Albany Living Magazine Summer 2019 by With You In Mind Publications

summer 2019

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Helping You Breathe Easier Are you one of the 24 million Americans with allergy symptoms? If your answer is yes, the specialists at Allergy and Asthma Clinics of Georgia can help you identify what is causing your symptoms and recommend a treatment plan to significantly improve your quality of life.

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accidental artist the

Albany native Brandy Dew went from pediatric nurse practitioner to full-time amazing artist.

also... Purpose Behind Pain

Bridgett Mack is reaching the world with her story.

Embracing the Story Survivor Donna Peavy has a purpose and a message.

New Creation

Leah is an artist who likes to decorate and stage her home.

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New Creation

Leah is an artist who likes to decorate and stage her home for viewers around the world.

Purpose Behind Pain

Bridgett is reaching the world with her story and taking on a mission to set people free by inspiring them to quit letting trials overshadow triumph.

About the Cover

One Left Standing

Together, this 10U all-stars team accomplished something they will remember for the rest of their lives, a World Series win.

Bending the Bow

Jim Babcock, the owner of Big Jimâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bow Company, has worked vigorously to build hundreds of bows for his customers.

Embracing the Story

Having survived more than most people endure in a lifetime, Donna Peavy has a purpose and a message.

Albany Living magazine

The cover photo is of Albany native Brandy Dew. See how she went from pediatric nurse practitioner to artist on page 104. Photo by David Parks Photography.

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Henry’s Wings

Awareness. That is one small facet of the reasoning behind the beginning of Henry’s Angels, the organization these women created in response to their terrible loss. They wanted to help children in need in order to spread awareness and to help them heal.

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Chain Gangs of Mercy

Angels Among Us

Nurse Mary Keaton loves and serves so many who are ill and on the mend in our local hospital, all the while, making the world a better place.

104

The Accidental Artist

Albany native Brandy Dew didn’t formally train to be an artist. In fact, she completed many years of education and work experience as a pediatric nurse practitioner. As it turns out, the muses had other plans for her.

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The Big Picture

Dr. Michael Satchell’s journey to medicine had been a winding one.

134

Family Tradition

The Stoudenmire clan is proving its investment with education, engagement, talent and time in healthcare in Albany.

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Our little hometown has been wracked with devastation in the form of natural disasters over the past two years.

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From the Publisher

albany P u b l i s h e r With You In Mind Publications E x ec u t i ve E d i to r s Jay and Patti Martin Landon and Mandi Spivey C r eat i ve | Des i g n Robin Harrison

Mandi Spivey Relative Media and Marketing Stacey Nichols O f f i ce m a n age r Laura McCullough

A ss i s ta n t

Ma n age r s June Dixon

Nikki Burkhalter Perhaps the greatest piece of advice I have ever heard was given by Dory, courtesty of the Disney movie Finding Nemo when she sang her heart out to “Just Keep Swimming.” Seriously, she ran into obstacle after obstacle and it seemed her mission was impossible, yet she kept finding the strength to just keep swimming. I was truly overwhelmed when reading these stories in this issue as the theme was so clear. Not quitting or giving up was the message time and again when so many of these heroic people suffered huge life devastations and made the CHOICE to not give up. What truly brought me to tears was the fact that not just one of these stories, but every single one that experienced some sort of trauma, chose to turn their pain into love and give to others from that place. That is what life is all about. So many of these pages are filled with our friends and neighbors who turned love into action. Relationships matter and is what our hearts are made for. Connection to those around us is our purpose. There are always rainbows after rain, growth after Winter, hope after trial. We get the opportunity to choose what we do with every single day. Sharing these inspirational messages through these pages brings me the greatest joy and I am truly honored to present this issue. Please take the time to go through the names of generous business owners on page 192 that give this community such a gift at no charge. We are so thankful for each one of our readers and each one of these sponsors. We love you Albany and we are so honored to be a part of this incredible family in the good life city!

View our magazines online at:

withyouinmindpublications.com @albany.living.magazine

@albanylivingmagazine

From our family to yours,

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P h oto g r ap h e r s Cox Photography David Parks Photography

Millie Mac Photography Perry Revell Relative Media and Marketing Rosemary West Photography Shae Foy Photography Shannan Blanchard Photography C ove r P h oto Brandy Dew, Photo by David Parks Photography Sa l e s Keisha Cory Mike Lane Patti Martin Landon Spivey

Contributing

Wri te r s Jahnae Nelson

Jessica Fellows John Stacy Worth Karen Cohilas Kate DeLoach Keisha Cory LaDonna Ulrick Rachel Price

Albany Living Magazine© is published semi-annually by With You in Mind Publications. www.withyouinmindpublications.com 400 - C Adams Street • Vidalia, GA 30474 (912) 403-3004 All rights reserved. Copies or reproduction of this publication in whole or in part is strictly prohibited without expressed written authorization from the publisher. Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein. Advertising is subject to omission, errors, and other changes without notice.

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Story by jahnae nelson Photos by David parks photgraphy

Leah Weaver, the owner of The Magpie’s Cottage blog, has made a unique wave for herself in the blogging world. Leah is an artist who likes to decorate and stage her home for viewers around the world. One would be surprised that Leah finds her decor through yard sales, hand-me-downs, thrift store treasures, and even trash piles. Though she is more likely to call these items “cast offs” because they are not trash at all. These cast offs are gold to Leah’s eye because of

Hometown Living At Its Best

Even though Leah enjoys the classic cottage, she can identify with a client’s style by spending time in the client’s home and creating a personal connection with each of them. Decorating and blogging brings a thrill to Leah -- it’s all about “The Thrill of the Hunt” and finding long-lost vintage treasure

the mini projects she can make out of them. The whole approach for Leah’s blog is to inform the audience that one does not have to go to a lavish decor store to find luxurious commodities for their living space, when there are places around town that makes decorating simple and inexpensive. Leah repurposes the decor she finds and then makes entirely new creations out of them. Decorating and turning things anew comes as no surprise to Leah seeing as though she was a professional decorator for four years. Leah’s specialty then was helping people decorate with what they already had. It was not until Leah’s friends told her to move her Facebook blogs into one of her own blogging sites where people can come strictly for her ideas. Since then, Leah has accumulated over 250 subscriptions on her

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site, and she has only been blogging for three months. Leah blogs three times a week of her finds along with a three minute read inspiring people of how they can decorate their house in the same way. Leah hopes her blog, The Magpie’s Cottage, will gain a larger amount of subscribers and hopefully a couple of sponsors so that she can off-set the costs of preparing decor for her blog. Although the money would be of a great treasure, Leah’s prominent passion is within the art itself. “This is a hobby I am glad I found,” says Leah. She also says she would not be

Hometown Living At Its Best

Leah found the love for decorating houses when she lived in Mississippi and the newspaper had highlighted her house. From there, Leah teamed with a friend in 2007 and started staging houses, giving hours of consultation about lighting, tile, hardware, etc.

adverse to Albany-area people wanting a personal consultation about their home decorations and how they could potentially make it more lively. Leah has always loved the arts, ever since she could remember. Leah has lived all over the United States, but Carrollton, GA is the hometown she proudly claims. Growing up, Leah’s mom would make her clothes which resulted in Leah picking up the “sewing bug.” Leah was a theater major in undergraduate school for costume make-up design where Leah obtained her BFA from the University 16

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of Georgia. Because she was a technical theater major, she had to study architecture, furniture and decor. For this reason, Leah knows the difference between Italianate and Georgian Revival architecture as well as many other wonderful eras of homes and the furniture that comes from different time periods. She also has a master’s degree in Christian Education, from a school outside of Chicago (Wheaton College, Wheaton, IL). For 30 years, Leah taught youth and children ministry primarily in United Methodist and Southern Baptist Churches. Leah

Hometown Living At Its Best

intertwined her creativity in the churches as well, whether it was from sewing children’s costumes for the Christmas Pageant or creating hands on crafts for the children’s lessons. Leah and her husband together have five children, all grown, who visit often and enjoy decorating their own living spaces. Mom is always available for style advice! Leah has an older sister and two younger brothers. She said that she has found a unique but comfortable place amongst her siblings being that one is a medical doctor, one’s an engineer, and one is in finance. Although Leah’s siblings bring creativity in his or her own way, Leah says she was always the oddly passionately creative one of the four. Leah’s mother sewed all the childhood clothes for Leah and her siblings, and Leah picked up the same idea for her kids. Leah’s daughter would look back at family pictures and jokingly say, “you made a bow for my hair as big as helicopter blades.” What brought Leah to blogging was that she writes tirelessly. “Communication comes easily for me,” so Leah started to experiment with a more complex talent. Leah found the love for decorating houses when she lived in Mississippi and the newspaper had highlighted her house. From there,

Decorating and turning things anew comes as no surprise to Leah seeing as though she was a professional decorator for four years. Leah’s specialty then was helping people decorate with what they already had.

albany living magazine

Leah teamed with a friend in 2007 and started staging houses, giving hours of consultation about lighting, tile, hardware, etc. She has bought, redone, and sold eight houses as an adult. The idea back then, says Leah, was never “flipping” the house but to make improvements on the houses for her family to enjoy, but buyers would often approach her with an offer to purchase and it was too good a deal to pass up! Leah’s first foray into home improvement was in 1985 in an attempt to upgrade the laminate kitchen cupboards that had a garish, dark, faux woodgrain in her home. At the time, it was not valuable to gut and replace the cabinets, so Leah went digging in the library. She found some home improvement books that suggested if she sandpapered the vinyl and put primer on it, then her paint color would stick. Lo and behold she was right. She changed out the hardware from the dingy

What brought Leah to blogging was that she writes tirelessly. “Communication comes easily for me,” so Leah started to experiment with a more complex talent.

Hometown Living At Its Best

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1960s to the shiny brass of the 80s, and her condo sold within three weeks. Leah gets the inspiration to decorate from the social site Pinterest, Cottage Magazine, Flea Market Finds Magazine, and from upholding the kind of visuals she loves which is classic cottage design. Even though Leah enjoys the classic cottage, she can identify with a client’s style by spending time in the client’s home and creating a personal connection with each of them. Decorating and blogging brings a thrill to Leah -- it’s all about “The Thrill of the Hunt” and finding long-lost vintage treasure.

On “The Magpie’s Cottage” blog, Leah informs her readers of thrift store strategies, the top ten things to look for in a thrift store, or how to approach a yard sale, as well as helpful decorating tips she wants her readers to know that to get in touch with her on the blog, there is a place on the website to leave a message. Through the message center, viewers can leave their contact number and email. Check out her website: themagpiescottage.net and subscribe in the upper left-hand of the screen to get blog updates.  ALM

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Bridgett is reaching the world with her story, and taking on a mission to set people free by inspiring them to quit letting trials overshadow triumph.

story by keisha cory photos by David Parks Photography

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Hometown Living At Its Best

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From planning a birthday party, to a funeral wake in the same week, Bridgett faced the unexplainable death of her younger sister. Â She also faced the reality of a life now that would be so different without her.

Her baby sister, Latoshia, would have usually dialed her by now. Routinely, Saturday morning was an allotted time for a 3-way call with her sisters, Latoshia and Angela.Â They would intentionally connect to catch up on things like kids, family stuff, and life in general. The baby sister typically would dial in first, because she has kids who are early risers. Then, they would add in Angela to the call and chat it up.

Hometown Living At Its Best

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After Bridgett made it through seven long years following Latoshia’s death, she began stepping into a new season and wrote her first book. The practice of helping others was helping her. Bridgett describes in her book, I Quit! God impressed on her that the pain would turn into words to encourage others. Fast forwarding from then to now, Bridgett is on tour with her new book. Doors are flinging open for her to share how suffering shaped her into a woman of strength, and led to finding her voice of encouragement for others.

Instead, this particular Saturday things would take a different turn. Bridgett had gotten out of bed, and moved into the family room where the kids were playing. The phone finally rings, but it’s her sister Angela. Right away she asked Bridgett if she had heard from Toshia that morning. Bridgett let her know that she had not yet heard from Toshia, and they begin to converse about all the things she could be doing besides answering the phone. There was

something that just didn’t feel right. Bridgett rehearsed in her mind, and to her sister, Angela, that just the day before she had spoken with Toshia. They were going over plans to throw a big eight year birthday party for Bridgett’s youngest son, TJ. Toshia’s last words to Bridgett on that call were, “you tell TJ, auntie’s gonna be at his party, because there’s one thing I’ve learned, there’s nothing like family.”

Hometown Living At Its Best

The death of Bridgett’s sister, Tohsia, actually catapulted her into her calling. Many challenges came along the way that resulted in seven years of hardship. But instead of being stuck in life’s setbacks that challenged Bridgett and her husband, they endured and allowed purpose to define them. Through the process, Travis, Bridgett’s husband, simultaneously planted a church here in Albany called Real Faith Church. They as a couple, along with their three kids, serve this community beautifully.

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Bridgett and Angela decide they are going to try to call Toshia once again, and maybe this time she will answer. Only, this time, her five-year-old daughter answers the phone. Angela asked, “Where is your mommy?” The little girl replied, “She’s right here and she won’t wake up.” She and her little brother were in the bed with their mommy. They thought she was just sleeping. Bridgett feels fearful something is seriously wrong, and knowing her niece and nephew are there alone with their mom made it urgent. Frantically she dialed for an ambulance, and stayed on the phone until they arrived. Once they arrived she hung up, but realized that she didn’t get enough information or even direction on where Toshia would be transported. As she called and regained the connection with a relative to follow up on directions, she got a reply that shook her to the core. “Bridgett,” said the relative, “you just need to get here.” “Which hospital? Donalsonville or Dothan?” Bridgett asked. “Again, Bridgett, you just need to get here,” stated the relative. Her husband took the

But nothing shapes us like pain. Bridgett and I quickly came to the understanding over coffee that while there is pain we must endure, there is always a purpose behind it. Purpose becomes a mission that directs us into defining moments. The end of a season while often painful only reveals the opportunity of a new beginning.

