Marianne Butler and Leonard Akers with Homeless Coalition of Cherokee County

Intro: Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX Studios in Woodstock, Georgia. It’s time for Cherokee Business Radio. Now, here’s your host.

Stone Payton: Welcome to another exciting and informative edition of Cherokee Business Radio Stone Payton here with you this morning. And today’s episode is brought to you in part by Woodstock Neighbors magazine, bringing neighbors and business together. For more information, go to Facebook and Instagram at Woodstock Neighbors Wbvm. And if you have a small business and you have a heart for community and would like to utilize this platform to serve others and help you grow your business, consider joining us our Community Partner program, Main Street Warriors. Go check us out at Main Street warriors.org. All right, it’s time for our headliner. Please join me in welcoming to the broadcast with Homeless Coalition Cherokee. Welcome back to the Business RadioX microphone. Ms. Marianne Butler. How are you?

Marianne Butler: I’m doing great this morning. Thanks for having me.

Stone Payton: Oh, I’m delighted to have you back in the studio. I told you last time we talked, I was quite sincere. We wanted to have you back and check in on some things. I know you’ve got some interesting stuff coming up, but let’s before we go there, would you take a moment and maybe articulate for me and our listening audience? Mission, purpose. What are you and your team really out there trying to do for the community?

Marianne Butler: So, sure, the homeless coalition of Cherokee County is committed to coming alongside those experiencing homelessness so that they realize housing, stability and wholeness in Christ. So that sounds like a lot of great big words.

Stone Payton: It also sounds like you’ve answered that question before. That was incredibly articulate. I know I said articulate and you were articulate.

Marianne Butler: Nailed it. So, yeah, so it sounds like a lot of big words and stuff, but we actually use those words and we’re we’re creating programs and a process to to make housing stability a reality for a lot of those experiencing homelessness in our community. So it’s a very exciting time. We’re a new little group and so we’re excited to be here and share what we’re doing.

Stone Payton: So I said this last time, and I’ll say it again, I guess surprised is an accurate anymore since I had the benefit of a real conversation with you. Not that that long ago, but it still intriguing to me. I don’t know what the right word is, you know, because it seems like a pretty affluent community. You know, I’ve got a nice little patio home right on the edge of downtown Woodstock. Holly and I hopped in the golf cart and went down to reformation. We had a beer. We enjoyed the weather. Holly’s involved with the art scene here. I get to meet, you know, small business people every day and have a conversation. It it just it doesn’t I guess it’s still unnerving. I don’t know what the right verb is that we actually have a homeless population here in Cherokee County.

Marianne Butler: We do. And that I get get that question or I get that conversation a lot from people. I’ve never seen somebody experiencing homelessness. I don’t see those big camps. Like like when you go down into downtown Atlanta or even some of our larger cities, you see big camps and things like that. And that’s really not as descriptive of those experiencing homelessness in Cherokee County. On any given night, we’ll have about 200 at least people who are unsheltered a night. And that’s not including what we call precariously housed. Those are people who may have enough money to live in a hotel for a few nights, but then the next night they don’t they don’t know where they’re going to be. So they’ll they’re back in their car. They may be in their car for a while and move from parking lot to parking lot. So precariously housed is uncertain, unsteady, unstable housing. They may be on a friend’s, an uncle, cousin, whoever. They may live on the couch for a few nights. But then again, they don’t know where they’re going to go next. And it’s you know, one of the glaring problems is we don’t have an emergency shelter. So so people are really kind of scrambling if they’re living paycheck to paycheck and things like that.

Stone Payton: So, yeah, speaking of emergencies, what about we don’t we’re fortunate. We don’t have that many weather events, but it can get really cold or have a storm coming through that. So that’s a challenge, too.

