compassion and love, and to provide a safe space for them to express their feelings.

Is there anything you’d like to say to the EH community?

I’ve had terrific jobs throughout my career, but it has been a true blessing to serve at Emmaus House. I’ve been grateful to hold a position here that is fulfilling and meaningful. Not everyone is so fortunate to experience that in their lives.

Being at Emmaus House has been more than a job to me, it’s been a ministry. I will miss the kind, welcoming Peoplestown community, and the brilliant, energetic Freedom School staff. But most of all, I will miss the bright, enthusiastic, sweet Emmaus House children. They are my heart.

Besides hiking the Georgia section of the Appalachian Trail in August, do you have any other fun/relaxing plans?

Actually, I’ve already hiked a small part of the Appalachian Trail and plan to go beyond Georgia into other southeastern states this summer and fall.

I plan to travel more with my husband, Joel, to Canada, Mexico, Europe—anywhere would be fun.

I’ll devote more time to painting and other creative projects. I already have a free-lance job to complete in August.

I’ll volunteer. After taking a break, working part-time in a church or for a non-profit is a possibility. I love community organizing and working with children and adults!

June 13 kicked off our annual Children's Defense Fund (CDF) Freedom Schools® program. For six weeks each summer, Emmaus House hosts this summer enrichment program to help children lacking educational resources improve literacy and close the achievement gap. Summers are critical, as children routinely lose up to two months’ worth of learning during this time. This “summer slide” accounts for more than half of the achievement gap between lower- and higher-income students.

During our last two programs, 100% of the scholars we assessed either maintained or improved their reading level. Some gained more than a year in functional reading ability.

Even as we celebrate the commencement of another inspiring program, we’re planning for next year’s program, and a large part of that is finances. We estimate the cost of our Freedom School program to be roughly $50 per day for each student. That’s 85 students over a 6-week period. This includes instruction, meals, counseling, and enrichment activities. The cost is high, but the result is transformative.

This year’s fundraising campaign runs through June 30. Our goal is to raise $22,000 to help cover the costs of this and next year's program. We’re excited to announce that, if we meet this goal, one of our supporters has agreed to match all donations dollar-for-dollar. The only way we can do it is with your help.

Please visit our donation page to learn more about the program and its impact. We’re not just teaching children to read, we’re lifting up entire communities one child at a time. Your gift is a message of hope and encouragement to those who need it most. We are so grateful for your support. 

June 19 is Juneteenth, a time when we celebrate the end of slavery in the United States. It dates back to 1865, but wasn’t recognized as a national holiday until last year when it was signed into law. As many know, Juneteenth is not the day that slaves were officially emancipated—that happened in 1863 when Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. Juneteenth marks the day when news of their freedom finally reached the slaves living in Galveston, Texas, one of the last strongholds of the Confederacy. For more than two years, these free men, women, and children continued to live in chains. 

In addition to being a day that we celebrate, Juneteenth reminds us that the fact of freedom and its experience are not the same. It is not enough to pronounce freedom and equality, we must both live and defend it.

We hope that everyone has something fun planned for Juneteenth this year. But in addition to the parades, concerts, and cookouts, we encourage you to take some time to celebrate and support black-owned businesses. Empowering black individuals in our community is the best way to celebrate their achievement as well as defend their continued prosperity.

At Emmaus House, “we 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,” on June 19 and every other day. Let’s take this time to celebrate progress, but never forget that the battle continues.

Happy Juneteenth from all of us at Emmaus House.