Hometown Living At Its Best

phone, and first heard the terrible news of Toshia’s passing. Faced with the brutal reality that she had lost her sister, they started a one hour fifteen minute car ride to get to Toshia’s house. From planning a birthday party, to a funeral wake in the same week, Bridgett faced the unexplainable death of her younger sister. She also faced the reality of a life now that would be so different without her. Sitting in a coffee shop meeting Bridgett for the first time, a bond was created. While I listened to her story, I felt every word she uttered of these few life-altering moments. Along with a lump in my throat, and the welling of tears in my eyes, I identified with the shock and grief of the death of one I also held so dear. Death doesn’t discriminate. It doesn’t consider our hearts and plans. When death took my dad, my spirit was bruised and oh, so numb. It wasn’t

albany living magazine

the story I wanted for my future. It was the most unexpected, and unplanned collision with my hopes of a future, that led to a finality I couldn’t open my eyes to see. This kind of pain can be paralyzing, and hold you like a prisoner from seeing beyond the walls of grief. But nothing shapes us like pain. Bridgett and I quickly came to the understanding over coffee that while there is pain we must endure, there is always a purpose behind it. Purpose becomes a mission that directs us into defining moments. The end of a season while often painful only reveals the opportunity of a new beginning. While listening to one of my favorite teachers, Joyce Meyer, around the same time as meeting Bridgett, Joyce explained that many people want purpose without pain. And that’s like asking for a baby without labor, or sacrifice, or waiting! After Bridgett made it through seven long years

following Latoshia’s death, she began stepping into a new season and wrote her first book. The practice of helping others was helping her. Bridgett describes in her book, I Quit! God impressed on her that the pain would turn into words to encourage others. Fast forwarding from then to now, Bridgett is on tour with her new book. Doors are flinging open for her to share how suffering shaped her into a woman of strength, and led to finding her voice of encouragement for others. Bridgett and I had so much back and forth over our coffee date that crossed every facet of emotions. Our stories are different, yet so similar in many ways. We share roots in Donalsonville, GA. That’s not something everybody can say! Yet, Bridgett is reaching the world with her story, and taking on a mission to set people free by inspiring them to quit letting trials overshadow triumph! If we can ever embrace a place of knowing that whatever God allows, He uses, we can gain a better perspective. I felt prompted to ask Bridgett for the date of her sister’s death and she told me February 5, 2011. I wrote that date under the date we were meeting, March 26, 2019. It was interesting to see that an eight year gap stood between those dates. The number eight means new beginning, regeneration, renewal, and revival. The death of Bridgett’s sister, Tohsia, actually catapulted her into her calling. Many challenges came along the way that resulted in seven years of hardship. But instead of being stuck in life’s setbacks that challenged Bridgett and her husband, they endured and allowed purpose to define them. Through the process, Travis, Bridgett’s husband, simultaneously planted a church here in Albany called Real Faith Church. They as a couple, along with their three kids, serve this community beautifully. The power of their journey is empowering many who are facing the challenges that life brings. Isn’t it amazing how God writes our story? Allow Bridgett’s story to be an encouragement to you, realizing that there is always purpose in our greatest moments of pain.  ALM For more information and a copy of I Quit! Visit www.bmackwrites.com

Hometown Living At Its Best

educating the community Amber (McKinley) Tomlinson loves her active lifestyle and helping the residents of Southwest Georgia. 38

Albany living magazine

Amber (McKinley) Tomlinson is a Family Nurse Practitioner at Albany Internal Medicine. She is a native of Lee County and graduated from Lee County High School in 1998. Mrs. Tomlinson received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Columbus State University and a Master’s in Nursing from South University in Savannah. She passed the National Certification in Family Nurse Practitioner in 2016 through the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. “I see all patients, from 18 years and up,” says Mrs. Tomlinson. She has a background as an

Mrs. Tomlinson says her active lifestyle made her gravitate toward orthopedics early on. (She worked at Hughston Orthopedic Hospital in Columbus and Premier Orthopedic SurgiCenter in Albany.) “I was so active,” she says. “I was in competitive cheerleading in college and so I always had injuries. One thing that drew me to nursing is that it is such a broad field; I knew I had a lot of options and directions I could go.”

operating room nurse, and she enjoys doing procedures such as biopsies and cardiac stress testing. “But my favorite part of the job is working out a plan of care for patients, educating them about their health care and being part of a collaborative team.” Mrs. Tomlinson says her active lifestyle made her gravitate toward orthopedics early on. (She worked at Hughston Orthopedic Hospital in Columbus and Premier Orthopedic SurgiCenter in Albany.) “I was so active,” she says. “I was in competitive cheerleading in college and so I always had injuries. One thing that drew me to nursing is that it is such a broad field; I knew I had a lot of options and directions I could go.” Mrs. Tomlinson is married to Neal Tomlinson, also of Lee County. He works as an insurance agent for Doherty, Duggan, Hart and Tiernan in Albany. “We knew each other in high school, but we didn’t date until after college,” she says. They live in Lee County and have two boys: Gage, 10, and Brady, 7. The boys are heavily involved in basketball and baseball. “I spend my free time chasing boys,” she jokes. Hurricane Michael all but demolished their house, and they were displaced for several months. To make matters worse, all of their belongings were stored with Bishop Clean Care while renovations were being made, and then that warehouse burned. “It’s been a nightmare,” Mrs. Tomlinson says. “But at the end of the day, the kids are healthy, and we are blessed.” The most satisfaction comes to Mrs. Tomlinson when she builds rapport with a patient. “I get the most gratification when a patient returns and requests to see me, or sends a family member to me,” she says. “That shows I’ve earned their trust and respect.”

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Belief is powerful, positivity is productive, and determination is rewarding. The Albany League Baseball 10U all-stars are living proof of this. While most children spent their 2018 summer break from school visiting grandparents, taking trips, or playing with neighborhood friends; Gabe, Tray, Joshua, David, Boyd, Jackson, Lane, Colin, Graysen, Dashaun, Ben, and William were striving to make their way to the Dizzy Dean Baseball World Series. Coached by Willie Weaver (Head Coach), Cal Pollock, Adam Hutchins, and Mike Everett (Assistant Coaches) their work paid off. On July 26, 2018 Albany beat Canton 10-3 and 10-0 in Southaven Mississippi to claim the first Dizzy Dean World Series

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“These kids have really good talent. But take that with (Head Coach) Willie’s motto... ‘We are going to make sure they feel as good about themselves as possible.’ And there is no fear of failure instilled in them. We do a lot of travel baseball and that isn’t always the motto. A lot of these kids are under a lot of pressure by coaches. We gave a lot of positive reinforcement,” Adam explains.

championship for Albany League Baseball. The last time a World Series was won from Albany was in 1990 when the league was affiliated with Dixie Youth Baseball. Winning the World Series is no small feat and one that requires laser focus and talent. But not only that, it requires support. The 10U Albany League Baseball team had all of that and more between the coaches, parents, and a belief in themselves. “These kids have really good talent. But take that with (Head Coach) Willie's motto... ‘We are going to make sure they feel as good about themselves as possible.’ And there is no fear of failure instilled in them. We do a lot of travel baseball and that isn't always the motto. A lot of these kids are under a lot of

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[ Coach Willie ]

Hometown Living At Its Best

The team had excellent role models in these coaches. Men of integrity. Men of the community. Men that know the value of ethics in sports. Each coach has been involved with sports in one way or another their entire life.

pressure by coaches. We gave a lot of positive reinforcement,” Adam explains. “We put a lot of trust in them,” Willie tells me. “As good as the kids are, they believed in themselves. A lot of kids get frustrated when they miss the ball and they give up; they strike out mentally and then quit. We never let that happen. We kept telling them they were mentally and physically equipped. We told them even pros strike out most of the time. We made sure they really believed in themselves.” That belief led them to win every game prior to Southaven. The team played very few games that did not get called early due to a run limit. This much success could inflate the ego, however, the coaches made sure they didn’t let that affect the boys by making them go back to the basics during practice. The team had excellent role models in these coaches. Men of integrity. Men of the community. Men that know the value of ethics in sports. Each coach has been involved with sports in one way or another their entire life. Being well rounded athletes gave these men the tools necessary to train and prepare the team for victory. Willie tells me, “They never saw us fuss and fight with each other, or raise our voices at each other. They would see us walk up to each other and talk. We may say something to them after we talked but we supported each other and the boys at the same time regardless of what happened.” The coaches won’t take much credit for their role in the win. They give most praise to the boys and their parents. "The community needs to know that they are all good kids and the reason they are good kids is because they are products of good families," Cal explains. “Also, the parents let them be kids and do other things and play other sports,” says Adam,

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Hometown Living At Its Best

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Adding to the praise for the boys’ parents, the coaches explain that the parents were heavily involved. Dads would take over laundry duty during the week of the Dizzy Dean Tournament. Moms would take turns going to the store. They were at every game, even from the beginning. Their commitment helped to create a family unit.

“and that is to be celebrated! It's not baseball all the time and that is very rare. It is very easy to stick them in baseball, or one sport all the time. These parents don’t do that.” Mike says, “Yes, that is definitely one thing that's a little unique about this team that we have. It is that they're well rounded athletes and they play baseball during baseball season, basketball, and football. They don't play year round baseball. That is unusual this day and time. Most of the competition that we play in these bigger venues are teams that play year round, so for them to be that good at baseball and also play other sports is amazing.” Adding to the praise for the boys’ parents, the coaches explain that the parents were heavily involved. Dads would take over laundry duty

Hometown Living At Its Best

“We put a lot of trust in them,” Willie tells me. “As good as the kids are, they believed in themselves. A lot of kids get frustrated when they miss the ball and they give up; they strike out mentally and then quit. We never let that happen. We kept telling them they were mentally and physically equipped. We told them even pros strike out most of the time. We made sure they really believed in themselves.”

[ Cal Pollock ]

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Hometown Living At Its Best

during the week of the Dizzy Dean Tournament. Moms would take turns going to the store. They were at every game, even from the beginning. Their commitment helped to create a family unit. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was a commitment; we are here together and we are going to win this thing together. Even grandparents driving 8-9 hours to spend a week. It was incredible,â&#x20AC;? Mike said. While coaches and parents definitely play a role

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in their success, the God-given aptitude these boys possess canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t go unnoticed. Most of them have been playing since t-ball, dedicating their time and talents to the game. They support one another and believe in their roles as teammates, trusting one another to get the job done. These are kids with very high character and love for one another. While most of them have been playing together since they were six, there were a few that was new to the team. But the boys

And in the end, it was true, there was one team left standing; the 10U Albany League Baseball teams. Together, they accomplished something they will remember for the rest of their lives; a World Series Win.

made sure nobody felt left out. “Everybody was included,” says Adam. “Eight or Nine of the boys have been together since they were six with three or four new ones added. They transitioned in very well and that’s because of these kids.” On Saturday, September 15, 2018, the Albany League Baseball 10U team was celebrated by the community at The Dixie Field in Albany. Parents, siblings. grandparents, coaches, and more came together for food and recognition. Also represented there were the 6-9 year olds and 12 year olds. Some of the 1990 World Series Winners were also in attendance. Speeches were given by Robert Green, the MC; Kip Hampson, the Albany League Baseball, Inc. President; Willie Weaver, the 10U coach; and Foy Shemwell, who spoke on behalf of the 1990 team. But it was Head Coach Willie, beaming with pride for these boys that left his heart on the stage. Giving God the glory and sharing a quote he’d heard. “It makes me emotional. Some of these young men would never have seen each other, would never have met each other, and would never have played a game together without baseball. Baseball brought kids together who would have never known each other,” he explained that baseball made these boys a brotherhood.

By committee the coaches thought Willie would be the right man to be the Head Coach. He performed most administrative duties and worked with the infield. “Willie did an outstanding job. He organized this well, everyone knew their roles, he led by example and it all starts there. He won't take the credit, but he deserves a tremendous amount of credit. If that wasn't in place the harmony and enjoyment wouldn't have been there,” Adam says. Cal, also, assisted taking on the role in scheduling tournaments and planning practices while working the outfield and some infield. Adam served the role as working with the pitchers and other auxiliary roles. Mike served as first base coach and with hitting. They made sure to always keep the game about the kids. They formed a good unit working for the same goal; to take these kids as far as they could go. “We felt from the first day that we could win it all,” says Cal. And in the end, it was true, there was one team left standing; the 10U Albany League Baseball teams. Together, they accomplished something they will remember for the rest of their lives; a World Series Win.  ALM

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BENDING THE

Bow

im Babcock

THE OWNER OF BIG JIM’S BOW COMPANY, HAS WORKED VIGOROUSLY TO BUILD HUNDREDS OF BOWS FOR HIS CUSTOMERS. Big Jim’s business began back in 2008, and the production of bows has not slowed down since. “The greatest change is that business keeps getting bigger and better. We get better on the quality of the bows every day,” said Jim. Big Jim’s Bow Company hand-makes and produces a variety of bows with exotic woods and bamboo coming from Japan, Africa, South America, Asia, and more places from around the world including the united states. These unique woods make up 65-70 different species the company has in stock. “Customers can choose from the many highly figured and colored woods that we offer,

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often with fancy colors and grain that you would not normally expect to be in nature,” Babcock said. With archery being around for thousands of years, the sport only became known as “traditional” in the 60’s and 70’s due to the advent of mechanical designs that birthed the compound bow. “Traditional archery is simplifying the tools or weapon as it may be in order to give more enjoyment out of the challenge of the experience. Some people get into it more by being a part of the process and building their own things whether it be small in nature or building their own bows,” he said. Big Jim takes pride in his bows. It is important to take all the time necessary to produce what some may consider an heirloom as well as a useful hunting/target tool. One bow may take up to three to four weeks to

Albany Living magazine

It Takes Time Big Jim takes pride in his bows. It is important to take all the time necessary to produce what some may consider an heirloom as well as a useful hunting/target tool. One bow may take up to three to four weeks to produce. However, the company builds several at a time to expedite the process. He believes in customer service and making people feel welcomed by giving advice on how to shoot, customizing bows, and in the means of traditional archery.

