The Success of Atlanta Homeless Connect

In the pictures: Milton Little, Michael German, Sarah Ford, Dwight Eubanks, Dr. Lana Wachniak, Chamequa Holdsclaw, Iziane Castro Marques

What made Atlanta Homeless Connect a success? It was a collaboration of the community coming together to help those who needed a helping hand:

- Over 40 non-profit agencies came together to provide food and services to our invited guests.

- The event had over 50 corporate sponsors who provided over 40,000 dollars worth of gift-in-kind and monetary donations to make the event a success.

- Talented men, women and children provided their gifts of song, spoken word and acting skills to entertaining our many guests.

- Showers, hygiene kits, goodie bags, T-Shirts, long distance calls, foot treatment and snacks were offered to the guests

- Jungle gyms, balloons, facepainting, and games were offered to the children of our guests and volunteers

The outcomes from the day were very impressive:

- 879 guests and their families were served during the activities

- Over 400 volunteers gave their time and efforts to make the day a success

- Over 30 people were placed in housing
- The data is being tabulated on the demographics of the guests and a report will written to reflect the full impact of the day.

Atlanta Homeless Connect was a day full of fun and resources for the homeless of Atlanta. All sectors of the community came together to bring awareness to this growing epidemic and make the day memorable for people who are considered invisible to our society. Please read the attached links to find out about National Project Homeless Connect and the Interagency Council on Homelessness and their role in making Atlanta Homeless Connect a success.

Atlanta Homeless Connect Logo

Help me choose from the following logos for permanent logo for Atlanta Homeless Connect:

The images above logos were graciously created by Gabrielle Johnson of Total Quality Productions. Which one do you prefer for us to use for Atlanta Homeless Connect?

Updates on Atlanta Homeless Connect, Homelessness Awareness Week and September 11th Rememberance

Just a note to tell you what has been going on with the events:

- We now have a keynote speaker for Homelessness Awareness Week at KSU who went from homelessness to Harvard.

- Atlanta Homeless Connect is an initiative under President Obama's serve.gov and I received a letter of support by email to be used to get people motivated to serve.

- We are finally coming together as a team. I am very proud of this because it took us so long to get on the same page....... but God showed-up and showed-out!

- @goLiveid and @dreamwithfaith are really working hard on their ends to make change where they are and are helping organize "The Crusade"

- We are getting all kinds of resources for the event but we could always use more. I would like to have resources pour in from everywhere like manna from heaven.

We are making change........ all of us working together........ helping one person at a time. This is what "The Crusade" is all about....... this is what my mother dedicated 50 years of her life to...... making a difference for the less fortunate.

Please remember this day in 2001 the World Trade Towers were hit, killing thousands of people. Hold this as a constant reminder that we are better than this....... we are stronger........ we are one people, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all...... forever. Amen.

Homelessness Awareness Week at Kennesaw State University

During the week of October 12th thru the 17th an amazing annual event, Homelessness Awareness Week (HAW), will take place on the campus of Kennesaw State University. Students, faculty and staff will be provided with the extraordinary experience of learning about and simulating homelessness as the campus field is turned into a homeless community.

The following is the agenda for the week:

October 12th - Homelessness Awareness 1st Annual Conference
Making Homelessness Visible: From Education to Engagement

October 13th and 14th - Breakout sessions in classrooms with outreach workers from the community

October 15th and 16th - A 48 hour homeless simulation where students sleep-out on the campus field for two nights and try to find the resources they need to survive.

October 17th - Debriefing of students and faculty with group discussions about individual experiences

HAW makes it possible for faculty, students and staff to have the opportunity to learn about this "invisible" sector of our society. The goal of the activities is to increase students knowledge and understanding of living without food shelter and sometimes living without hope.

To learn more about Homelessness Awareness Week at KSU visit http://www.cleopatrajones.org/ where you can view footage from HAW 2008. To register for Homelessness Awareness Week go to the following link: serve.gov.

