Up Close with Rainbow Village By Our Town Gwinnett Staff
On Saturday, October 7th, in a space the Atlanta Athletic Club often devotes to wedding receptions and company banquets, Rainbow Village hosted its annual We Are Family Benefit Gala. The event included a seated dinner, silent and live auction, a Golden Ticket raffle, the Joel P. Hudson Humanitarian Award presentation, and a heartwarming testimonial from Rainbow Village graduates Adrian and Mary. By the end of the evening, the nonprofit, with a mission to bring Help, Hope, Housing, and Healing to families experiencing homelessness, had raised a record-breaking $505,000 in support of its unique blend of transitional housing and life-transforming programming for families in need. “What we do requires a lot of dedication and collaboration,” said Rainbow Village CEO Melanie Conner. “We are based in the heart of Duluth on a campus that houses thirty families at a time for up to two years. A network of staff members, board members, community partners, corporate partners, faith partners, volunteers, donors, and faithful prayer warriors make up the ‘village’ that surrounds our Village – and many of them were present the night of the Gala. It’s so incredible to me,” she continued, “that they are not only there to share in the tragedies that lead families in need to our door, but they are also there to share in triumphs like this. In addition to funding the maintenance of our facilities and continued provision of life-altering programs to support both kids and parents in their journey to self-sufficiency, these funds will go a long way in subsidizing our growth and outreach efforts so we can aid even more families than ever before.” There was no dry eye in the room when Adrian and Mary shared
Pet Perch: What’s the Rush? By Terie Hansen
As the saying goes, “You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression.” The same applies when introducing a new dog/puppy to your current dog(s). My best advice? Go slowly through the process. And it IS a process. Let’s face it, it could go either way if you just put them together to see what happens, which is what most people do. It could turn out just fine in the short term, but it could be building towards a fight in the long run. Taking it slowly means allowing the dogs to exist around each other for the first few days to a week or more – NOT interacting and certainly not playing. Have a separate crate/area where the new dog is confined for sleeping, meals, and downtime (preferably for several weeks) and when you need a break from supervising/working your dogs. Walk the dogs together (preferably you and another person, each with a dog). Be sure to have the dogs hold a command, such as place or down around one another. Also, have them on leashes, November 2023 Our Town Gwinnett
what it meant to them to transition from homelessness to homeownership. While these two friends have always dreamed of being homeowners, they had no idea how or when that would happen. They shared that the dream may never have become reality without Rainbow Village. Presented by Northside Hospital, the Rainbow Village We Are Family Benefit Gala was backed by a wide range of family, foundation, religious, and corporate sponsors. Included among them were the Lorentzen Family, the DeLoach Family in honor of Pleasant Hill Presbyterian Church, Metro Waterproofing, Wilson Lewis CPAs, 12Stone Church, Morgan Stanley – The Terminus Group, Abernathy Development Company, Porter Steel, Georgia Power, Subaru of Gwinnett, Renasant Bank, Axis Companies, Nordson, Boots Up Endeavors, Leslie Harrison, and the Kress, Fletcher, and Bass Families, among others. Not limited to the people inside the ballroom, the nonprofit created avenues for anyone to participate in the evening’s fundraising efforts through the silent auction and purchase of Golden Tickets – both available through the Rainbow Village website. Ali Floyd was declared the winner of the Golden Ticket – granting her the choice of one of three exotic beach locations for four nights and four guests. Another major highlight of the evening was the presentation of the 2023 Joel P. Hudson Humanitarian Award – named after the late Reverend Hudson, founding rector of Christ Episcopal Church, which served as the birthplace of Rainbow Village. Rainbow Village was honored to present this year’s award to Subaru of Gwinnett for the way they Share the Love with the community. Subaru of Gwinnett has selected Rainbow Village as its Hometown Charity for its annual Share the Love Campaign since 2015. In addition to financial support, they have also shared time and Continued on page 22
tied back so they can’t make contact. Work each dog through obedience commands while the other looks on. After a few days to a week, allow them to sniff each other briefly (keep initial interactions brief, 3-second sniffs), then separate them for a bit before allowing them another short introduction. This fragmented initial contact can help to prevent the escalation of tension and aggression. Keep leashes loose and relaxed. Stay quiet during interactions and pay attention to each dog’s body language. If either looks nervous, freezes, or offers hard stares, move the dogs away from each other. Pulling their leashes to the side, NOT back. Remove toys/bones, food bowls, or anything that your current dog could value to avoid territorial behaviors. Taking it slowly helps the dogs relax and feel safe and comfortable knowing that YOU the leader are in control. Remember, the new dog is coming into a situation where it knows nothing about you, the other dog, or what the rules of this new household are. Your current dog most likely views this new dog as an invader of his territory. This can be stressful for both dogs. Everybody wants to let the dogs sniff each other immediately and become best friends. But what’s the rush? This is a long-term commitment. You’ve got all the time in the world. Going slowly is the best-case scenario for helping your dogs to eventually become friends. Terie Hansen is the Owner of Good Dog! Coaching & Pet Care. More information at www.gooddogcoaching.com. PAGE 21