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POPULAR BY DEMAND

The feedback of Big Jim’s Bow Company has been so exceptional that there is a 14 month waiting period to obtain one bow, confirmed by Babcock. “We build them as fast as they can be built. We always have orders available, so we are always working, ” Babcock said.

produce. However, the company builds several at a time to expedite the process. He believes in customer service and making people feel welcomed by giving advice on how to shoot, customizing bows, and in the means of traditional archery. The company not only customizes and manufactures bows, but they sell used bows for as low as $100 dollars. The customized bows start at a base point of $600. The feedback of Big Jim’s Bow Company has been so exceptional that there is a 14 month waiting period to obtain one bow, confirmed by Babcock. “We build them as fast as they can be built. We always have orders available, so we are always working, ” Babcock said. To secure a spot on the waiting list, customers can place a $100 deposit on Big Jim’s Bow Company

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website at bigjimsbowcompany.com The deposit also goes toward the customized bow. Babcock said this will give customers time to decide and learn what kind of materials, colors, and what type of bow they may want. “One of our goals in this business is to continue improving on our designs and quality. If you ever feel like you have gone as far as you could go, then people will pass you up. You have to continue to work to be better at everything you do. We want to produce the most unique and beautiful bows possible, and help people wherever we can

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to enjoy traditional archery. We put our heart and soul into everything we do, so we stand behind our product,” Babcock said. Big Jim’s Bow Company also has arrows and supplies to go along with their bows, making them a one stop shop.  ALM Customers can visit the shop at 812 Morgan Court., Albany, Ga. Monday-Friday 9:00am-5:00pm. They offer a 50 target shooting course for $25.00, you can shoot all day!

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Donna Greene Peavy was severely burned at a high school football game in 1982. And she wouldn’t change a thing. The Albany native graduated from Riverview Academy (now a Sherwood Christian Academy campus on Old Pretoria Road) in May 1982. The following September, Donna Louise Greene and some friends wanted to attend the first home football game of the season as alumni. She couldn’t know her life would change profoundly that evening. After the game (her alma mater lost), Donna and her best friend were waiting for the coach’s son, Wayne, whom Donna was

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inner peace from God “I wouldn’t change a thing in my life,” Donna says. “That’s amazing in and of itself! You have to embrace your story while you’re in it.” She adds, “To have the relationship that I now have with my God is something that I am very protective of, because I am enjoying an inner peace that I have never known. God brings storms, not to drown us, but to bring glory to Him. Jeremiah 29:11!”

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Donna Greene Peavy was severely burned at a high school football game in 1982. And she wouldn’t change a thing.

physical therapy Donna had to relearn simple skills in physical therapy such as feeding herself. Her arms and hands had lost muscle as well as skin tissue. “I loved the physical therapy part – I wasn’t special there, everyone else brought their own challenge to the table. They were like ‘oh, you’re just a burn patient.’ I can’t comprehend what my mom must’ve gone through.”

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dating at the time. Donna’s mother, stepdad and brother were standing with them under a light pole when Donna’s stepdad, an electrician, heard a pop. He yelled for everyone to move; they looked up, only to be doused in hot oil and flames. The transformer had exploded above them. Donna and her friend were on fire. They shielded their faces from the cascading hot oil with their arms – which caught fire along with their heads and faces. “It’s strange, but I didn’t feel anything until they put me out,” Donna says. Her mother suffered hand burns from patting out flames on her daughter. Donna’s brother did not catch on fire, but was burned from hot oil on his back. “I remember getting in the ambulance,” says Donna, “and Wayne couldn’t hold my hand because it was so burned.” The girls and Donna’s brother were taken to Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital. “I knew I was really hurt when

blueprint to the story Today, Donna teaches physical education at Fullington Academy in Dooly County and coaches tennis, basketball and cross country. She uses her story to empower girls. “I was getting ready to go off to college and I was mad at God,” she says. “I knew I would be there with thousands of girls who looked perfect and here I was with scars all over my body.” She came to terms with her fate and purpose and now sees her scars as an opportunity to reach out to others. She embraces her scars and says that they don’t define her, but are just a blueprint to her story. “I’m a very strong personality, and my students see ‘even Coach Peavy had an addiction.’ It can happen to anyone.”

Hometown Living At Its Best

albany living magazine

life and love Donna progressed rapidly with healing – something she attributes to having been an athlete and in excellent physical shape at the time of the accident. A year later, she attended college – first Albany Junior College and then Valdosta State, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in health and physical education. In 1988, she met her future husband, Jeff Peavy, a math major. They were both athletes and loved sports. They still do. Donna played on the basketball team and Jeff on the football team. Both teams were Georgia All Stars during their tenure.

the doctor came in and peeled the skin off,” she says. “My arm was white and puffed up.” Donna remembers one ER physician wanted to amputate her right arm, saying it couldn’t be salvaged. Instead, Donna and her friend were airlifted to Talmadge Memorial Hospital in Augusta (now Medical College of Georgia). For five days, Donna couldn’t move. She was heavily sedated to allow skin grafts to take hold. Skin was taken from her thighs and put on her burned arms. Pig skin was attached to her face and scalp. As her skin underneath replenished itself, the black pigskin was peeled off. Donna entered the hospital on September 17 and was released in December, just before Christmas. The first few days, the girls were in the same hospital room. Donna incessantly worried about and asked how her friend was doing, so staff separated them. On September 23, her best friend died from her injuries. “I had a hard time believing she had died,” says Donna, “until my mother took

Hometown Living At Its Best

albany living magazine

me to see her grave. I thought everyone was lying to me to keep me focused on myself.” Donna had to relearn simple skills in physical therapy such as feeding herself. Her arms and hands had lost muscle as well as skin tissue. “I loved the physical therapy part – I wasn’t special there, everyone else brought their own challenge to the table. They were like ‘oh, you’re just a burn patient.’ I can’t comprehend what my mom must’ve gone through.” Donna progressed rapidly with healing – something she attributes to having been an athlete and in excellent physical shape at the time of the accident. A year later, she attended college – first Albany Junior College and then Valdosta State, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in

health and physical education. In 1988, she met her future husband, Jeff Peavy, a math major. They were both athletes and loved sports. They still do. Donna played on the basketball team and Jeff on the football team. Both teams were Georgia All Stars during their tenure. “After about our third date,” Donna remembers, “I asked Jeff, ‘Why are you interested in me? Don’t you see these scars?’ He said, ‘I don’t see your scars; I see what’s in your heart.’” Three years later they were married. In 1990, they moved to Jeff’s hometown, Vienna, where he joined his family’s farming business. The couple has three children: Eason, who is married to Katie and works on the family farm; Alex, an insurance agent in Atlanta; and

Hometown Living At Its Best

Julia, an ICU nurse based in Cordele. “My mother-in-law delivered Eason at home on the living room floor. I didn’t know I was in labor!” exclaims Donna. “Welcome back to the farm!” Having survived more than most people endure in a lifetime, Donna had yet to face the hardest struggle of her life: drug addiction. A life of competitive sports left Donna with numerous injuries over the years, including a total knee replacement in 2008. She became addicted to pain medication. It was hard on her family, but she went through rehab and licked it – for a while. The second time (seven years ago), Jeff dropped her off in Statesboro and didn’t see her for 28 days. “Willingway saved my life. Addiction is a disease. You are a sick individual. Never stop the fall of a sick person,” Donna cautions enablers, “it only stops them from getting better.” She compares recovery to peeling back the layers of an onion. It takes time and patience to fight the disease. “This disease doesn’t lay low. It is always waiting.” She says her addiction rocked her family to the core. Jeff attended Al-Anon. She attended Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Celebrate Recovery. Donna explains that addiction to a mind-altering substance is all the same, so even though she was addicted to prescription pain killers, the process at work is the same as being addicted to alcohol. “I tell my children, ‘You’ll fall in and out of love a thousand times during your marriage. The most important thing you can have is commitment to the marriage.’” The whole family is sick when they live with an addict, she warns.

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Today, Donna teaches physical education at Fullington Academy in Dooly County and coaches tennis, basketball and cross country. She uses her story to empower girls. “I was getting ready to go off to college and I was mad at God,” she says. “I knew I would be there with thousands of girls who looked perfect and here I was with scars all over my body.” She came to terms with her fate and purpose and now sees her scars as an opportunity to reach out to others. She embraces her scars and says that they don’t define her, but are just a blueprint to her story. “I’m a very strong personality, and my students see ‘even Coach Peavy had an addiction.’ It can happen to anyone.” Today, Donna shares her message whenever she can. She speaks at FCA meetings (Fellowship of Christian Athletes), AA and churches. “I’d love to do women’s ministry in a prison,” she says. “There’s redemption. You are not done just because of a bad decision.” Donna and her family are members of Liberty Baptist Church in Pinehurst. “I wouldn’t change a thing in my life,” Donna says. “That’s amazing in and of itself! You have to embrace your story while you’re in it.” She adds, “To have the relationship that I now have with my God is something that I am very protective of, because I am enjoying an inner peace that I have never known. God brings storms, not to drown us, but to bring glory to Him. Jeremiah 29:11!”  ALM

making the choice She says her addiction rocked her family to the core. Jeff attended Al-Anon. She attended Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Celebrate Recovery. Donna explains that addiction to a mind-altering substance is all the same, so even though she was addicted to prescription pain killers, the process at work is the same as being addicted to alcohol. “I tell my children, ‘You’ll fall in and out of love a thousand times during your marriage. The most important thing you can have is commitment to the marriage.’” The whole family is sick when they live with an addict, she warns.

She came to terms with her fate and purpose and now sees her scars as an opportunity to reach out to others.

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among

us After a few seconds of pure silence, like an angel floating through the hospital room door, enters a vibrant, full of life, elegant, older woman dressed in an all white uniform, decorated with a slew of merited nursing pins. She has a smile on her face that lights up the entire room, and an attitude that makes you feel like she brought the sunshine with her.

Picture it with me. You’re being wheeled down a long hall for a heart procedure and into a small, sterile room featuring the traditional hospital bed, overhead light, a sink with a mirror, drip machines, and heart monitors. Let’s not forget, the one chair for your guest with a hospital table. You know the table for those delicious meals to be placed on that also collects every item that you need to keep close by while you’re on the mend? At some point, we’ve all experienced this hospital room personally, or with our loved one.

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You’re tired. You look like you haven’t showered in days and your eyes have circles under them the size of silver dollars. As you wait for the nurse to arrive to hear what’s next, you sit and look at one another anxiously, and you really can’t say much of anything because you are so exhausted. You quietly ask the patient with hesitancy if they are ok, and their eyebrows give a long sigh of “I don’t even know." After a few seconds of pure silence, like an angel floating through the hospital room door, enters a vibrant, full of life, elegant, older woman dressed in an all white uniform, decorated with a slew of merited nursing pins. She has a smile on her face that lights up the entire room, and an attitude that makes you feel like she brought the sunshine with her. She’s holding a clipboard and ready to get to work. She asks how you are and how the trip from floor 5 was this early in the morning, and you know it’s only 6 AM. Normally you’re just getting out of bed for work. She walks to the side of the bed and asks both, the patient

Hometown Living At Its Best

and guest, how they feel and if there’s anything she can do to make you feel at ease about the procedure that’s going to take place. She says all this with peacefulness and compassion feeling the nervousness of the room. She notices all the signs of concern and helps calm the room with her beautiful smile, once again, and tells you that everything is going to be ok because she’s got you. Writing this piece brings back memories of that day a couple of months ago for my husband and me as we waited for him to have a cardioversion procedure to correct his AFib. We had been in the ER for several hours the previous day trying to get his heart to correct on its own, but had to be admitted as a patient because his heart wasn’t cooperating. We were tired, scared, nervous, and exhausted from the night’s stay, and honestly just on edge because we had never experienced this type of sickness before. But this story is special. The nurse I am sharing about is also special. I am sure she is extraordinary to many people. Meet Nurse Mary Keaton. We call her “our angel." But like I said before, I feel like many people would call her their angel too. Nurse Mary was there every step of the way and comforted us at a time when we had no answers. One thing she did that connected us as patient and caregiver is when she prayed over my husband. We held hands, and she invited the Holy Spirit into that hospital room like nobody’s business. She told the devil… “not today devil!” And when she said the word “Amen!”, she meant it. We looked at one another and she said, “now let’s do this thing.” It made me question, “how many times have you ever had the opportunity to meet someone like Mary? How many nurses have stopped and actually prayed with you when you were about to fall apart?” Mary did. At that very moment, she was the answer to our prayers. Mary Keaton was born and raised in Sumter County in DeSota, Georgia. She is the middle child of eight siblings, six brothers and one

albany living magazine

Hometown Living At Its Best

Mary knew early on that her passion was to be a nurse.

