Author Archives: United Way Atlanta

By United Way of Greater Atlanta United Way of Greater Atlanta announced that the CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, Dr. Raphael Bostic, has been appointed as the 2021-22 Board Chair. Dr. Bostic has been on United Way of Greater Atlanta Board for two years and he will now be joined by four […]

By United Way of Greater Atlanta On Friday, August 13, the culmination of a monumental community effort came to life with the dedication of Gwinnett County’s first and only homeless shelter, The Resting Spot. After many years of planning, United Way of Greater Atlanta’s HomeFirst Gwinnett initiative gathered community leaders and government officials for an […]

Regional Commission on Homelessness and United Way are working to end homelessness and change lives in Greater Atlanta Nyyokokie worked hard to develop her own construction business, provide for her family and take care of her aging parents.  But a series of events led to Nyyokokie losing her home and being forced to live from […]

By Ebony Johnson, Director of Place-based Initiatives at United Way of Greater Atlanta When United Way of Greater Atlanta was asked to lead a COVID-19 testing (and now vaccine) strategy as part of a national effort, there was little known of how the community would respond. We certainly knew to do this work, we would […]

By United Way of Greater Atlanta Jennifer Swain and the staff at youthSpark saw what could only be described as a “gap in the juvenile court system.” It needed to be addressed. “We have historically worked in the area of child sex trafficking since our beginning in 2000,” Swain, who is Executive Director of youthSpark, […]

United Way’s Regional Commission on Homelessness helps people escape homelessness through outreach, housing, aftercare By Bradley Roberts, Content Manager, United Way of Greater Atlanta Markesha moved to Atlanta, escaping a Florida neighborhood that had become violent and unsafe for her two children. But finding an apartment became a challenge—and it wasn’t because of a previous […]

40-plus projects, more than 1,000 volunteers work to bring exponential impact to community By Bradley Roberts, Content Manager at United Way of Greater Atlanta Mona Sabeti wanted to volunteer in Atlanta during Pride Month.  Sabeti’s new to Atlanta—she’s pre-COVID-19 pandemic “new,” but still, not too long before that. So, it hasn’t been the easiest time […]

United Way, OUT Georgia Business Alliance work to make ‘measurable, lasting impact’ for LGBTQ+ communities across Greater Atlanta By Bradley Roberts, United Way of Greater Atlanta Youth identifying as LGBTQ+ are at a much greater risk of becoming homeless.  Aaron Rice read this in a report from Covenant House released by Chapin Hall of the […]

By Bradley Roberts, Content Manager, United Way of Greater Atlanta Jerry Jenkins shifts her weight in a folding metal chair and starts to get comfortable as she waits to hear her name called. She peers out over the top of a blue facemask and holds the content of a manila file folder securely in her […]

By Bradley Roberts, Content Manager, United Way of Greater Atlanta Note: Photos used in this story were taken prior to the COVID-19 pandemic Marie Wood grew up volunteering with her family at local community food banks, for activities with her church youth group and for other nonprofits spread across the Greater Atlanta area. Volunteering was […]

By Bradley Roberts, Content Manager at United Way of Greater Atlanta Rev. Bronson Woods was planning to send 35 people to Ethiopia on behalf of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta on March 1, 2020. That date sticks out to him for obvious reasons. During that trip, the team was honored at the Royal Palace by the first […]

By United Way of Greater Atlanta Join United Way of Greater Atlanta’s 21-Day Racial Equity Challenge for a powerful opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of how inequity and racism affect our lives, our Greater Atlanta community, and the barriers it places on improving child well-being. The 7-week self-guided learning experience, beginning March 15th, explores […]

By Bradley Roberts, United Way of Greater Atlanta Melissa says she didn’t know 2-1-1 even existed before taking a job as a Community Connection Specialist just over three years ago. “I went to Georgia State University, and I had heard of United Way [of Greater Atlanta] in the years prior, but I had no idea […]

VITA program offers tax assistance, help filing for available refunds By Bradley Roberts It’s no secret this past year has been full of challenges. But there’s money out there to help families meet those challenges.  The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is available to help low to moderate-income workers and families get a tax break. […]

By Bradley Roberts, Content Manager, United Way of Greater Atlanta Laura Salvatore Adams is passionate about public health work. But, more recently, she’s seen how the importance a community places on the health of its citizens can impact a family’s ability to grow its wealth. Adams is one of many United Way of Greater Atlanta’s Young […]

By United Way of Greater Atlanta In late September, United Way of Greater Atlanta’s Tocqueville Society met for the second edition of its “Coffee & Conversation” series. These interactive, panelist-led dialogues have acted as a meeting ground for Greater Atlanta leaders across aisles of work to discuss the issues most directly affecting our region. This month, […]

United Way administers housing assistance to City of Atlanta residents in event downtown By United Way of Greater Atlanta Jackson Hayes moved to Atlanta from Charlotte, North Carolina to “get out of his comfort zone,” and pursue his interests in entertainment. “I’m single and live by myself — of course I’ve got some friends and stuff, […]

By United Way of Greater Atlanta Editor’s Note: This story’s featured image is from Housing Justice League’s Facebook page.  Atlanta is a community full of champions—people who work each day to improve the quality of life for every single person in that community. Greater Atlanta needs even more champions, though, if we’re going to change our […]

By United Way of Greater Atlanta Have you ever stopped to watch a tree swaying with a breeze? Imagine sitting in your favorite park or looking out your window at a tree whose limbs spread wide reaching out 20 or 30 feet, with branches reaching two, maybe three stories toward the sky. With leaves that […]

By United Way of Greater Atlanta Jacob Ethel remembers the initial feeling of anger that swept over him when he first watched the video of George Floyd. He says he saw the “callousness” of the police officer who knelt on Floyd’s neck and the surrounding officers who stood by and did nothing. “It was eye-opening […]