Marianne Butler: Yes, it is a challenge. It is a challenge. And we’ve. Is a challenge I don’t have. I wish I had an immediate solution for that. Right. Right. It certainly. But I don’t have one. We’ve worked with other groups in order to assist. When it got really, really cold last Christmas, it was below freezing, I think for three days in a row. We did assist the way church in downtown Woodstock and I believe Action Church also opened their doors for those who were out in that freezing. I mean, it was it was freezing for three days in a row. So. Yeah, but that’s not a permanent solution.

Stone Payton: Right, Right. So you mentioned being a young organization. Kind of walk us through the history and what compelled you personally to get involved with this effort.

Marianne Butler: So yeah, the history this was about 2018 ish. Some pastors came together and started kind of questioning and wondering. Pastors and lay leaders from about six local churches came together and started kind of questioning, wondering what’s going on with with people who are unhoused unsheltered in the community. Where are the needs, where are the gaps in services? And we didn’t know you know, they didn’t know. And pastors, you know, they’re great. They’ve got these vision casting things going on and they’re like, wow, what’s going on? So they I was in on those earlier conversations as a lay leader in one of the churches. And then we they ended up hiring me in 2020 to start 2020 when everything shut down. Right. Perfect timing. It was actually good timing, but they hired me to kind of figure out what was going on in the community where the gaps in services in particular are and fill those needs. So we don’t want to reinvent the wheel. We’re not going to be something that’s already existed and done well by another organization. But we wanted to fill in those gaps. And luckily we have today Leonard Akers with us. He is a board member and a pastor at local church. And I think he was in on those early conversations as well.

Leonard Akers: So yeah, thanks for having us. Stone We got together and there was a couple people that just had a heart for homelessness and it really was sort of a discovery like, like what is I think a lot of us might have been in the same place that you were. Stone of just is this really an issue up here? You know, we know about downtown Atlanta and see pictures of big cities all over the world. But as we discovered, we then got led to prayerfully think about forming something that I think the important word for us is that we want to be relationally engaged with people who are experiencing homelessness. And I like to think that most of the people who are experiencing homelessness in our community are sort of hidden. In other words, they’re people that we know. They’re people who take their kids to school. They’re people that might look on the surface as if everything is fine. But the reality is, is that in the evenings they’re like Marianne said, they’re crashing at someone’s couch or they’re in a Walmart parking lot in their car, leaving the car on all night long to keep the kids warm. Right. And I think that we discovered that there was a unique opportunity for us to relationally engage with folks and provide relief. Hopefully that then leads to some sort of recovery and eventually to full restoration, which is really what our community is all about, is relationally caring for people in the hopes that we can help some of them, maybe a lot of them find their way to stability and housing and then also restoration in their own faith beliefs.

Stone Payton: So let’s dive into this relationally and engaging with someone. I actually know, a person that I am 80% confident is how did you put it? Precariously, precariously housed and I’ll give you that background later, confidentially off the off the air. But I’m not I don’t even feel like I would know what to say like to get them going down the the is that tough sometimes in the early going just approaching them about this path.

Marianne Butler: So for for our perspective what we do what we’ve initially done is received referrals from other agencies. So that’s helpful to us because there are larger, better known agencies that people initially go to and then they refer them to us. Okay. And and it’s really somebody coming to us to ask for help versus us seeking out. Does that make sense?

Stone Payton: It does make sense, you know.

Marianne Butler: People want to need to be in a state of readiness to make those kinds of changes. And they’re hard sometimes, so. Right. So, yeah, that’s okay.

Stone Payton: All right. And then but if someone in a state of readiness that has been referred, what does the conversation and the process look like, particularly in the early stages?

Marianne Butler: So what we have, we have basically three programs, if you will. The first one is called Operation Roof. It’s a week long hotel stay and we call that actually more than a hotel stay. We meet our guests at the hotel. We talk with them. We listen to them listening to people’s stories. And I say this every single time, being heard when you feel that you’re forgotten and unheard is probably the most valuable thing we can do right now. Just listening to their story. So we we have trained volunteers who meet our guests at the hotel. They listen to their story. They provide compassion, support, just in prayer if requested. And then they try to. Once listening to that story, point them to additional resources in the county that may be useful to them. So kind of matching up those resources with their specific needs. Again, we’re not going to reinvent the wheel, but we try to match that with them. So that’s how we meet our guests. We receive the referral. We meet them at the hotel. We we spend time with them, get to know them a little bit, and then we continue to try and follow up over the course of the week that they’re in the hotel and even after they’ve left that week long. Stay with us to see how they’re doing and again, provide encouragement and a little, little hope there.