sister. As a child, she loved being a caregiver. When someone in her household was sick, she wanted to care for them. She was a curious little girl that always wanted to know about diseases and illnesses, as well as, treatment regimens that would help care for and cure those who were sick. Mary knew early on that her passion was to be a nurse, and little did she know that she would be changing thousands of lives years later as she cared for each person that she served in the hospital. Mrs. Keaton’s husband, Jessie Keaton, supports all the desires of her heart. Happily married for 51 years, Mary and Jessie have two daughters and two sons, and seven beautiful grandchildren, ranging from nine months to 15 years old. She is incredibly proud of her family. When you ask Mary about herself, she says, “It’s because of my faith in Jesus that I am able to do what I do every single day. He guides me and directs my path to serve others." She truly believes that every day is a gift from the Lord, and that when she wakes up each

Mary Keaton was born and raised in Sumter County in DeSota, Georgia. She is the middle child of eight siblings, six brothers and one sister. As a child, she loved being a caregiver. When someone in her household was sick, she wanted to care for them. She was a curious little girl that always wanted to know about diseases and illnesses, as well as, treatment regimens that would help care for and cure those who were sick. Mary knew early on that her passion was to be a nurse, and little did she know that she would be changing thousands of lives years later as she cared for each person that she served in the hospital.

albany living magazine

Hometown Living At Its Best

albany living magazine

The personal philosophy Mary carries with her each day is to always focus on adherence to moral values, to be compassionate, to remain respectful in all circumstances and be accountable so that she can provide top quality nursing to all patients who enter her care. Her goal as a nurse is to reveal to others that nursing is in her heart, her mind and her hands to make certain that all patients that are placed in her hands are provided the appropriate care in order to promote comfort and healing during their stay at Phoebe.

morning He is giving her a task to love people and let her light shine. She also shares that it’s not about her being the one that changes someone’s life, but that the person she is caring for changes her life as well. It’s pretty amazing to hear her say it out loud with such certainty. There aren’t many people that share their faith, their heart, and make you feel like you are the only person that matters right in that moment. Mary Keaton is one of those people and makes you feel like you matter to this world.

Mrs. Keaton is a Registered Nurse, BSN at Phoebe Putney hospital in Albany, Georgia. She began her career at Phoebe 49 years ago in 1969, as a pediatric nurse and has carried numerous nursing titles throughout her career that brought her where she is today. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from Albany State University, an Associate's Degree in Nursing from Darton College and attended American Intercontinental University in Atlanta, Georgia receiving certifications in Advanced Cardiac Life

Hometown Living At Its Best

Support, Pediatric Advanced Life Support, and Advanced Stroke Life Support. Mrs. Keaton is a member of the American Nurses Association and American Academy of Ambulatory Care Nursing, as well as being recognized as a Daisy Award Recipient in 2018, a two-time Daisy Award Nominee in 2019, and N.C.A.P (Nursing Clinical Advancement Program) recipient from 2013 to 2018. To say that she is a busy individual is an understatement, but it is definitely for the greater good of our community and well deserved for someone who loves her calling with all her heart. Turning serious in her interview pointing her finger, she says that she doesn’t consider nursing a J-O-B, she says “it is a part of my life that I know makes me who I am today." Mary is not done with her schooling, her short term goal is to receive her level 3 Ambulatory Care Nursing certification, as well as, a long term goal of receiving her MSN in the next few years. Mrs. Keaton stated, “My everyday goal is to encourage, train, and mentor young nurses to ensure that the future of healthcare is in good hands.” She stressed that personal interaction will always play a vital role and having these goals and sticking to them is what keeps her young! The personal philosophy Mary carries with her each day is to always focus on adherence to moral values, to be compassionate, to remain respectful in all circumstances and be accountable so that she can provide top quality nursing to all patients who enter her care. Her goal as a nurse is to reveal to others that nursing is in her heart, her mind and her hands to make certain that all patients that are placed in her hands are provided the appropriate care in order to promote comfort and healing during their stay at Phoebe. When she arrives at work for every 12-hour shift, she says she clocks in fully for the patient and personally clocks herself out so that she can focus on her patient's needs, their loved ones needs, and provide the best quality of service that she can to make them feel like they are the only patient she has knowing she has a multitude of patients to care for. If you are admitted as a cardiac patient, or have to make a trip to her floor, you may meet Mary Keaton. If you are in her care you will feel blessed and grateful for her expertise, her heart for patients and their families, and leave knowing she cared for you with her full potential. It’s not very often that you meet someone that has never missed a day of work except to birth her children, someone that will literally swim through water to get to work so she can care for others, someone who learns from and teaches her family of co-workers and to have a nurse that will go above and beyond to ensure that you have received the best care that you can get while you are a patient at Phoebe. Thank your nurses, make them feel as special as they make you feel when you aren’t at your best. Always remember to lift others up and encourage one another so that we may grow from the inside out and be the best we can be not only for ourselves, but for our community, our families, and to those who are brought into our paths for any reason. Thank you, Nurse Mary Keaton, for all that you do to love and serve so many who are ill and on the mend in our local hospital. You make the world a better place.  ALM

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Story by kate deloach Photos by david parks photography

Born Brandy Pellicano, the accidental artist’s mother and father are Lucy and Tony Pellicano, who founded Pellicano Construction Company in Albany. Today, Brandy’s husband, Stephen Dew, is president of the company. Brandy and Stephen, a Macon native, met at freshmen orientation at the University of Georgia, where Brandy was newly enrolled in the pre-nursing program and Stephen was a senior political science major. Brandy transferred to the Medical College of Georgia to complete her Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Initially, she was not convinced that nursing was for her and then she discovered her niche was in pediatric nursing. “I wasn’t loving nursing at first,” says Brandy. “And then I did a practicum in pediatrics at Egleston and fell in love with my 15-month-old patient and knew I had found my place.” She moved to Atlanta after graduation to work at Egleston in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and

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subsequently pursued a Masters in Nursing, Pediatric Nurse Practitioner from Emory University. Meanwhile, Stephen earned a Master’s in Construction Management from Southern Polytechnic State University and went to work for Brasfield and Gorrie general contractors. The couple married in 2001 and lived in Atlanta for several years before making the move back to Southwest Georgia. Brandy worked in the family practice residency at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital and then in pediatric neurology at a clinic associated with the Medical College of Georgia. She even did a one-year stint teaching pediatric nursing at Darton College. While Brandy was healing babies, and Stephen was working his way up in his father-in-law’s construction company, they managed to have two babies of their own: Tillman, now 14, and Avery, 12. They were given family names. Brandy says of her mother’s side of the family, “The Tillmans were known to be fun and crazy! And Tillman has certainly lived up to his name; he has always

Casual Style Brandy designs bathrooms and kitchens, also. “I enjoy picking out and putting together products – stone, light fixtures and such,” says Brandy. Her own home reflects her casual style – light, airy and contemporary – as easy and welcoming as the artist herself.

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“With most artists, you can see a piece and say, ‘oh, that’s so-andso’s.’ They are consistent with a certain look. Not mine; I’m all over the place! I enjoy the freedom to paint what I feel inspired by that day.”

lit up a room.” She says she doesn’t know much about the Averys, on Stephen’s father’s side. “I can tell you my Avery is one of the sweetest, kindest children with a smile to match.” Eight years ago, Brandy and Stephen built a house in Byron Plantation Subdivision. “I needed artwork on the walls, so I painted some pieces,”

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she says. “People liked them, and I started selling pieces off the wall. Then I’d replace them.” She sold a painting to a friend who placed it in their Grayton Beach house (South Walton County, Florida). Their interior designer saw it – Melissa Skowland – and wanted to see more of Brandy’s artwork and to sell pieces in her shop, Summer

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“I always have music playing.” “As soon as I decided to stay home, I saw an uptick in my artwork sales,” she says. “I don’t paint while the kids are here. And I have to be in a certain state of mind to do an abstract piece. I have to be very relaxed. I always have music playing.”

House Lifestyle. “Then my Mom was in Two Friends in St. Simons and pulled out her phone and showed the owner my work on Facebook – you know how moms are,” Brandy says, grinning. “And she started carrying my pieces.” In Albany, Custom

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Interiors sells her work. Different locales like certain things, according to Brandy. The Florida beaches residents are into seascapes, oysters and mainly blue palettes. St. Simons’ homeowners seem to be drawn to marsh scenes, foliage and a green palette. Albany gives her an opportunity to be all over the board with subject and color, she says. About three years ago, Brandy says she felt the need to stay at home. “I decided the kids needed more of my time for homework and other activities.” So, she took a hiatus from the medical profession. With the extra time while the kids were at school, Brandy increased her artwork production. “As soon as I decided to stay home, I saw an uptick in my artwork sales,” she says. “I don’t paint while the kids are here. And I have to be in a certain state of mind to do an abstract piece. I have to be very relaxed. I always have music playing.” Many of her pieces are abstract seascapes and landscapes, some serene, some bold; and then there is the moose – a commissioned piece she credits with getting her back interested in painting after a painter’s block – the whitetail deer skull and a large split-leaf philodendron round out her eclectic style. “I clearly have multiple personalities, if you look at my artwork,” she jokes. “With most artists, you can see a piece and say, ‘oh, that’s so-and-so’s.’ They are consistent with a certain look. Not mine; I’m all over the place! I enjoy the freedom to paint what I feel inspired by that day.” Brandy paints with acrylics and also employs multimedia applications. Her oyster shells are begun with clay, include acrylic and enamel paint and finished with a torched-on epoxy resin. The result is a multidimensional pearlized effect that suits the subject matter. “I like to play with words,” Brandy says, regarding the titles she gives her artwork. For example, an indigo seascape she named “Closer to Fine” after the song by

Brandy paints with acrylics and also employs multi-media applications. Her oyster shells are begun with clay, include acrylic and enamel paint and finished with a torched-on epoxy resin. The result is a multi-dimensional pearlized effect that suits the subject matter.

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Faith Driven “I like to play with words,” Brandy says, regarding the titles she gives her artwork. For example, an indigo seascape she named “Closer to Fine” after the song by that title from the Indigo Girls, as well as the feeling of being closer to fine when enjoying the ocean. “I incorporate Scripture into my titles a lot, too,” she adds. “I like to paint the sky – I consider it an altar, an invitation to worship. My artwork is definitely faith driven.” Brandy and her family are members of Porterfield United Methodist Church in Albany where she enjoys being a youth leader to ninth-grade girls.

that title from the Indigo Girls, as well as the feeling of being closer to fine when enjoying the ocean. “I incorporate Scripture into my titles a lot, too,” she adds. “I like to paint the sky – I consider it an altar, an invitation to worship. My artwork is definitely faith driven.” Brandy and her family are members of Porterfield United Methodist Church in Albany where she enjoys being a youth leader to ninth-grade girls. “This is a hobby that turned into more,” she says. “There’s no pressure; it’s fun.” Well, except for those commissioned pieces. There’s some pressure to get it just as the customer wants it, she says. Brandy designs bathrooms and kitchens, also. “I enjoy picking out and putting together products – stone, light fixtures and such,” says Brandy. Her own home reflects her casual style – light, airy and contemporary – as easy and welcoming as the artist herself. You can see more of Brandy’s artwork on Facebook at Brandy Dew Art.  ALM

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Dr. Michael Satchell’s journey to medicine had been a winding one. Story by Karen Cohilas Photos by David Parks Photography

Like most little boys, Michael Satchell wanted to be a hero. “Between six and eight, I wanted to be a fireman, I wanted to be a police officer, and all those things you always think are so cool.” But the most inspiring stories he heard, were the ones his mom, a nurse, would tell around the dinner table. “She always came home with stories about taking care of the patients and how much they really appreciated everything that she did for them. I just thought it was always so cool to hear those stories. By the time I was eight, I decided, well, that’s what I want to do, I want to go into medicine. Once I decided on becoming a doctor, that’s what I focused on.” And while Satchell’s vision was focused, his path was certainly not clear. The straight-A student found out not long after high school graduation, that college was an entirely different experience.

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Satchell knows he was called into medicine by God and has continued to listen for His voice in his practice, helping to establish a free clinic for people who can’t afford healthcare treatment elsewhere.

