Making A Difference: NETWorks Cooperative Ministry

By Victoria R. Crosby

In this season of giving gifts and eating large meals, it is important to understand how many people, especially children, are in poverty suffering from hunger, which is now known as food insecurity.

I recently attended a lecture by people who are helping the situation. The talk was titled Food Insecurity and Homelessness, featuring Executive Director David Fisher of NETWorks Cooperative Ministry.

Before introducing David, Mayor Frank Auman of Tucker introduced Don Andersen who spoke about the cold weather shelter that opened at the Tucker First United Methodist Church five years ago. The gym was converted into a shelter run by volunteers to provide a safe, secure place for men and women from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., when the temperatures are 30 degrees or below. The shelter averages thirteen men and five women, who, after being checked by an off-duty police officer, are provided with a hot meal and given a cot with a blanket while being kept socially distanced. Showers are available for the guests, and volunteers take shifts overnight, while a volunteer fireman keeps watch. The volunteers provide the guests with information about NETWorks, housing, and other helpful resources.

Gaye Auman, the mayor’s wife, also spoke of the importance of supporting NETWorks. She is a retired schoolteacher who has worked with children from kindergarten through 3rd grade, and in every class she said there were children who were living in poverty.

David Fisher has been the executive director of NETWorks since 2016, following his long career in the food service design and renovation business. Originally from California, David graduated with a degree in economics from the University of Notre Dame and has lived in Atlanta with his wife, Joy, since 1989. They have two children. Joy is an ordained

Run the Reagan in 2023! Continued from page 10

thanks to the Snellville and surrounding areas.

“It’s incredible that the City of Snellville and Gwinnett County BOC shut down Ronald Reagan Parkway for us every year,” said Steve, who serves alongside president Amanda Soesbe and fellow board members Ron Weber, Parks Mann, Laura Drake, Melvin Everson, John Allred, Molly Weathers, Michelle Hamilton, Ryan Bowcut, and Brett Savage. “For twenty-five years, they have allowed us to do this and we’re so grateful to them.”

While the race and surrounding events are always fun, there is a deeper motivation for this event. Each year, Run the Reagan supports various charities throughout Gwinnett, creating an easy and reliable way for everyone to give back to their community. This year, the Brookwood Schools Foundation, Southeast Gwinnett Co-op, and Lilburn Co-op will each benefit from the proceeds of the race, allowing them to serve their neighborhood with essential resources like meals, toiletries, and learning opportunities for local students. But don’t be fooled – this is not just a race for the Brookwood Cluster. Thanks to the opportunity to sign up as a school team, every Gwinnett school has the chance to raise some funds through their participation in the race. In the past, teams from Parkview High School, Central Gwinnett High School, Shiloh High School, South Gwinnett High School, and Grayson High School have each participated in the race. These schools also sent volunteers to help run the event. More

Presbyterian minister and works for the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta.

NETWorks includes twenty-one church partners who donate food, financial assistance, and parishioners who volunteer.

“When the pandemic hit in March 2020,” David said, “the demand for food and other assistance went through the roof. Many food pantries closed, but our attendance increased.”

The way people get into the system varies, he explained. Sometimes a person will the lose a job, then can’t pay the rent or mortgage, or they have to choose between paying bills and buying enough food to sustain them.

“Poverty is traumatic,” David explained. “It affects your ability to think and function. The Pandemic caused more people to become food insecure, not knowing where their next meal is coming from.”

Many children are born into poverty. If the mother didn’t have enough nutrition during pregnancy, the child can be born with health problems; then not having adequate nourishment during the childhood growth years can also have a negative impact on that child’s future health.

“Affordable housing is relevant to each individual,” David told the group. “Many women are working two jobs just in order to pay rent.”

In 2021 NETWorks provided about 250,000 pounds of food and more than $165,000 in rent and other assistance, with just one full time and two part time staff members, and three hundred volunteers.

NETWorks is moving to a new location at 4296 Cowan Road, which will include a grocery storestyle food pantry. People will be able to shop as in a supermarket, and volunteers will bag the food. The new location will be a larger venue with more food and larger refrigerators. Local supermarkets including Aldi, Sprouts, and Kroger all donate food.

A faith-based organization, NETWorks’ mission is “to respond with the hospitality of Christ to the food and financial needs of residents and to partner with them to find long term solutions to poverty.”

More information at networkscoop.org/thebigleap or call 678-5205325 participation leads to more connections and benefits to every school that wants to be involved, creating an atmosphere that reflects the unity that brings this event together. The race typically brings in between $50,000 and $60,000 each year, which allows every beneficiary the chance to put those funds right back into the community they love.

If you’re ready to sign up, it’s easy. Just head to runthereagan.net to sign up for a race, sponsor a booth, or to bring a local group as a cheering section.

“It’s been a pleasure to be part of this for so many years. We’re in a unique community and sometimes we take it for granted,” said Steve. “It’s really neat to see it all come together and how folks do a lot to support the community together.”

“Our race is truly driven by all the hard work of our board members,” added board president Amanda Soesbe. “They really are the greatest folks who work so hard to pull all of this together.”

The entire team behind Run the Reagan is exceptionally grateful for their sponsors: Title Sponsor Piedmont Healthcare, Kroger, Coca-Cola, Piedmont Urgent Care, Piedmont Orthopedics OrthoAtlanta, the City of Snellville, GA, Gwinnett County, E.R. Snell Contractor, Inc., Georgia Power, Academy Sports + Outdoors Snellville, Our Town Gwinnett Magazine, Britt’s, The Sheridan at Eastside, D.S. Murphy, Mazzawi Family Dentistry, The Vireo Group, Primrose School of Five Forks, Cannon United Methodist Church, ReaderLink, and McDonald’s.

More information at runthereagan.net