Stone Payton: But the listening that’s that’s so important. And I’m sure a week in the same place is a nice respite just to get it right.

Leonard Akers: And I think. Stone Marianne just gave you a little bit of the answer to your question, and that is, is that if you can find a way to engage the conversation in a self in a safe and and helpful way for that family that you’re thinking about, then just inviting them to share the story. I mean, that’s kind of what you do with this program as well, is invite people to share the story. And once they begin to share the stories, then who knows what that leads to? Maybe a follow up conversation, maybe connecting to more resources that can be helpful. If there’s one thing that’s amazing about Cherokee County and I’m sure you experienced this with your engagement with small businesses, is that there’s a real desire here to work together, that we want to collaborate, that even though we might have small businesses that are in the same arena, we really want to figure out how to help everyone succeed and do well, right? And I don’t know that that is always present in all communities, but it’s here and we should lean into that whenever we can. Right. And what Marianne also pointed out was that we don’t believe that we have all the answers. There are large organizations, nonprofit, faith based, secular, who do amazing work and who have amazing amounts of resources. And sometimes our role is just to get people into a little bit of housing stability and then connect them with all the amazing resources that are available in this community in the hopes that they might be able to begin to walk towards housing stability.

Stone Payton: So the ideal scenario then is they participate in this this hotel week and there’s this conversation and listening. And then the next step in an ideal scenario is more permanent housing somehow, some way.

Marianne Butler: Yeah. And it varies from person to person. They may be, you know, waiting for an apartment to come available or saving some money. This is a really big key is for all those deposits and things that they need to make on.

Stone Payton: What a headache that’s that’s a headache for me that that would be a headache for me. You got to do like the first month in the last month and the deposit and the check and.

Marianne Butler: And if you if you’re living paycheck to paycheck. Yeah that’s almost.

Stone Payton: That’s a knockout.

Marianne Butler: Very difficult. And then we also and I think I mentioned this well before we got on the air is we’re about need based identifying needs. And so one of the things we introduced in November of last year is our motel meal kits. And we were noticing people were coming in with food from, you know, we have fantastic food pantries in this community, but it’s not usable in a hotel setting.

Stone Payton: Never even thought about that.

Marianne Butler: And so we created we have a lot of great community partners and our and our partner churches that created motel meal kits. So they have everything that our guests would need for ten breakfasts, ten lunches or dinners, sides, snacks, paper products, everything that they would need for that week. Again, some food for them and to save a little bit of money. We know food is expensive. I mean, that’s going to.

Stone Payton: Be the biggest expense. Right. And it’s helping me realize, like the person I was telling you about, I got a freezer full of deer meat. That’s not going to help this guy right now. That’s not what that’s not what this person needs.

Marianne Butler: Right, Right, right.

Stone Payton: So, yeah. Interesting.

Leonard Akers: And then the hope is, is that there are some folks who we get connected through Operation Roof that seven nights stay that we can then encourage to consider joining us in our next area, which is about really recovery and that is path to home. And path to home is a 90 day safe, stable housing. Instead of it being in a motel setting, it is more in a extended stay. So there’s some sort of a kitchen that gives the ability to expand the food offering. And then that person is connected with someone who is beyond just a guest accountability partner, which is a resource manager. And then the hope is, is that you sit down, you come up with a plan, and that plan is really driven by the person or the family experiencing homelessness. Right? Like, it’s not our job to tell them how they need to live their lives or any of that. It’s our job to encourage them in the ways that will hopefully lead to housing stability. Right. And that’s a 90 day stay that gives them a real good chance to get stable and maybe catch up on things that maybe have gotten out of control and all sorts of areas. And then the hope is that you begin to start to work the plan and that you really are our role is to encourage and do that both physically, emotionally, spiritually and all the ways that we can so that we are relationally helping people find their way to housing stability.