“I got into Holy Cross College and I was pre-med. Started off school very gung-ho and then hit organic chemistry. Organic chemistry just ruined my confidence and made me feel like, ‘I’m too stupid to be a doctor. If I can’t do this, I’ll never be a doctor,’” he said. Never having struggled in class before, Satchell was at a loss for what to do next. “You come from high school as an A student and think you’re all that. You never think you’ll need a tutor to help you out,” he said. “So I struggled through it and had some really bad grades with organic chemistry. At that point I thought, ‘Well, I’m not going to go to medical with those kind of grades.’” So Satchell started developing plan B. He joined Air Force ROTC his sophomore year, with the hope that he could find somewhere to utilize his

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“It makes me feel like that’s what God intended for me to do and I just feel blessed to be able to do that. I could still be in the Air Force, doing something that would pay the bills and give me a good quality of life, but I wouldn’t be able to touch the lives that I’ve been able to touch. I just think it’s a blessing that He put me in a position that I’m able to do that, and he blessed me with the heart to do that.”

biology degree; because in his mind being a doctor was now out of the cards. His goal was now to simply find a role within the medical field. “One of the fields that they had was an Aerospace Physiologist. One of the things they did was working with pilots and making sure they were fit for flight. Some of the more elite ones worked with NASA to get them ready for space flight. I thought that was maybe something I wanted to do, so that’s the job I applied for in the Air Force. Lo and behold, I got my job assignment and I was a supply officer. From biology and pre-med, to supply officer.” While at the time it appeared to be a major let down, it turned out to be a leg up for this now commissioned 2nd Lieutenant. He had assignments in Texas and then Korea, before his next assignment in Warner Robins, Georgia, where he met his wife Deborah. While he liked his role as a supply officer, and was eventually promoted, Satchell knew he wasn’t quite where he belonged. “I enjoyed it, but at the same time I was thinking, ‘How do I get back to plan A?’” Satchell found a nursing program in Macon that he could attend part-time. Classes were at night, with clinicals on the weekend. He decided to give it a shot. When he told his new wife of his plans, she wasn’t so sure. But if he couldn’t be a doctor, he was determined to be a nurse, like his mom. “She thought I was crazy to leave the Air Force and go into nursing. By that time, I was a captain, making a good salary with a prestigious position, but I knew that wasn’t my calling.” So during his last two years in the Air Force, Satchell enrolled in nursing school. He finished his service in December, but wouldn’t graduate until May. In the interim, he needed a job, and took one as a certified nursing assistant (CNA). “I was cleaning up the patients, cleaning their bed pans and changing beds and all that good stuff that CNA’s do.”

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Satchell also goes on medical mission trips regularly. He’s been to Ghana, Guatemala, and the place where he found the most need and deepest connection, Haiti.

Just a few short months later, he was hired on in the Intensive Care Unit as a nurse, helping recover patients from open heart surgery. “As I worked more and more at the hospital and worked around some of the physicians at the medical center, I met some of the medical residents. Those guys were kind of my age and I would talk to them about the process of medical school and realized that ‘these guys are not any smarter than I am. They probably did better in organic chemistry,’” he laughs, “’but they’re not smarter than I am.’ So God put it on my heart that I needed to keep on trying for that.” He took refresher courses, retaking organic chemistry for a higher grade. He also enrolled in a study course to get a higher score on the MCAT (medical college admissions test). Then, he decided to cast a wide net, applying to 20 different schools around the country. As luck would have it, he didn’t have to venture too far. “I got into Mercer and also to MCG (Medical College of Georgia). God just kept pushing me in that direction and he opened the door for me to go to school.” Now the Satchells had a decision to make. While Mercer was literally in their backyard, and Deborah could

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keep her job, the tuition was nearly three times as high as the Medical College of Georgia. Plus, his prior service in the Air Force, came with benefits that paid for his first two years at MCG, so they moved to Augusta. He soon found out he wasn’t the only non-traditional student there. “Medical school is a cool experience. The class was so diverse. One was a retired pilot of twenty years, another guy had spent 20 years in the navy and decided he was going to go to medical school.” While in Augusta, Satchell became study partners with Derek Heard, a Leesburg native. “I thought I wanted to be a cardiologist, then a pediatrician, then a surgeon,” he said. “Family practice was not on my radar, whereas Derek, day one wanted to be a family practice physician. We were study partners and I was always impressed that he had his mind made up and he just kept at it.” Satchell says once he did a rotation in cardiology, he was actually bored. He loved working with kids, but, it wasn’t his calling. Then he did a rotation that incorporated everything he ever wanted to do in medicine. “I actually did a rotation in Villa Rica, Georgia with Dr. Larry Boss,” he said. “He did everything. He would take out your appendix, take out your tonsils, deliver babies, perform hysterectomies, he did it all. He was a family doc who did it all. You never knew what you would get in the office. It never occurred to me that family practice did all of that. Once I did that rotation, I was sold on family practice. Again, Derek was always talking about coming home and he convinced me and Kim Williams to do the residency program here.” And once residency was over, the three classmates decided to open up a practice together. Finally, Dr. Michael

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Satchell’s name was on the door. “It’s been a blessing. It wasn’t the path I would have chosen for myself, I would have gone straight from high school, to college to medical school, but God said, ‘No, we’re going to do it a little bit differently.’ And being a nurse, being a CNA, that really taught me so much that I would not have learned going through medical school and I think it humbled me to know that you have to stop and lay hands on people and talk with them, look them in the eye. Let them know everything is going to be okay. “ Satchell knows he was called into medicine by God and has continued to listen for His voice in his practice, helping to establish a free clinic for people who can’t afford healthcare treatment elsewhere. “Mt. Zion and 2nd Mt. Zion created the Samaritan Clinic to catch the people falling through the cracks,” said Satchell. “The people making just a little too much money for Medicaid. The two churches recognized that need and wanted to open a clinic to help meet that need and, of course, they needed a medical director, so we helped to establish the clinic and it’s been a big success. Phoebe has been gracious enough to provide a lease for one dollar a year and grants help pay for expenses of equipment, medication and the paid staff that work there.” Satchell also goes on medical mission trips regularly. He’s been to Ghana, Guatemala, and the place where he found the most need and deepest connection, Haiti. “Ghana and Guatemala, I thought they were poor, but when we got to Haiti, there was such tremendous need in Haiti and so I knew that that was somewhere that I needed to focus. It just broke my heart to see the things we saw there and the need. Basic stuff that they have no access to. Things like colds, skin infections, pneumonia, and dehydration, basic things we can walk into an urgent care and get treated. Some of them would die because they couldn’t get any care. God put it on my heart that we needed to focus on Haiti and get something permanent established in Haiti. I spoke to Pastor Simmons (Mt. Zion Church) and told him about the need for

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a clinic and he prayed about it and agreed and we raised the money so we were able to put the clinic up.” Satchell’s journey to medicine had been a winding one. He’d been so proud to see “Dr. Michael Satchell” go up on his private practice door. But what he felt the day the Haiti clinic opened eclipsed any pride he’d felt before. “It makes me feel like that’s what God intended for me to do and I just feel blessed to be able to do that. I could still be in the Air Force, doing something that would pay the bills and give me a good quality of life, but I wouldn’t be able to touch the lives that I’ve been able to touch. I just think it’s a blessing that He put me in a position that I’m able to do that, and he blessed me with the heart to do that.” A heart nurtured by his own personal nurse, his mother. “Mom was always very proud of her kids. But what we are, we owe to her.” And to others with a dream that seems out of reach, Satchell says a roadblock doesn’t mean the road has ended. “Don’t give up. Pray about it and keep going after it. If it’s God’s will for you, He’s going to make a way, but you have to do your part. You can’t give up. Look for the next thing that’s going to get you there. Relationships matter. People will come back and let you know about opportunities. They will look out for you and point you in the right direction. I think it’s been a roundabout course getting here, but God has the big picture and I think he’s putting things together. I just trust Him and know that this is where I’m supposed to be.” Satchell is currently a partner at Medical Associates of Albany. He also serves as the Medical Director for two nursing homes in Albany: Samaritan Clinic and the Dougherty County employee health clinic. Satchell and his wife, Deborah, have two grown children. His brother, David, is a Customer Service Representative with Canon and his sister, Sandra, is an attorney in Albany.  ALM

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Story by kate deloach Photos by David Parks Photography

The Stoudenmire clan is proving its

education, engagement, talent and time in healthcare in Albany. investment with

Phillip Stoudenmire’s career took a typical modern-day path – namely, it was circuitous. The Albany native was a political science major at UGA in the late 1970s/ early ’80s, thinking he might enter politics one day. After graduation, he started working in governmental affairs at the Chamber of Commerce in Columbia, South Carolina, lobbying for local and state issues. After two years, he moved to the Macon Chamber of Commerce and worked in economic development. Phillip met his future wife, Cary Clifton, in their hometown of Albany, where he attended Riverview Academy and she was a student at Deerfield-Windsor School. Cary also attended UGA where she majored in education. They began dating and were married 1982. While the couple was in Macon, a classmate of Phillip’s informed him he was leaving a pharmaceutical sales job at GlaxoSmithKline and suggested Philip apply for the job. After consideration, Phillip did, and soon he was working in pharmaceutical sales in Macon. “I learned how to call on doctors, hospitals, and pharmacies,” says Phillip – experience that would prove invaluable in his future, yetunimagined entrepreneurial career. While in Macon, Cary and Phillip had the first of two sons, Charlie. They had lived in Macon for nine years when Phillip’s company had an Albany sales position open up. “I moved to Albany with the intention of taking over that sales territory,” says Phillip. “But a friend who owned an infusion company called and offered me a job.” It sounded like a lucrative opportunity, and so he took the position. He was calling on physicians and promoting infusion therapy drugs (such as

After working three years in hospital administration at the Medical University of South Carolina, Butler came back to Albany where he is employed as Chief Executive Officer of Albany Internal Medicine. “I like being in a position to have a positive influence over patients’ and employees’ lives,” he says.

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chemotherapy, HIV treatments, antibiotics, etc.). “While I was calling on physicians in hospitals and their offices, they kept mentioning the need for medical equipment,” Phillip explains. “I realized there was a business opportunity there.” So, Phillip and his boss opened a medical equipment business on the side. Soon, it outgrew the infusion company. They eventually sold the business to American Home 136

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Patient. “I learned a lot about the business I didn’t know,” he adds. Phillip went on to open another business, Southern Home Medical, selling hospital beds, wheelchairs, breathing machines, and other medical equipment. After operating it for three years, he sold the company to LinCare. Phillip, the inveterate entrepreneur, opened yet another business selling

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Charlie knew from an early age that he wanted to go to medical school. He graduated with a biology degree from UGA and entered the Medical College of Georgia. “I knew I wanted to be a doctor,” says Charlie, “but I wasn’t sure what type. I shadowed some physicians in medical school and rotated through the specialties. I thought about surgery.” Charlie says students are not exposed to pathology as a practice in medical school; it is an elective. In his third year, he took some courses and found his niche.

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medical uniforms. When his noncompete clause with LinCare expired, he started selling medical equipment once again. He sold Georgia Home Medical to AeroCare in 2013 and retired. A year prior to moving to Albany, Phillip and Cary’s second son, Butler, was born. Cary taught elementary school and later became a principal at Deerfield-Windsor, where both of the boys attended school and graduated. “From the time Charlie was a little boy, he was interested in snakes and all kinds of animals,” Phillip says. “At two years old, he could tell you the genus classification of any animal you’d point to. He just came out that way!” The Stoudenmires were sure they had a scientist in the making. Charlie knew from an early age that he wanted to go to medical school. He graduated with a biology degree from UGA and entered the Medical College of Georgia. “I knew I wanted to be a doctor,” says Charlie, “but I wasn’t sure what type. I shadowed some physicians in medical school and rotated through the specialties. I thought about surgery.” Charlie says students are not exposed to pathology as a practice in medical school; it is an elective. In his third year, he took some courses and found his niche. His gift for classification resurfaced. He completed his residency at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Charlie is now employed as a pathologist at Southwest Georgia Pathology Associates in Albany. Meanwhile, the Stoudenmires added another healthcare professional to the family when Charlie married his high school sweetheart, Laura Leigh Guillebeau. Laura Leigh also attended UGA. She graduated from its College of Pharmacy in 2012, and completed a

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Phillip points out the coincidence that both of his sons and daughterin-law, all came back to Albany within a threemonth period. Surely, that’s every parent’s dream. “It’s such an easy town to live in,” Phillip says. “There’s a low cost of living, and it is easy to navigate.”

one-year residency at the Medical College of Georgia while Charlie was in his last year. “I hadn’t really thought about pharmacy until I was on a road trip with Charlie’s family. His dad mentioned that a friend of the family was in Macon working as a hospital pharmacist.” That comment piqued her interest, and she looked into it further. Laura Leigh is now employed as a pharmacist with Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital in Albany. She scaled back her hours some last year, as she and

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Charlie welcomed a daughter, Avery, to the family. As if a medical equipment entrepreneur and two doctors from one family weren’t shaping the Albany healthcare landscape enough, Butler Stoudenmire pursued a career in the medical field as well. “I originally wanted to be a veterinarian and then a doctor,” says Butler, who had applied to UGA (by now a well-established family tradition). “In 2008, I switched to political science/ economics,” he says. “It was the first year I could

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vote, and there was a lot going on – a lot of polarization, the economic crisis.” Butler interned one summer with Senator Saxby Chambliss’ office where his chief of staff recommended Butler pursue a master’s degree in the health administration field. Phillip concurred. “Any time there is change, there is opportunity,” Phillip advised his son. The Affordable Healthcare Act was new and contentious legislation, and the field seemed like a fertile one for fresh talent. So, Butler enrolled at the Medical University of South Carolina in health administration. “It seemed like a good marrying of my interests – healthcare and administration,” says Butler. “I like working in the policy-making end of things.” After working three years in hospital administration at the Medical University of South Carolina, Butler came back to Albany where he is employed as Chief Executive Officer of Albany Internal Medicine. “I like being in a position to have a positive influence over patients’ and employees’ lives,” he says. Phillip points out the coincidence that both of his sons and daughter-inlaw, all came back to Albany within a three-month period. Surely, that’s every parent’s dream. “It’s such an easy town to live in,” Phillip says. “There’s a low cost of living, and it is easy to navigate.” “We all have a heart for Albany,” Butler adds. “We are intentional about getting closer to our family and roots, and investing in this city.” And the Stoudenmire clan is proving its investment with education, engagement, talent and time in healthcare in Albany.  ALM

