By Maria Azuri, Director of Capacity Building & Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Network for Good Laura Heiman, Director of Capacity Building & Operations at United Way of Greater Atlanta It’s no secret that Atlanta is grappling with serious challenges around inequitable outcomes. It’s the driving force behind United Way of Greater Atlanta’s focus on […]
Category: Thought Leadership
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MARTA Hosts Indian Creek Station Renovation Groundbreaking Ceremony
Project Kicks Off Systemwide Rail Station Rehabilitation Program MARTA hosted a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the start of renovations at Indian Creek rail station and kick off the systemwide Rail Station Rehabilitation Program. The ceremony was led by MARTA General Manager and CEO Jeffrey Parker and MARTA Board of Directors Chair and DeKalb County representative […]
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From the Hardwood to the Housing Market, Atlanta Businesses are Leading the Fight Against the Racial Wealth Gap
By Ashley Bell Amid the widespread racial justice movement that emerged last year following the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and others, many large corporations were lauded for their work combatting the racial inequities that have plagued our nation since its inception. While these companies have certainly helped advance the cause, their efforts have […]
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How Traffic Patterns in ATL Have Changed During the Pandemic
By Paul Donsky The pandemic has changed so many of our routines: how we commute, how we shop, and how we spend our free time. A key question for regional planners and elected officials: How will this affect traffic on our roads and highways in the years and decades to come? It’s a complex, highly […]
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Conversation Peace: Meet Midtown’s Newest Sculpture
By Kevin Box, Artist at Box Studio LLC Note: Kevin Box’s Conversation Peace was installed at 10th and Peachtree Streets on November 11, 2021. It is the latest in Midtown Alliance’s series of temporary public art installations to occupy this corner. Midtown is home to more than 40 public art installations in a 1.2 square […]
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Giving Back this Holiday Season
“This year I’m thankful for my kids because they are healthy and also because we as a family have a roof over our heads. This year has been very difficult because of COVID but we have overcome a lot as a family,” shared Aileenayala, a Families First CHISPA client at a recent Thanksgiving event. The […]
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Innovative Health Care Delivery in Senegal
By Charles Redding, MedShare CEO & President While the health care system in Senegal is improving, there is still a tremendous need to address health disparities within the population. As a result, only 32 percent of rural households have access to regular health care. Senegal has only around 3.1 nurses and midwives per 10,000 people, which makes […]
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MARTA Makes Temporary Service Modifications to Address Bus Operator Shortage
All Bus Routes Remain Operational; Majority of Routes to Run on Saturday Schedule MARTA will make temporary service modifications to its bus service beginning Saturday, Dec. 18, to address a shortage of bus operators. All 113 current bus routes will remain operational, with the majority, 96 routes, operating on a Saturday schedule. Eleven high ridership […]
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As Affordability Concerns Grow, New Housing Data Sheds Light on Local Market
By Paul Donsky ARC’s interactive housing data tool has received a makeover fit for an HGTV reality show. No walls were broken down or bathroom tile obliterated in the renovation, of course. This upgrade is all about the data. The Metro Atlanta Housing Strategy site’s goal remains the same: helping local officials better understand their local housing […]
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Georgia Should Lead with Equity in Distributing Emergency Rental Assistance
Housing advocates and community leaders championed federal safety nets for renters and landlords alike as Covid-19 wreaked havoc on incomes and job stability. Concern over housing instability remains consistent despite an unprecedented amount of federal funding deployed to states and local governments. The problem is particularly acute for Black and brown communities, which are often […]
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Native Plants are Good for Birds and People, too
By Jared Teutsch, Executive Director Birdwatching exploded in popularity during the pandemic as people began noticing the birds around their homes and in nearby parks and greenspaces. Suddenly, birdwatching is cool! Along with the uptick in birdwatching came an interest in creating bird-friendly landscapes at home and in our local parks and greenspaces. The most […]
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ATL: Advance The Lives creates opportunities for Atlanta youth
Guest post by Taylor Stanley, program director, ATL: Advance The Lives ATL: Advance The Lives was started in 2020 by Atlanta Quarterback Matt Ryan and his wife Sarah in the wake of the death of George Floyd. The Ryans have dedicated the work of ATL: Advance The Lives to combat the systemic barriers that Black […]
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Buckhead Making Progress on Public Safety
By Jim Durrett, President & CEO of the Buckhead Coalition and Executive Director of the Buckhead CID Last week, Zone 2’s Citizens Advisory Council, consisting of security representatives from Buckhead’s neighborhood civic associations, held its quarterly meeting with Atlanta Police Department’s Major Senzer. At these meetings, Major Senzer presents the public safety picture from APD’s […]
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‘Tis the Season for Wellness
As we head into the holiday season, our personal wellness is often overshadowed by baking sweet treats, decorating the house, attending holiday parties and selecting the perfect gifts. However, there are ways to help make this holiday season a season of wellness. Here are some examples that have helped millions of people achieve greater wellness: Emotional […]
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Addressing Childhood Lead Exposure on a State and Federal Level
Lead poisoning isn’t just a problem in Flint, Michigan, and toxic lead levels aren’t just found in drinking water. Over the last year, GEEARS: Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students has been working with community leaders on the Westside of Atlanta, where lead slag found in a grandmother’s garden soil has prompted the Environmental […]
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Invest in quality summer learning across our region
By Ellyn Cochran, Associate Vice President, Early Learning and Development, United Way of Greater Atlanta and Katie Landes, Director, Georgia Statewide After School Network Did you know that one of the strongest predictors of success in school and in life is whether a child can read proficiently by the end of third grade? Yet, within […]
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2021 AARP Community Challenge Grant Awarded to Woodruff Park
Mobile Community Kiosk known as “the Game Cart” gets a facelift The Atlanta Downtown Improvement District (ADID) was selected to receive a 2021 AARP Community Challenge grant. We are one of only 244 grantees selected from across all 50 states, Washington D.C, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. For the fifth annual AARP Community Challenge, […]
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Celebrating Diversity and Inclusion through Schoolyard Improvements
By Ruth Pimentel, Park Pride’s Project Manager for Atlanta Community Schoolyards Second grade students at Sarah Smith Elementary School’s Primary Campus have been working hard over the past year. Partnering with professional landscape architects at Park Pride and The Trust for Public Land, these young creatives have collaborated on a design process to create a […]
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Eradication Is a Difficult, Lengthy, Complicated Affair
By Dr. Kashef Ijaz, Vice President, Health Programs, The Carter Center Only one human disease has ever been eradicated; that was smallpox, in 1980 — a tremendous victory for humanity. The term “eradication” is defined as permanent reduction to zero of the worldwide occurrence of infection caused by a specific pathogen, with no risk of […]
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MARTA Seeks Customer Input on Future Bus Network Redesign
Authority Wants to Know: “Do You Want Buses to Arrive More Frequently or Go More Places?” MARTA will hold four public meetings this month to solicit feedback on imagined scenarios that will ultimately inform a redesign of its bus network. MARTA riders and potential customers will be asked if they prefer to have buses arrive more […]