Stone Payton: So houses funded, what do you get your because it’s got to cost some money, right? It can’t come all out of your pockets.

Marianne Butler: That is a really good question. So we have been I mean, we’re blessed. We we have the foundational churches who continue to provide financial support.

Stone Payton: So some of these congregations are ponying up.

Marianne Butler: Absolutely. And then we have, you know, even more churches. But it’s not limited to just churches. We have some civic organizations. We’ve received some small grants and things like that. So yeah, we’ve been really blessed to receive funding from all sorts of sources and and throughout the community.

Stone Payton: So so that’s the big part of your work, right? You got to go out and build relationships with these folks and steward that money and help them understand the impact that they’re having. You got like three full time jobs.

Marianne Butler: I do. That is that’s a really good point. I hope the rest of my board is listening to this.

Stone Payton: But in your congregation, Leonard, I mean, this isn’t the only thing they’re trying to impact, right? Plus, you’re trying to serve their faith needs, of course. Tell us a little bit about the a day in the life of a pastor of a church like this. What is that life like?

Leonard Akers: Well, that could also take up the entirety of this program. But but I think that this is where there’s a lot of alignment with how the homeless coalition is going about, which is, I think a job of a pastor by is really about relationally connecting with people and figuring out how to do that in a way that makes a difference for people’s faith journey. And that’s where I think that this organization really helps us make that connection, because in some cases it helps people to sort of scratch that itch of how am I serving my fellow man and what am I doing to make a difference, and how can I do that in a way that feels relationally connected to them, even if they’re not the person who’s on the front line with the person, they are still making a difference. And the reality is, is that we have lots of great nonprofits in this community that we can look to, to kind of see the roadmap of success, you know, very large things. But in terms of what we do on a day in and day out basis, yeah, the reality is, is that Sunday is not the only day of the week that we work. Yeah.

Marianne Butler: I did not know that. Yeah.

Leonard Akers: And the truth is is that I think that we believe and I believe that it’s my job in the same way that Maryann does to connect to the community, right? Like we’re called. Not simply to pastor to the people that are have chosen to call local church Canton their home like we’re called to pastor and care for the community to whatever extent they will allow that to happen. So the more that we become connected and enmeshed and and great, the more opportunities we have to make. This is going to sound very preachy, but to make secular moments sacred. And that’s what we’re called to do. And this is where I can throw it out even in a bigger way, that everyone I think who says they want to follow Jesus is called to find moments to make sacred for the sake of the kingdom. And the great news is, is that some of us get to be paid a little bit to do that.

Stone Payton: So, yeah, very well said. You may have a career in branding and copywriting as well. No, that is very well framed. I’m going to ask this of both of you and I’m going to start with you, Leonard. Clearly you find the work fulfilling, Rewarding what at this point in your career, in your work, what do you find the most rewarding? What’s the most fun about it all for you?

Leonard Akers: Well, I think that this is where it really ties in to to everyone. And this is what I mean by that. Like, everyone likes to be a part of helping people discover how amazing they are, right? Whether that comes through as a coach on a sports field or whether that comes through as a business leader or owner helping to kind of mold the next generation to discover what their gifts and talents are. And I think that as a culture, we love people who discover within themselves something that they’re. Good at that. They get excited about doing and that they find great fulfillment and reward in. And I think for us pastors, our role is to do that in a way that helps people discover what it means to be a faith person, what it means to believe that there is something spiritual at work within each of us and thus the world. And how do we sort of tap into that and help people get more and more confident and comfortable that there are things in the world that faith makes a huge difference towards, and helping people to discover that for the sake of not simply their faith lives, but their home lives and their work lives and all of that, you know, and there’s great joy in that. Now, the flip side of that is that we don’t always get to see the touchdown scored, right? Yeah, Sometimes all we’re doing is planting and watering and that sort of thing. But that work in and of itself is meaningful, right? Because we’re trying to help people discover that their lives, no matter where they are in the world matter and that they have meaning and that they can live out their lives with purpose and meaning. And that’s where I think once again, back to the homeless coalition that we’re trying to do this relationally. Right? Like we’re not trying to solve this for hundreds of people. Right. I think we’re trying to be helpful to a few in the hopes that that help then turns into lasting, sustained housing, stability and healing personally and physically, emotionally and spiritually.