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Jethro’s Coffee

Connection, Community, and Coffee

By now you’ve probably heard the buzz. IT’S BEEN BUILDING FOR A WHILE, AND HAS GOTTEN AS LOUD AS A COFFEE GRINDER. WHAT’S THAT BUZZ ABOUT? JETHRO’S COFFEE, OF COURSE. COMING SOON TO DOWNTOWN ALBANY, IT’S ALREADY GIVING OFF A WARM, INVITING AROMA. The story of Jethro’s began about five years ago, when a group of friends started looking for ways to serve the city they love. On Friday nights they would visit the downtown area to support local businesses and get to know folks. They soon began to meet with the business owners themselves, offering encouragement and support. They were simply being friendly, giving in small but powerful ways. Out of those initial meetings, this group decided to brainstorm ways to connect and build relationships within the community. They each committed to take time to come up with ideas, then reconvene and compare notes. They had their follow up meeting. The consensus was a non-profit for the purpose of connecting people with the common goal of serving and supporting the city, and even donating to other non-profits. Thus, the idea of City Connect was born. Board members were Mike and Jennifer Talley, Jon and Joanna Gurr, John and Judy Lowry, and Jerry and Montoya Cooper. With the goal of a non-profit established, they now

Written by JOHN STACY WORTH Photos by DAVID PARKS PHOTOGRAPHY

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needed a way to generate ongoing revenue so they could actually have funds to donate. Then, about two years ago, disaster hit the city. A line of strong thunderstorms with high winds passed through Albany in the first week of January, 2017. The city was still recovering from that destruction when, on January 22nd, a large tornado plowed through the area. In the aftermath of this second, devastating blow, everyone was asking, “What can I do to help?” Board member Joanna Gurr, described it this way, “I can’t cut up fallen trees. I don’t build houses. But I could do something.” So they began to hand out supplies and water to the folks affected and those assisting in the recovery. It was during this time that Joanna had the idea to start a coffee shop and use it to raise money. The proceeds could be donated to local charities and given to city government when needed (like during storm recovery). “A lot of the non-profit coffee shop was sparked by the January 2017 storms,” said Joanna. So often the response to such tragedy is people banding together to push forward with even more determination. In the case of Jethro’s Coffee, it seems those storms were also a push to move things to the next level, as attested to by Joanna; “We moved into the building in October 2017.” But even so, sometimes blessings can come in disguise. Her husband Jon admitted, “At first, it wasn’t a building that was on our radar. I passed it several times and didn’t pay much attention.” Still, he knew the general area where they wanted

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A Spark of Hope

“A lot of the non-profit coffee shop was sparked by the January 2017 storms,” said Joanna. So often the response to such tragedy is people banding together to push forward with even more determination. In the case of Jethro’s Coffee, it seems those storms were also a push to move things to the next level, as attested to by Joanna; “We moved into the building in October 2017.”

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to locate and began to ask questions. He called the city planning department to see if there was anything available. There was a single building. After careful consideration, Jon knew it was the one. As he described it, “Fred Sharpe owned the building. It’s on 212 N. Washington and used to be a U Save Pharmacy.” When speaking of acquiring the site, Jon says, “The Sharpe family graciously worked with us while we raised money to buy the building. We rented for 7 or 8 months, raised enough money to buy it, and now we’re renovating.” Slowly, they were finding the right formula to start a downtown coffee shop. Mike Talley added, “We’re across from the brewery, and nearby a new restaurant’s being built called ‘The Flint’. We’re close to the Aquarium. So the location is really good, couldn’t have picked a better spot. It feels like it’s all coming together, a great feeling of momentum.” Jon Gurr elaborated, “City Connect is the actual non-profit. Jethro’s is the name people are familiar with. Jerry, another board member, came up with it. When we were trying to figure out what we were going to call the coffee shop, he woke up in the middle of the night with that name in his mind. We found Jethro in the Bible; he was Moses’ father-inlaw. So that’s where the name came from, and it’s really caught on. People like it.” The story is in Exodus 18, starting in verse 14. It describes the wise advice Jethro gave his son-inlaw: “When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, “...Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?” “...The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone.” (NIV). Jethro went on to advise Moses to get help and delegate duties. And with that, the board members knew they’d found the perfect name to reflect their vision of a community working together. Mike Talley and his wife Jennifer were also part of that initial group. Having a heart for students, they proposed this nonprofit could also serve as a student center. As Mike put it, “Jen and I homeschool the kids, and helped the local homeschool co-op by

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What's in a Name?

“Jethro’s is the name people are familiar with. Jerry, another board member, came up with it. When we were trying to figure out what we were going to call the coffee shop, he woke up in the middle of the night with that name in his mind. We found Jethro in the Bible; he was Moses’ father-in-law. So that’s where the name came from, and it’s really caught on. People like it.”

– JON GURR

teaching. We figured if we could provide a quiet place to study, with free snacks and Wi-Fi, we could get to know some students - be part of their lives as they enter adulthood. Mentoring young people is what we want to do, which has to come through relationships.” His wife, Jennifer, agreed, “Our main focus is connecting, and that’s needed. We’re family oriented. That’s how we relate to students.” Mike added, “There might be other people with that same passion. We can connect them by building a place where they can come and serve a younger generation. Help prepare them for the future. Even teach them skills they might not have, like how to write a resume, apply for jobs, and file taxes.”

One thing the group decided early on, before they had anything, was to develop their coffee culture and get people excited. So on Fridays they started handing out free coffee from 11 am to 2 pm, mainly to county and city workers. It’s now become a weekly event; open to anyone who happens by. You also might see them handing out free coffee at city events. They were at Chalk Fest in the fall, when a 3d chalk artist came to Albany. As Jon told the story, “It was like 1000 degrees and people still came out to get coffee. Then at the Christmas parade, we had coffee and hot chocolate--most people wanted hot chocolate. On March 23rd, we attended the Southwest Georgia Home, Garden, and Outdoor

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A Dream Come True

Jethro’s is more than just a coffee shop. It’s a dream birthed by people with hearts for their community. This is how that dream started, and how it’s coming true.

Expo at the civic center. The reason we attended was to get our name out and to tell our story. We handed out free coffee and gave folks a flyer that described our vision for Jethro’s. It showed them our heart.” Though it started as a simple act of service to their community, handing out free coffee proved to be a great way to spark interest and create awareness. So when City Connect made their financial needs known, people were more than willing to help out or donate. From the beginning, the money raised was mainly from the generosity of individuals and local companies. “Griffin Lumber donated,” said Jon. “Sherwin Williams gave us a fantastic discount. LRA Contractors developed a rough set of plans for free, to show us what we’ll need for renovations. A lot of the first money was to help purchase the building and get one side working.” There are two separate parts to the building. One is for the student center and the other for the coffee shop, with a wall in between and even separate doors. The latest renovation is focused on getting the coffee shop done. It’s estimated they’ll need $150,000 to complete their dream. But the members of City Connect have resisted taking out loans. As Jon Gurr said, “We want to

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be up and operational without any debt. That will give us immediate cash flow to give to the city. So we’re still raising funds right now. The biggest needs are carpet and plumbing, HVAC equipment and ductwork. And we don’t move forward until the last thing is done, so we get pricing and target each item as we go. We find it’s more manageable if we break it into smaller bites.” And for anyone wishing to buy merchandise, Mike Talley has good news; “We do have t-shirts and hats, and we’re working on mugs. A roasting company out of Conyers is working with us to give us an exclusive blend. Something you’ll only get at Jethro’s. Coffee we could package and potentially sell.” Jon Gurr summed it up by saying, “We want to attract folks from all walks of life, and people gather around coffee. We want it to be a place where people naturally gather. Something we can use to give back to the city and help launch students into their future.” Because Jethro’s is more than just a coffee shop. It’s a dream birthed by people with hearts for their community. This is how that dream started, and how it’s coming true. If it sounds like something you’d like to support or be a part of, you can find out more online at: jethroscoffee.com or cityconnectalbany.com  ALM

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story by jessica fellows

photos by shae foy photography

It’s an age-old rule of the universe: a parent is not supposed to outlive their child. But far too often, it happens. Pregnancy and infant loss is a subject that we don’t like to talk about because we just don’t know what to say. There are no words that can comfort a grieving mother or father after the loss of their baby. Nothing that can be done to bring back the child, to stifle the silence where cries and coos are supposed to be heard, to fill the hollow space on the bosom where a tiny head should lie. I sat with Sarah Farris and her mother Cindy Kyzar, mother-in-law Lisa Farris, and two best friends, Hailey Singletary and Holly Bunce, while they relived the horrifying hours in which they found out that Sarah’s first-born son, Henry William, would not make it past a day old. After a normal pregnancy, Sarah was sent to the hospital at 37 weeks to induce labor when the doctors told her the fluid levels were too high. Hailey was in place as the birthing coach, and Holly, Lisa, and Cindy were all present and anxiously awaiting his arrival. Sarah remembers, “Before Henry’s due date, the doctors told me that I had too much fluid, so they were initially going to send me to a specialist, but they

Hailey says, “One of Sarah’s biggest fears was that people wouldn’t remember Henry. And also, what we didn’t realize when we started Henry’s Angels, is that about one in four women lose children. These were the major purposes behind starting the organization.” To get the word out about pregnancy and infant loss, to help underprivileged children, to recover and to help others recover. These are the magic elements behind the creation of this organization.

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decided to induce. The baby was fine and measuring well. They thought he was perfectly healthy; his heartbeat was good. At the hospital, however, Henry didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t tolerate the induction process very well, and his heart rate kept dropping, but it would always come back up. They rushed in a few times for an emergency cesarean section, but his heart

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rate would come back up and level out. I finally progressed after a very long day and night. When I was 10 centimeters, I pushed for two hours, and he was born at 2:51 AM on August 12, 2017. They laid him on my belly, and they were rubbing his back, but he wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t respond. He was white. They took him to the heating table and worked on him

“The primary objective of henry’s angels has become to help needy children in the community.”

Pregnancy and infant loss is a subject that we don’t like to talk about because we just don’t know what to say. There are no words that can comfort a grieving mother or father after the loss of their baby.

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Pregnancy and infant loss infiltrates so many lives and touches so many hidden crevices, and the devastation is so deep, yet awareness on the subject just does not exist, despite how common these tragedies are.

for 40 minutes. They called a code blue, which indicates cardiopulmonary arrest and calls for resuscitation. They tried to intubate him, but he pretty much went 40 minutes without oxygen or a regular heartbeat. They rushed him to the NICU after finally getting an acceptable

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heartbeat.” By this time, Cindy and Sarah thought he would be ok. It is unbelievable to think that anything bad could happen at this point anyway. In a mother’s most unfathomable nightmare, however, Henry would not make it. The doctors told Sarah’s husband, Zac, that their baby was brain dead and that they needed to take him off life support. Through silent tears, Sarah recalls, “They came and got me out of the hospital bed and wheeled me to the NICU, and I just remember going in and seeing him on the table, and I leaned forward to look at him. The doctor went to tell me what happened, and I remember grabbing my chest

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Sarah remembers the early days: “Whenever I lost Henry, I felt like I was all alone. People don’t know what you are going through. Even my husband, Zac. People don’t want to ask you because they don’t want to upset you, but I want people to ask about my son. If you know someone who has lost a baby and you don’t know what to say, just let them vent. As a mother, you just want to talk about your child. I want to talk about Henry too.”

and falling back in my chair. She told me there was nothing they could do for him. I immediately told them I wanted to hold him and take all the tubes and wires out. I changed his diaper, and we held him until he stopped breathing. The time of death was 5:00 AM.” Sarah’s mother, Cindy, picks up the story while Sarah works to regroup. She says, “Zac and Sarah had time together with Henry. Everyone there had a chance to hold him. Everything had been perfect her whole pregnancy: baby showers, ten different group messages asking about little Henry. It went from the expectation of a brand new baby to a devastating tragedy, and none of us knew how to handle it.” Hailey adds, “It was only about a two hour time span that all of this was happening, but it seemed like days. As time went on, we understood that Sarah might not want to be around our babies. We would let her talk, take food to her, and just be supportive.” Sarah explains that her two best friends, both present at the birth, had had babies just months before. She says, “I just remember when everyone was gone, and the house was quiet, I felt like I didn’t have a purpose for my life anymore. I felt like I was in a black hole. How could this happen? Our kids were supposed to grow up together.” Lisa reminisces the horror of the day as well and recalls that her daughter was pregnant at the time. The terror of losing one grandchild shook her with fear throughout her daughter’s pregnancy to the point where she had to just stop asking questions so she wouldn’t stress her daughter out. Zac didn’t know what to do and felt like he was failing as a husband, like he was losing his wife. Husbands are supposed to be the strong ones, but he needed his time to grieve too. Sarah recalls Zac’s wanting desperately just to feel his tiny son squeeze his finger. Pregnancy and infant loss infiltrates so many lives and touches so many hidden crevices, and the devastation is so

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deep, yet awareness on the subject just does not exist, despite how common these tragedies are. Lisa says, “My coworkers didn’t know what to say about the loss of a child. They just hugged me. People don’t know what to say, and you don’t have to say anything. Hugs were just right.” Awareness. That is one small facet of the reasoning behind the beginning of Henry’s Angels, the organization these women created in response to their terrible loss. They wanted to help children in need in order to spread awareness and to help them heal. Hailey says, “One of Sarah’s biggest fears was that people wouldn’t remember Henry. And also, what we didn’t realize when we started Henry’s Angels, is that about one in four women lose children. These were the major purposes behind starting the organization.” To get the word out about pregnancy and infant loss, to help underprivileged children, to recover and to help others recover. These are the magic elements behind the creation of this organization. Sarah remembers the early days: “Whenever I lost Henry,

It is a part of our human make-up if we just reach out and try it. These ladies have proven that to be true in healing their own hearts as well as the hearts of so many families in our community and surrounding areas. Henry will forever be remembered through their efforts to spread his light to so many other children.