The Big Event - Altanta Homeless Connect

On Sunday, October 25, 2009 a number of non-profit organizations, educational institutions, government agencies and the community at large will come together to recognize one important issue: Homelessness. Atlanta Homeless Connect will be Georgia's first major event to encompass a broad scope of collaboration to address homelessness using the federal government's Project Homeless Connect model. This model has been used successfully in a number of other states including California, Washington, Oregon, Iowa and Minnesota. The event will be registered as part of serve.gov, a community service initiative of President Barack Obama which runs from June 22nd to September 11th.

Here are the details of the Atlanta Homeless Connect event:

- The event will take place at Georgia State University's Sports Arena

- A number of non-profits and state government agencies such as Living Room, United Way, Salvation Army, Trinity Community Ministries, the Atlanta Mayor's office, Georgia Department of Community Affairs, Gateway, Covenant Community, The Anti-Aging & Vitality Center of Atlanta, The Sullivan Center and others will come together to provide program intake, information and resources to the community.

- We will provide refreshments and entertainment to all individuals who attend the event

- We will provide showers, hygiene kits, food, intake services and other resources to the homeless and at-risk community

- We will have a day of celebration to honor some champions to the cause of homelessness within the Atlanta area (Two pioneers in the fight to end homelessness will be retiring this year and we will honor their contributions.)

- We will showcase the many talents of homeless individuals by providing a talent show. We will also have a number of local artists from the community who would like to perform.

- Local universities will provide student volunteers and conduct a number of service projects during Atlanta Homeless Connect.

- The community at large is invited to participate and engage homeless individuals so we can increase understanding and awareness of this epidemic. (I would love to see this be an event for the whole community with food and fun. I hate the stigma of homeless in the title but we need to bring awareness to this problem.)

You are invited to help organize, participate, perform and volunteer. If you are interested in participating in this event please go to http://www.cleopatrajones.org/ to join the social network and register at serve.gov (this registration is very important in organizing the event). I will be providing you with more details about the event on the website. We can change the world one person, one household, one neighborhood, one community, one city, one state, one nation and........ one world at a time.

Cleopatra Jones Day...... Making Change One Person at a TIme

Yesterday The Cleopatra Jones Crusade, Inc. (A.K.A "The Crusade") had it's first annual celebration of Cleopatra Jones Day and it was a great success. June 11th was proclaimed by the Westchester County Board of Legislators as Cleopatra Jones Day in remembrance of Cleopatra Jones and her 50 years of service to the community. The day was celebrated by volunteering to make CHANGES: Culture, Health, Arts, Nutrition, Generosity, Education/Environment, and Service a reality in at risk communities.

In Atlanta volunteers attended a meet, greet and eat with the homeless at the Salvation Army Red Shield on Luckie Street. Volunteers participated in a number of tasks such as; feeding the homeless, working in the clothing closet to organize donations, and helping the maintenance crew with minor tasks throughout the building. Everyone learned from each other while participating in the activities and fun was had by staff, volunteers and individuals who are clients in Salvation Army programs.

Networking for collaboration of future events and volunteer opportunities were discussed by "The Crusade" and Salvation Army staff and plans for a meeting to solidify arrangements were made. The event opened doors for organizers to work together to create volunteer opportunities and make change a reality in the nearby community.

"What a great way to honor a great lady and we would love to participate in any other volunteer opportunities offered by this organization." said Alicia Brown, Lead Case Manager at Salvation Army Red Shield.

Criteria for Volunteering

The Cleopatra Jones Crusade, Inc. is a non-profit organization that concentrates it's efforts in bringing awareness to and working in at-risk communities. Many times it is necessary to recruit volunteers to work along with staff on a project in order to obtain the desired impact.

The following are the guidelines for volunteering in the community:

1) Each volunteer should work in the community to make it better and make a positive impact.
2) Each volunteer should choose an agency that has a positive mission statement and vision
3) A volunteer should never work in an agency they feel is not making positive CHANGES in the community.
4) The Cleopatra Jones Crusade does not condone working in any agency that is not promoting a positive impact in the community.
5) The Cleopatra Jones Crusade does not condone violence or explicit acts of violence towards any person
6) The Cleopatra Jones Crusade will not be held liable for any person who volunteers in the community and does not uphold the mission of the crusade.
7) The Cleopatra Jones Crusade is making a suggestion to people to volunteer in the community and people can choose when and where they volunteer.
8) Volunteers freely choose the agency/organization where they will volunteer and the work agreement is between the agency/organization and the volunteer.