Stone Payton: Well, it’s such a great point, too, because like a person like me, I’m incredibly blessed. And I do find joy in trying to support different things. That’s what our community partner program is all about, that I opened up the the show with and sometimes I have thoughts of, man, I can’t attack homelessness, you know, like it’s just this big, huge, hairy thing. But I might be able to help this one person get on the right path in another person or help fund somebody that’s already got a little bit of machinery in place. It’s not like you have to go out and do this, you know, grand, big philanthropic, just these little if a lot of us do a little something, it can really have a big impact, can it? Well.

Leonard Akers: Stone What if one of the main takeaways from our time with you this morning is, is that this leads you to have a conversation with that person or family that you’re thinking about that might be in that precarious place. If nothing else happens, wouldn’t all of this time be worth it?

Stone Payton: Absolutely right, 100%.

Leonard Akers: And I think that’s where we can take huge problems, not just homelessness, but all sorts of problems If we take them and make them personal and make them relational, then every single one of us can find a way to make a difference.

Stone Payton: Yes. Marianne, what what do you find the most rewarding?

Marianne Butler: I am trying to figure out how to put this in words. I. I have a passion for being a voice for those who are unheard. And I’ll start to kind of get a little teary about this. It’s a passion for those who are unheard, unseen, and perhaps feeling somewhat hopeless or defeated. I have a passion for trying to bring hope to maybe a feeling of hopelessness and being a voice for those who who perhaps feel unheard, unseen or forgotten. It’s a it’s a passion. I it’s hard, but it’s it’s truly my my passion or my calling, if you will, to to be that voice. You know, I’ll speak up wherever I can. You know, if the grocery store, the vet’s office, anywhere I can, I’ll.

Stone Payton: We first met.

Marianne Butler: Up at a.

Stone Payton: Pop up tent, and you had t shirts, and we’re explaining that. So you will go and do you? Absolutely will.

Marianne Butler: Yeah. But I think that’s important. You know, when you feel forgotten, I mean, imagine, you know, you just like I said, that listening, even when I have to say no to people and that we’re full with our hotel stay program with our Operation Roof for the month, 99% of the time people will say, well, just thank you for calling me back and listening, for calling me back and listening.

Stone Payton: Wow. That does seem to be very impactful. The theme of this conversation is is listening. Yeah. So going forward, I understand we got a really cool event coming up. We might raise some money. We’ll be able to celebrate some wins and kind of look to the future. Tell us about what’s coming up.

Marianne Butler: So this is really, really exciting. So we have our first ever you know, like I said, we are very young, so we’re having our first ever fundraiser gala that is October 14th up at the Timbers at the mill on Ottawa. And the fun part of it, it’s downtown Millie. So it’s a take off the Downton Abbey Show. So it’s a costume ball. And so we want people to dress up and have a great time. There’s going to be food and a great DJ, and then we’re even going to have like a crowning of the Lord and lady or king and Queen of the Ball. I mean, it’s just going to be a great time. And the other thing is, is we’re we’re able to share some information for people who are unaware or want to be involved, things like that with the Homeless coalition and those experiencing homelessness. And we’ll be introducing, you know, we talked about our our seven night, our Operation Roof, our three month, our path to home program. And we’ll be introducing our our long term goal and which is a restoration village, which is a longer term kind of community that we’re we’re planning for the future for up to two years for people to stay in. So it’s restoration village and that we’ve just started laying the groundwork for that. But it’s really, really exciting. So yeah, October 14th tickets can be found on our Facebook page or our website, $90, which, you know, that’s pretty darn good. I’m just saying. So so we would love for everybody to come out and join us. That would be a great help and support. Yeah.