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I felt like I was all alone. People don’t know what you are going through. Even my husband, Zac. People don’t want to ask you because they don’t want to upset you, but I want people to ask about my son. If you know someone who has lost a baby and you don’t know what to say, just let them vent. As a mother, you just want to talk about your child. I want to talk about Henry too.” She tells me about a woman in the community named Merlong Taylor who had begun a group called Angel Moms. She reached out to Cindy on Facebook, and Merlong came over and talked to Sarah in person. Sarah was able to begin recovering then. “When Merlong came to talk to me, I immediately felt better because someone else knew how I felt. After this, so many women reached out because they understand, and we want to create a network of helping others to heal. In October, I met a woman who is now a friend who lost her daughter. She is buried near Henry. When I found out about her loss, I wanted to go to the hospital and hug her and tell her I understood. The Angel Moms will get together to talk and cry and go do things together. It is such a relief to

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get with those women who understand. Merlong helped me, and I want to be able to help someone else, and now I can.” The primary objective of Henry’s Angels has become to help needy children in the community. Sarah says, “When something like this happens, you have all this energy to do something because you were expecting to be raising a child, so doing something for someone else seemed like the logical answer.” Cindy adds, “In Henry’s honor, since Sarah can’t give Christmas to her child, we want to give Christmas to children in need. It was a grass roots effort, talking to people, putting it on Facebook. People didn’t know what to do for her. It was even awkward for her best friends. People want to do the typical things for when someone passes, but this kind of tragedy is so much deeper. A lot of people donated to the NICU. But when we began Henry’s Angels, people jumped on it because there was something they could do in his memory. Lee County DFCS gave us children’s wish lists. They gave the wish lists to different sponsors, and we had dates where people dropped gifts off. We would deliver to DFCS. The first year, 2017, was just Lee County, and we helped 62 children. We did a lot of the shopping ourselves through donations from people. For Christmas of 2018, we started around September. We posted on Facebook to reach business owners who might want to sponsor, and we put their names on the back of t-shirts that we made so people would ask questions. That was one fund raiser. I also hand-paint ornaments that we sell at Maebrey Market on Ledo Road; there was a particular style for 2017 and a different one last year. I called this the Henry’s Wings project. This past Christmas, proceeds from the community and businesses helped to sponsor 189 children from Lee County, Worth County, and Dougherty County DFCS, along with the Lily Pad and Open Arms. On October 15th, we participated in a nationwide candle lighting to honor the Wave of Light movement, by simply lighting a candle at 7:00 PM. This is in remembrance of the children we have lost. We would like to expand in these ways. October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness month, and we are planning an event

for that in 2019. Coldwell Banker has been a huge help with giving volunteer time, providing a tent for drop-offs, shopping, and contributing a building so we could store all of the Christmas gifts.” Hailey adds, “The amount of response we got the first year was good, but the second year was overwhelming.” They certainly hope that the effort keeps growing. The ladies would like to send the message to the community that “this whole experience blind-sided us, but to turn it into something like we have, it’s amazing. Everyone says we’re doing such good things. I know this is all a tragedy, but Sarah is a different person; she appreciates every little thing. But to keep it going, we really need more help. Anyone interested in volunteering is welcome to join us. We have a PayPal account that is linked to our business account for monetary donations. The majority of our sponsors want to do the shopping themselves at Christmas time. If that is the case, someone can take a list and do all the shopping for a child. They need to email Henry’s Angels henrysangels17@gmail.com to acquire any information from us. This is for sponsorships, donations, volunteers, anything. We always need volunteers for shopping, bagging and labeling, organizing where the gifts go and to whom, transporting from storage to facilities, manning events, you name it.” There is no better healing than helping others. It is a part of our human make-up if we just reach out and try it. These ladies have proven that to be true in healing their own hearts as well as the hearts of so many families in our community and surrounding areas. Henry will forever be remembered through their efforts to spread his light to so many other children.  ALM

Anyone interested in volunteering is welcome to join us. The ladies would like to send the message to the community that “this whole experience blind-sided us, but to turn it into something like we have, it’s amazing. Everyone says we’re doing such good things. I know this is all a tragedy, but Sarah is a different person; she appreciates every little thing. But to keep it going, we really need more help. Anyone interested in volunteering is welcome to join us. We have a PayPal account that is linked to our business account for monetary donations.”

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Chain Gangs of Mercy

WRITTEN BY JESSICA FELLOWS PHOTOS BY DAVID PARKS PHOTOGRAPHY

OUR LITTLE HOMETOWN HAS BEEN WRACKED WITH DEVASTATION IN THE FORM OF NATURAL DISASTERS OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS.

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On January 2, 2017, we were hit with straight-line winds that were detrimental to downtown areas. Just days later, on January 22, we were still reeling from the first hit when an EF3 tornado drilled through our city and others for over seventy miles, leaving nothing but tragedy in its path. A few months later, in August, hurricane Irma came out of the Atlantic and hit us again. The impact was subtler but didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t go unfelt. Then, in October of 2018, hurricane Michael barreled into South Georgia as the third-most intense Atlantic hurricane to make landfall in the United States. It sat and stirred over Albany like a giant mixing bowl. It all sounds pretty horrendous, and it has been. Our streets have been lined with debris; people have been relocated; home-owners have been scammed; some are still live among the wreckage. The mental and emotional damage for some residents has been just as harrowing as the physical, but we have put one foot in front of the other and kept moving along tenaciously.

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For the most part,

THE CITY APPEARS LIVABLE AGAIN. BUT IN THE CORNERS, IN REMOTE AREAS, IN THE POORER COMMUNITIES, PEOPLE STILL STEP OVER DOWNED TREES AND TWISTED FENCES.

This is a group of people, many of them former strangers to one another, who came together after a storm, and who have remained close friends, confidantes, and teammates in working to rebuild the parts of Albany that are still crippled or littered with debris. 178

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For the most part, the city appears livable again. But in the corners, in remote areas, in the poorer communities, people still step over downed trees and twisted fences. I witnessed several families in Radium living in houses with boards nailed over the windows over a year after the first tornadoes plowed through. But there is one group of people, one tiny little “framily,” who strapped on their boots in 2017 and haven’t taken them off since, in order to help those in the city who are still suffering from the relentless Mother Nature. I sat down with the Albany Chain Gang, who has a headquarters of sorts at Gieryic’s Automotive Repair on Dawson Road. It was the most interesting interview I’ve ever done as almost all of the members were there to give me input on their story—not because they want the publicity, but because they, as a pseudo-family, are so passionate about what they do. And they didn’t have to tell me that; it was evident in their interactions with one another and with me. The emotion with which they shared with me their individual experiences was palpable. This is a group of people, many of them former strangers to one another, who came together after a storm, and who have remained close friends, confidantes, and teammates in working to rebuild the parts of Albany that are still crippled or littered with debris. They could finish each other’s sentences, and sometimes they did. They know each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Sometimes they told me things about each other that I wasn’t allowed to put into print. That was the good stuff. The human stuff. That evening, I met Teresa, Melody, and Noah Knight, Tom and Karen Gieryic, Josh Carlin, Dennis Marks, Chuck Cobb, Patricia Matthews, Gina Anderson, and Shaun Ryan. Tyler and Taylor Stephens, Mike T-Rock, Jeff Oliver, Channel Norman,

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Charles Moore, Benjamin Knight, Kristina Gieryic, Wayne Matthews, and Bryce and Darrell Munoz were missing, but they did not go without huge shout-outs from the crew. Teresa Knight began to tell me how it all started: “Back in January of 2017, after the first storm, we all started going out. The entire community, not just us. Whoever had chainsaws started helping each other. We started running into the same people. I ran into Tom a lot. Tom started collecting funds and donations for all the different crews. Out of that sprang an organization called the Albany Chain Gang. Tom has been great about 180

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facilitating everybody who comes in—it’s about helping the community, not just us. During the height of the storms, other groups and organizations would come from out of town, and we would supply chains or whatever they needed to get rid of the debris.” Tom adds, “All of this started with us getting supplies for the straightline winds on January 2nd. The neighbors and everyone would come out if they had small chainsaws, but they were limited because of the type of equipment. I’m sitting here at work and thinking, I’m not good at cutting stuff, but there ought to be other stuff that we could do. I

The neighbors and everyone would come out if they had small chainsaws, but they were limited because of the type of equipment. I’m sitting here at work and thinking, I’m not good at cutting stuff, but there ought to be other stuff that we could do. I started contacting my suppliers and asking for help with purchasing equipment. I wanted to put industrial type chainsaws in the hands of the volunteers while they were still here. It took off. As word got out, more and more people felt comfortable donating money and items to help.

started contacting my suppliers and asking for help with purchasing equipment. I wanted to put industrial type chainsaws in the hands of the volunteers while they were still here. It took off. As word got out, more and more people felt comfortable donating money and items to help. Our aim was to supply all the different groups of volunteers who were here to help, not just to benefit ourselves. Three weeks later, we were barely making a dent from the first storm when the second one came through. Gieryic’s became a centralized distribution center for equipment as well as supplies.”

Tom and Teresa continue discussing the early days, bouncing off one another, recalling how things just fell into place. The Chain Gang morphed into an organization using social media as a catalyst for bringing people together. Teresa is the logistics person, answering phones and mapping out where they’ve been and where they’re going. The guys just keep the chainsaws rolling. She also tells me about how the funds and volunteers started drying up about seven months into the project. The Albany-famous, wooden crosses came about during these initial days and helped bring in money when it began to Hometown Living At Its Best

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Just to rent the heavy equipment required for tree removal was costing them about ten thousand dollars a month. The people of the community who were donating out of their pockets were crucial in keeping the machines in town and running. dwindle. A girl working with Samaritan’s Purse cut the first cross. “People saw it and thought it was awesome. That was 2017 when we had a lot of people. We don’t have the volunteers to cut the crosses anymore, although that’s how we got most of our funding then.” The crosses are carved from the downed trees, and they serve as a symbol of faith and hope for our city during these tragic times. Teresa tells me that those alone brought in about forty thousand dollars that were all put back into the organization to keep going, to keep helping those in need. Just to rent the heavy equipment required for tree removal was costing them about ten thousand dollars

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a month. The people of the community who were donating out of their pockets were crucial in keeping the machines in town and running. Unfortunately, now that citizens can’t always see the remaining devastation on their daily commute, volunteers and money have waned significantly. One thread that seems to run deep in this group of people is their love of God and desire to serve Him by serving His people. Teresa says, “I do it because I want to be the hands and feet of Jesus.” Shaun Ryan tells me that he was apprehensive to get started at first. Tom is his boss, and he kept asking Shaun to come out, but he remembers finally giving in and being awe struck by the devastation on Oak Ridge Drive. Not long after that, he says, “I came out to a church that was right around the corner from my house. The entire thing was demolished except for a flag and a baptism tub. The flag was an

indoor flag with a base on it standing where the building used to be. Everything was torn down except for that. It was crazy. That being right around the corner from my house made me realize that I didn’t get it that bad. Eventually, it became almost fun. I even went out and bought my own equipment to help during hurricane Michael.” Tom chimes in that Shaun won’t be the first on the site, but he’s definitely one of the last to leave. Josh Carlin is an implant who also comments on the God aspect. He’s from Warsaw, Indiana and was there when he got a phone call from a friend who lives in Albany. He says, “I moved down here to help with the cleanup. I have a desire to help people, but it was something from God, because it was something that I prayed about for a few days before I packed up and decided to leave Indiana.” When I asked him why he has stayed on, he replied, “It’s a love for people in the community. God

ONE THREAD THAT SEEMS TO RUN DEEP IN THIS GROUP OF PEOPLE IS THEIR LOVE OF GOD AND DESIRE TO SERVE HIM BY SERVING HIS PEOPLE. TERESA SAYS,

I “ do it because I want to be the hands and feet of Jesus.” TERESA

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made me an able-bodied young man, so I feel it’s my duty and responsibility to help those in need. If this ever became something for money or publicity, I would have to step aside because I just do it to help.” Karen steps in at this point and reveals that Josh has earned himself the nickname of Pinball in the group because he can bounce back from anything. He is the cowboy who will jump right into a tree and have to be lassoed. Karen Gieryic is Tom’s wife and says that she does this work for the love of her neighbor, whatever county it might be. “Our area is not just Dougherty and Lee Counties. The people we run across all over, the citizens that we help—when you have the chance to interact with them and see their appreciation. When you hear people say, ‘I can sleep in my bed tonight’ or simply ‘I can sleep tonight.’ That’s what makes you want to keep doing anything possible The people we run across all over, the citizens that we help—when you have the chance to interact with them and see their appreciation. When you hear people say, ‘I can sleep in my bed tonight’ or simply ‘I can sleep tonight.’ That’s what makes you want to keep doing anything possible to keep going.