Expected Outcomes from volunteering:

1) Volunteers will have a feeling of accomplishment and goodwill
2) The community will receive positive impact from the efforts of the volunteers activity
3) The community and the volunteer will both benefit intrinsically from volunteer activities

It is important for people to volunteer in their communities and make the community better for all the residents of that community. The mission and vision of the Crusade is to create and promote positive CHANGES that will profoundly affect people's lives. Volunteering in the community is not an opportunity to take advantage of anyone but rather to help others change their negative circumstances and grow as human beings. We hope all who volunteer in the community understand their help is needed to make positive change a reality and their behavior should reflect making a positive impact.

Cleopatra Jones Day - A Worldwide Initiative

The Cleopatra Jones Crusade, Inc. was created to honor the memory of Cleopatra Jones, a civil rights leader, and her crusade to make positive CHANGES in the community. Mrs. Jones was an activist in the pure sense of the word. She stood against injustice and poverty issues within the Westchester County community and worked with many politicians to promote change. 

June 11th is the day the Westchester County Board of Legislators choose as Cleopatra Jones Day in Westchester County, New York. It is a day to honor Mrs. Cleopatra Jones for her many contributions and her 50 years of service to the community.  The Crusade is a movement to follow the legacy of Cleopatra Jones by volunteering in the community and promote different events to celebrate our individuality. This year The Cleopatra Jones Crusade will be campaigning for volunteerism all over the world on June 11th.

In Atlanta, Georgia some volunteers will work at Salvation Army Red Shield on Luckie Street from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm at a meet, greet,and eat with the homeless. During this time it is the planners hope that we both volunteers and clients alike will engage in conversation to learn from one another. If you are in the Atlanta area and cannot find a place to volunteer, come and join us..... we would love to have you!

Working in the Community

Working in the community can be rewarding and fulfilling but challenging at the same time. In order to get started you should think about an issue you are passionate about like poverty, civil rights, ecology, etc... Next, look on the Internet or in the local phone book and identify agencies that focus on your passion and get them a call. The agency may ask you some questions because all human service agencies have to be protective of the people they serve (some agencies require a background check). Once you get clearance you can begin volunteering at their organization but here are some tips:

1) Make your schedule - a lot of agencies are short handed and would love if you could work 24 hours a day so let them know your availability.

2) Be punctual - volunteering is just like a job but you're not on the payroll plus they may have something for you to do that is time sensitive (like serving meals to the homeless).

3) Dress appropriately - if you are going to be outside wear suitable clothing for the weather and climate.

4) Be considerate - work at the job you were assigned and report to the team leader or volunteer coordinator if you want another task. Try not to just start helping someone else unless you ask them, they ask you or you are assigned to the task. 

5) Have fun - the best thing about volunteering is the relationships you build. I worked with a broker who built his whole business off volunteering in the community. Also, the feeling you get from giving is priceless!!!

Now you are ready to volunteer in your community where you can make a difference....... and you'll be glad you did.

Cleopatra Jones the Original Crusader of CHANGE

Cleopatra Jones was a civil rights leader in New York during the 60's, 70's, and 80's. She worked in the community to make a difference by fighting against poverty, homelessness, discrimination and injustice. She was the original crusader of CHANGES.

CHANGES:

C - Culture - to understand and respect all people for their differences

H - Health - to promote health initiatives in the community and reach out to those who can't afford treatment

A - Arts - to promote all expressions of art as a way to redirect focus off personal challenges

N - Nutrition - to provide nutritious food to the less fortunate....... a full stomach is the key to unlocking the treasures of the mind

G - Generosity - to give without expecting anything in return

E - Education - to provide equal opportunities for everyone to obtain knowledge...... give a man food and he eats for a day..... teach him who to cook the food and he'll eat for a lifetime

S - Service - to volunteer within the community and work to help others

The homeless are no different than you and I, they need shelter, food and clothing too. Something has happened in their lives to make them homeless and they may not have caused their circumstances. We cannot judge the homeless, instead we need to become fishers of men and try to help our neighbor. Become a crusader....... a crusader of CHANGES to make a difference in your community.