Simple Needs GA

www.simpleneedsga.org

From Brenda Rhodes, founder

We had an increase in the number of volunteers; some were directly because of your publications, so thank you! We were able to help more children this past Christmas than in previous years. Overall, we provided gifts (plus board games, hats, gloves and scarves) for 307 kids in 108 families. Each mom and/ or dad also received a Walmart gift card.

And some of the volunteers who helped at Christmastime have returned to help us! We’re hoping a few will become regulars, including one who read about us in Around Kennesaw.

Now, our greatest need is for gently used mattresses/ box springs/beds as well as other essential furniture and kitchen/bed/bath items. We also need items that we give to our birthday children. We update this list about once a week with our most-needed items: https://simpleneedsgablog.com/drives.

Volunteers who would like to become regulars by volunteering on Saturdays once or twice a month are needed. And we need volunteers with pickup trucks and/or those who are willing to pick up furniture donations and deliver to our clients.

MUST Ministries

www.mustministries.org

From Katy Ruth Camp, director of marketing and public relations

Generally, we see about a 20% to 25% increase in the number of volunteers who serve during the holiday season. Not only do people want to give back more during the holidays, but events and programs like the Gobble Jog, our toy shops and holiday meals at the MUST Hope House inspire more people to give back.

Community support makes everything we do possible. Our MUST team could not begin to serve the 62,000 we now are serving annually without volunteers.

We always are working hard to serve more of our neighbors in need. Donations help provide food, housing, jobs, health care and clothing, plus a host of other resources like toiletries, diapers, cold-weather shelter and summer lunches for hungry children.

In 2023, our needs include:

• More food for the MUST Mobile Pantry.

• More volunteers to help serve more clients at every location.

• Volunteers to work in our new MUST Marketplace thrift store, opening in east Cobb this month.

• Support for the future health care clinic being established in MUST’s new facility on Highway 41.

Jerry Worthan Memorial Christmas Fund

www.facebook.com/KennPD

From Officer David Buchanan, Office of Community Engagement

Kennesaw Police Department had a fantastic turnout at events this past holiday season, along with numerous residents and businesses eager to offer their stores, time and/or money. We held a Dinner with Santa event at Copeland’s, had nine businesses in the community place toy donation bins in their store fronts, received a large monetary donation from the Kennesaw Business Association and received a large toy donation from the Ladies of Legacy Park. The support received was incredible and makes the Jerry Worthan Memorial Christmas Fund simple and fulfilling, while ensuring every child in Kennesaw can experience the joys of Christmas.

The Christmas fund received hundreds of new toys, and more than $10,000 was raised for upcoming years. The program provided Christmas gifts, including toys, clothing and shoes, for 33 children in the Kennesaw community.

We will start accepting applications and toy donations in November for Christmas 2023. We accept monetary donations for the program all year.

North Georgia Angel House https://angelhousega.com

From Susan Worsley, executive director and CEO

The influx of volunteers during the holiday season was heartwarming. We had sponsors for each of our girls. All of their needs were met with each item they asked for and a whole lot more.

Our friends and neighbors donated gift cards to have a supply ready when we accept new girls in our home, to purchase clothing and incidentals. One of our neighbors donated a gift card to each of the employees as a thank you for their hard work. It was unexpected and greatly appreciated.

We had sponsors for the children of our girls who come home every year for the Home for the Holidays meal. This year, volunteers donated, catered and served dinner to almost 100 former children, spouses and partners so we could spend time visiting with our former youth.

Volunteers helped decorate the home, inventory gifts and meet the needs of our kids during the most challenging time of the year. In a world where the news is filled with crimes and sad stories, we are reminded our community is filled with many kind, giving and supportive individuals who work tirelessly to help us meet the needs of our girls. Our investment in others is more than a job; it’s a ministry. We thank God every day for the good in our community.

Our needs going into 2023 include landscaping, siding, remodeling a building for our newly established school, drying in a space for a “she shed,” adding 10 more singleoccupancy apartments to our campus and building a reception center at the entrance of our campus. Please let me know if you have time, talent or resources to lend a hand. We love our volunteers.