Celebrations

ANNOUNCEMENTS ARE FREE! Email to: edit@aroundaboutmagazines.com May deadline is April 10.

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Ethan Catts

Age 9 on April 7 Happy ninth birthday! We love you to the moon and back! Mom and Dad

River and Willow Thornhill

Happy seventh and 11th birthdays! Always shine! We love you! Mommy and Daddy

Everleigh Carroll

Age 12 on April 7 Happy 12th birthday, Everleigh! We love you lots! Mom and Jay

Matthew Baker

Age 5 on April 11 Happy fifth birthday, Matthew! You are so loved! Daddy, Mommy, Faith and Hope

Gavin

Age 9 on April 19 Happy ninth birthday, Gavin! Shine bright! We love you so much, Mom and Dad

SWAT state trooper Royce Zah

Touch-A-Truck

Hands-On Family Fun

PHOTOS BY RED BARYL PORTRAITS

Families got up-close and personal with larger-than-life trucks, heavy construction and public safety equipment, cool cars and specialty vehicles at Touch-A-Truck at Adams Park on March 5. Kids had a blast climbing on and interacting with the transportation exhibit, meeting vehicle owners and enjoying a variety of other children’s activities.

Joyce Mutuma and family Kevin and Zoey Miller look over Cobb County Fire Department Truck 8.

Honoring Those Who’ve Made a Difference

In 1991, April was designated National Volunteer Month as part of President George H.W. Bush’s 1,000 Points of Light campaign. To recognize community members who donate their time to worthy causes, local nonprofits submitted spotlights on some of their valuable volunteers.

The Dave Krache Foundation

SUBMITTED BY ALLISON GIDDENS

Stephen Archer has been a dedicated board member and volunteer for The Dave Krache Foundation (DKF) since its inception in 2012. He most recently has served as the organization’s treasurer, and DKF is better for it. The foundation aims to help local kids in need play the sports they love. Stephen grew up playing sports and understands the value and meaning it brings to a kid’s life, especially when a child is growing up in a household that finds it difficult to make ends meet.

Stephen is an asset to DKF because he genuinely cares about reaching and supporting those most in need. While sports may not fall under typical primary needs like food, safety or shelter, they are a vital piece of childhood development. Because of volunteers like Stephen, DKF (davekrache.com) has been able to help nearly 1,000 local kids play the sports they love – even when their families cannot afford the fees.

Leslie Hudson has been with DKF as a volunteer and board member since 2015, currently serving as vice chairwoman.

Leslie has been a staunch supporter of DKF and its mission long before she joined the board. She believes in the benefits of keeping kids playing the sports they love, even when their families cannot afford all the fees it takes. She not only is constantly working to connect the organization to leagues that need DKF support, but she also works to introduce those who can help support DKF and be a part of the greater mission.

Leslie has connected many longtime donors to DKF and is a key member of the Financial Assistance Request Committee. She, along with her team, has worked to evolve the application process to ensure that the DKF is capturing valid data to support those most in need and is being a good steward of donated dollars.

Tena Williams and Cuddles

Wellstar Community Hospice, Agape Hospice

SUBMITTED BY KATHLEEN FLEISZAR

Born prematurely, weighing 1.5 pounds and having sight in only one eye, Tena Williams started life with seemingly insurmountable challenges. Her appreciation for the gift of life is reflected in the drive and dedication she puts into her volunteer work.

Tena’s career as a volunteer began in Florida, where she cuddled and gently rocked fragile babies in the neonatal intensive care unit. She continued as a volunteer for hospice – her passion – bringing love and joy to those who have but a short time to live. In Cobb County, she spent 25-plus years volunteering at Wellstar Community Hospice and, most recently, at Agape Hospice.

Tena and I became hospice buddies at Wellstar. She brings her vibrant personality to her patients and always is accompanied by a therapy dog (currently a 3-pound rescue named Cuddles).

When folks ask her if she finds hospice work depressing, Tena says she believes it is her God-given purpose, an honor and a privilege to be with someone on their final journey. And she fulfills that purpose by offering comfort and support to patients and their families. Tena and Cuddles spend three days a week visiting about six patients a day. Her patients love to hold Cuddles.

Tena has a heart as big as the sky and never hesitates to share with others the importance of volunteer work and pet rescue. She has taught everyone she touches how to unconditionally love those facing the end of their lives. For Tena, life has come full circle, from cuddling infants in the NICU to bringing delight and joy to hospice patients with a rescue named Cuddles.

Twins are unique in many ways. Some even are superheroes. But few are like Austin and Aaron Eakins. Both are leaders of Hammering Hands, a volunteer group at Piedmont Church focused on community outreach. As a benefactor of their passion and generosity, Special Needs Cobb (SNC), the largest special needs group-home provider in Cobb County, knows beyond doubt that they are a dynamic duo.

Respite is a huge gift that most special needs families never get. Nearly 1,500 families wait on a list, and only 10 can be served per weekend. In spring 2021, the Eakins twins led their group to renovate their weekend respite home, the sole facilities-based respite home for special needs in the area. As Hammering Hands team leaders, Austin and Aaron created a plan, purchased the raw materials and commandeered an enthusiastic group of 50 volunteers, including their parents, to help with the remodel. How inspiring to see these volunteers hard at work renovating every aspect of the house. Not only did Hammering Hands provide all the labor, Piedmont Church provided the funds. They orchestrated a full makeover, including landscaping, a new roof on the home’s shed, painting, new kitchen appliances and countertops and updated light fixtures and hardware that totally transformed the kitchen, dining, bathroom and living room areas.

This year, the twins are joining the church and SNC on a whole-house renovation project on one of the group homes. They are securing materials and making plans to replace the roof and have proposed renovations that totally will transform the property, saving thousands of dollars that can be spent on client needs.

What a gift! Forty percent of SNC (www.specialneedscobb.org) residents are orphans, and this ministry of the heart, led by two young men who have no special needs family members, will go a long way in keeping a roof over their heads for life. The impact goes beyond dollars. They are creating a real home for those who need it most.

Hicks Malonson

Rescuing Hope

SUBMITTED BY CRYSTAL BURDETTE

Hicks Malonson was one of the first people to volunteer with Rescuing Hope (www. rescuinghope.com) when we opened our doors in 2015, and his level of enthusiasm for and dedication to our mission remains as high today. As an ambassador for Rescuing Hope, Hicks has been instrumental in spreading our message to people in houses of worship, businesses and community groups in our area. He never waits for us to ask for his help. As a successful Realtor with Harry Norman and an active member of the Rotary Club of North Cobb, Hicks leveraged his connections to secure grant funding and fundraising event sponsorships that make it possible for us to continue our work. He never misses an opportunity to tell people about Rescuing Hope and encourages them to support us. We are honored to have Hicks on our team and only wish that we could clone him!