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to keep going. These people have become my family. To go out with them, serve with them, and feel the love from people I would’ve never met had I never been part of the Chain Gang is remarkable. Thomas has been a driving force for funds. Teresa is logistics. She gets to interact with residents before we get there; she is touching their hearts just by listening. Darrell Munzo is the skidsteer man. He’s a perfectionist, and when he rolls that machine out, I can tell the home owner what is going to happen, and they’re amazed at his work.” Tom adds, “Every single day after work he would be out working, then he had to clean, grease, and sharpen the equipment afterward. He’s a mechanical engineer by trade. Extremely smart guy. He spends time walking and studying sites that scare us, figuring out a method in his head to fix the problem. His drive and passion is head and shoulders above everyone else, and we have met a lot of people, but he doesn’t like the limelight,” he says, explaining why Darrell isn’t present. It is obvious that the team has come to work as a well-oiled machine. I meet Dennis Marks next, whose passion lies in the fact that there is still so much work to be done and not enough hands and hearts to cover it all. He says, “I’ve been out in it day and night, depending on where the damage is at. The compassion for the people in this community keeps me going. I just wish there were more of us because there’s so much that needs to be done. I think we’ll be out even longer than the officials say because if they had seen what I have... well, there is still stuff from January of 2017 that needs to be done. I went to Texas and came back during Irma; I got two hours of sleep, and I was back up cutting trees.” Chuck Cobb backs him up, saying, “When you’re talking about the family that we have, there is no one here who hasn’t put their life in each other’s hands. Cutting trees and standing under them—we trust each other with our lives. If mistakes are made, people get hurt. We can read each other, we’ve

“WHEN YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT THE FAMILY THAT WE HAVE, THERE IS NO ONE HERE WHO HASN’T PUT THEIR LIFE IN EACH OTHER’S HANDS. CUTTING TREES AND STANDING UNDER THEM—

we trust each other with our lives.” CHUCK COBB

been around each other so long. We just do it because we want to give back to the community. The night of the hurricane Michael, I was going up Stuart clearing roads. I’ve been on the ground since January of 2017. It’s just what we do.” Karen’s sister, Gina Anderson, agrees: “I went out helping and looking at the town in 2017. It looked like a war zone. I had family members who were first responders telling us what they were seeing. It was just devastating.” Gina finds her place wherever needed: “I am a cutter / limb dragger / lunch go-getter. Whatever they need. Helping my community keeps me going. I was born and raised in Albany. We can keep it looking like a war zone or get out and help.” They all agree that there is still an overwhelming amount need and not enough resources to get it

all done, to help people still suffering to finally get settled. On the same topic, Patricia Matthews speaks on account of herself and husband Wayne: “My husband and I started out six months after the January storms. We had a church member in the Cromartie area where they came together. Commissioner Howard would drive us around to other areas to help people. Some time during the year, we met up with this group and fell in love with all of them. We have a passion for it because so many people are still in need. Some of them don’t have insurance, and they need the help. This group of people will go out no matter what time of day or night. We take vacations from our regular jobs just to volunteer. My husband works the swing shift and will still go Hometown Living At Its Best

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“Each person that we meet has their own story.” THESE GUYS HAVE GLEANED AN INTIMACY FROM THE COMMUNITY THAT FEW OTHERS WILL EVER BE ABLE TO WITNESS. CHUCK COBB

out and volunteer after a night shift. It does put a lot of stress on a family to be out all the time doing this work. There are so few volunteers that we are overwhelmed.” But the Chain Gang refuses to stop until it’s done, if it ever will be. Patricia comments that she loves going into the poorer communities because the need there is so great. There is not a dollar amount that anyone can put on this type of dedication. Chuck says, “Each house has its own feeling. When you’ve been into people’s bedrooms and bathrooms and you’re cutting trees out of their living rooms, just trying to get them dried in, you can get in a mode. Each person that we meet has their own story.” These guys have gleaned an intimacy from the community that few others will ever be able to witness. Arguably the group’s most interesting member is sixteen-year-old Noah Knight. To hear the others talk, an entire story could be written about this young man alone. He is Teresa’s son, a star pupil, their youngest player, the grasshopper. He has put in over 231 hours of work, and they deem him the chainsaw instructor. He ended up with a pink chainsaw because he took it to get the rope fixed, so Tom pulled it apart and painted the bar pink. Tom says, “It was for educational purposes. But he liked it. He really did.” The group laughs together at this inside joke, and Noah just shakes his head, but the love can be felt among the group, and the respect for this young man is tactile. About becoming part of the Chain Gang, Noah says, “I got voluntold from day one. I’ve been doing it since I was 14; now I’m 16. When I first came out, I started as a dragger. As time went on, Wayne started teaching me how to operate a chainsaw. Probably a month after that,

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I was doing it myself. At first I didn’t like it so much but over time I began to enjoy it.” He has a quiet, humble soul, but the group speaks on his behalf. Teresa says, “Noah was going out in the afternoons with Tom. He has spent a lot of time out in the community helping people.” Tom adds, “We run into people all the time who are just amazed at what he does. They’re amazed with his professionalism with a very dangerous tool.” Josh says, “Noah being new to chainsawing and going through the process, he’s always listening and is so kind and has a good attitude. It doesn’t matter how long we’ve been sawing. If it’s all day long, he’s always got a great attitude. He’s always polite and an excellent example.” Teresa adds, “Noah is the future of the Albany Chain Gang. We need more young people like him to come in and help. Noah is an excellent example of that for sure.” Tom says, “I personally feel that Noah is around a lot of good role models. I have admiration for the guys who cut, and I think he does too in his own way. He’s eager to learn techniques, and he watches how we act and absorbs that. He really enjoys cutting and helping others, and the only thing he can’t get out of for this work is church.” It is apparent that the village of people “raising” Noah are molding him into a caring, tenacious, and hard-working young man. This group of people is simply amazing. They are strong-willed, dedicated, and loyal to their cause. But in comparison to the amount of work that still needs to be done in and around our community, they are but a tiny force. Tom explains, “The beaten path is pretty well cleared, but you’re not seeing the downed trees and debris, particularly in poorer neighborhoods, which is where we generally prefer to work because we know if we don’t do it, it’ll be there ten years from now.” Teresa chimes in, regarding hurricane Michael: “A lot still needs to be done. People see front yards and think it’s done. But I get phone calls every day. The phone rings, and there is someone on the other end who has given up all hope and doesn’t know what else to do. We start talking to them, and although we can’t

promise anything because we’re just volunteers, and we can’t guarantee that we won’t run out of funds or people to help, the change in their tone is amazing. We’ll show up at their house, and their yards are still like the hurricane happened yesterday. We’ve gone on with our lives out here, but those people are still living as if the hurricanes just occurred.” This is what seems to be the most important message that the Chain Gang wants to convey—that help is still needed. Teresa elaborates that while there aren’t such egregious cases where people are living in tents, storm after storm has still left people hopeless. When she answers the phone, they begin pouring out their hearts about the fear they felt while the storm was here and they hopelessness they are still enduring while living among the debris, wondering if this has become the new normal. The wreckage paralyzes them. She places them on a list, praying that the crew will have enough time, volunteers, and money to help, and the tone in their voices begin to change. They finally have some hope. Unfortunately, the Gang has to wonder how long just a few volunteers can continue to serve without more help. Will the money run out? Where will they find the time with just a few members? Teresa’s words can give the community hope, but they cannot ensure

how long or if they will certainly be able to get to them. She says, “I pray that those who don’t live in affected areas will find a way to help those in need by donating, contacting relief organizations, or volunteering for a week in a disaster area.” The Chain Gang is desperate to keep the recovery effort going. If you are interested in being a part of the solution, you may contact Teresa Knight at 229-234-0038, find the group on Facebook at Albany Chain Gang or South Georgia Disasters, or stop by Gieryic’s Automotive Repair on Dawson Road to speak with Tom or other members of the Chain Gang. By email, they can be reached at SGADisasters@gmail.com. If the service and love from this tiny group of people continues to spread to the unnoticed corners of our community, there is no doubt that a foundation can begin to form to help Albany be restored completely.  ALM

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Index of Advertisers Adams Exterminators ………………...........................…………….. 114 Adorn Hair Boutique ...................................……………………….. 175 Albany Air Conditioning & Heating …………...................………….. 41 Albany Area Primary Health Care ……………………………........... 132 Albany Body Works ………………..............................…………….. 146 Albany General Tire …………………..............................………….. 158 Albany Internal Medicine ….......................…....……………….. 38-39 Albany Living ...................................…………….....……………….. 188 Albany Symphony Orchestra …………..................………………….. 54 Albany Urology Clinic ……………………................................……….. 5 Allergy and Asthma Clinics of Georgia, P.C. ……...................….. 100 Allergy and Asthma Clinics of Georgia, P.C. ……........….. Back Cover Art Sign Company, Inc. ………………...........................…………….. 68 Austin’s Firegrill …………….....................................……………….. 40 Bison Valley Lodge ……...............................……………………….. 145 BJ’s Buffet & Drive Thru …...........................……………………….. 158 Colony Bank ...........................................………..…………………….. 7 Concrete Enterprises LLC …………………......................………….. 2-3 Custom Interiors …....................................………...………………….. 9 D & D Kitchen Center ……………………….......................…….. 22-23 Decorating Unlimited ……………...........................……………….. 103 Dental Partners of Southwest Georgia …………………….……….. 146 DJ’s II Car Wash & Quick Lube …………..............………………….. 172 Dougherty Glass Company …...................………………………….. 191 Dunn’s Business Services ………………......................…………….. 87 Duren Paint & Body LLC …….........................……………………….. 83 Eggs Up Grill ……………….........................................…………….. 147 Elements Coffee Co. ………............................…………………….. 189 Farmers Insurance-The Aldridge Agency………............………….. 191 Fast Copy & Blueprint ……………………...................................... 170 First State Bank of Albany ….................………….. Inside Front Cover First State Bank of Leesburg ……………................……………….. 174 Fleming & Riles Insurance ….....................………………………….. 99 Flint Community Bank ………………………......................…….. 10-11 Georgia Southern University …...................………………………….. 56 Griffin Lumber & Hardware ……………………..................……….. 133 Harvey Drilling ………………..................................…………….. 24-25 Hickory Grove Storage ……...................................……………….. 102 Hinman Pool Supply ….............................………………………….. 171 HopeCity United ….……..................................…………………….. 101 Hutchins Clenney Rumsey Huckaby, P.C. ..……........…………….. 144 Ivey’s ...................................………………………….................….. 159 J Denton Hardie, DMD ………………………..........................…….. 131 Kay Fuller Interiors ………………................................................... 69 Kimbrell-Stern Funeral Home ………...............…………………….. 190 Knight’s Apparel ……………..................................……………….. 143 Knight’s Appliances ………………….............................………….. 132 Lee Power Equipment ……………..........................……………….. 156

Leesburg Air …………….........................................……………….. 159 Lifestyle Sandbox ……………..................................……………….. 98 Live Naturally Vitamins and Supplements …...……..……...…….. 190 Logic4Design ……….......................................…………………….. 190 Longleaf Dental …………...................................………………….. 143 LRA Constructors, Inc. …………........................…………….…….. 173 M. Hill Interiors ………………........................................................ 69 Mellow Mushroom .................................…………………………….. 84 Merry Acres …………….........................................………….…….. 116 Millie Mac Photography …………………….......................……….. 130 Modern Gas ...................................……………………......……….. 132 Mossy Oak Dental, LLC. ………..........................…………..……….. 71 Oakland Plantation ……................................……………………….. 57 Oxford Construction Company …………………...............………….. 85 Pellicano Construction ………………........................……….…….. 157 Phoebe ………………..................................................….....…….. 117 Plantation Collision Center ……..................……………………….. 170 Potter Motor Company …………………………...….. Inside Back Cover Prince Chevrolet ...................................…...……………………….. 190 Pro 1 Collision …………......................................................…...... 83 Pro 1 Sportswear, Inc …..............................……………………….. 144 Railway Freight Furniture …………………….....................……….. 156 Renasant Bank …....................................………………………….. 145 Rental Depot …........................................………………………….. 147 Royal Collection ...................................…………………………….. 173 Rylander Theatre .....................................………………………….. 129 SafeAire Heating & Cooling ……………...................……………….. 82 Sellers …...................................................………………………….. 55 Shae Foy Photography ……………………….........................…….. 115 SL Sausage Company ………..........................…………………….. 188 Smallcakes …..........................................………………………….. 174 Southern Tractor & Outdoors ………………............…………….. 26-27 Southland Children’s Dentistry ………..................……………….. 113 Southwest Georgia Farm Credit ……………...........……………….. 131 Southwest Georgia Periodontics …...................………….....…….. 86 State Farm-Karen Cohilas ……………....................……………….. 157 State Farm-Will Worn ...........................…………………………….. 172 Stewbos ……………...............................................……………….. 116 Sunbelt Ford Lincoln …..............................………………………….. 70 The Flower Basket …………………................................………….. 191 The Kinnebrew Co. ….........................…….........………………….. 191 Turner’s Furniture …….....................................……………………….. 1 Watson Spence …...................................………………………….. 133 Westover Animal Hospital ....................…………………………….. 189 Wild Side Running …………................................………………….. 171 Women’s Health Professionals ………..……………............……….. 58 Wynfield Plantation …...............................………………………….. 59 Yancey Rents ...................................….....………………………….. 175

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