Leonard Akers: And I’d like to speak into the fun side of that. Right. We are going to present some information and we are going to educate folks. But the reality is, is that it will be a fun night with lots of dancing. We will not be dancing to the music from Downton Abbey. We will be dancing to fun dance songs from, I’m sure, the 70s and 80s and all of that. But also know that as we present, we’re going to do the best that we can to make it a part of the evening and engaging and fun. And out of the three hours that we have time with people, we’ll probably keep our comments to in the 15 to 20 minute range so that there’s lots of time for engagement and fun. And it’s just the time of the year to get dressed up for a good cause and come out and support. So we would love to see folks come join us on Saturday, October 14th at the Timbers, which is at the mill on Etowah.

Stone Payton: Sounds like a great time. Now, are there is there a silent auction or any other kind of fundraising activity tied to this?

Marianne Butler: So, yeah, there will be a silent auction. And at at the event itself. And then prior to the event I mentioned the Lords and Ladies, we have four amazing people in our community who we can you can donate money toward either a lord or lady. Am I explaining this? Well, sort of. Not really. Why don’t you do that?

Leonard Akers: Yeah. So we have four distinct lords and ladies, and they are fundraising their way to become either Crown King or Queen of the ball. And so the person who raises the most money will be crowned king and or queen of the ball. And so those people are going to be busy fundraising for the next 14 days. All those proceeds go in. To help support the housing coalition of Cherokee County. And it’s just fun. Once again, it’s a fun thing. And this is where community and collaboration comes together, right? Like we didn’t create this idea. This idea was given to us from another nonprofit that we love greatly, which is the Children’s Haven, who is now in their third year of running the adult prom, also at the Timbers of Etowah. And they crowned prom king and queen, Right. And they do that through fundraising, right? And so that’s an organization that is at a very different place in terms of their maturity and their level of engagement and impact. And so because we are a collaborative community, we can borrow one another’s ideas and turn them into something wonderful. So it’s going to be a great night.

Stone Payton: Yeah, it sure sounds like it. Okay, so what can we, the lay people just out in the community and particularly the small business community, that’s kind of my my world. What can we do beyond, you know, looking into this gala and trying to support like, what do you need the most going forward? Just looking for ways for us to contribute.

Leonard Akers: I think the biggest thing is a little bit about where you already shared from your heart stone and that is, you know, just become aware, you know, become aware that it’s not that Cherokee County doesn’t have any camps of homelessness. There are 1 or 2. But the reality is, is that that is a really small percentage of the people experiencing homelessness. And I think it is to become aware and then maybe just be open and available to the possibility that there is someone in your circle of influence that might be either homeless or in that precarious place, and then figuring out a way to engage in a helpful dialog. Maybe it’s mostly listening and finding out because at the end of the day, we want to be making a difference. All of us. I think for people that we know and care about. And the reality is, is that we can always make new friends to know and care about and make a difference for them. And so maybe awareness that it is a reality. And that doesn’t mean that we get scared by it. It means that we find a way to relationally engage to the hopes that we help people, you know, continue to grow in all the ways that they can.

Stone Payton: Fantastic. All right. Let’s make sure that our listeners have coordinates for ongoing following what’s going on. But also to get to this gala or maybe participate in a silent auction, you can participate in the silent auction even leading up to it.

Marianne Butler: No, it’ll be the night of it’ll be the night of.

Stone Payton: Okay. It’s going to be at the thing. Do you still need items for the silent?

Marianne Butler: Absolutely. We could always use more items. Sure.

Stone Payton: So items for the. All right, so let’s get coordinates, contact info, whatever you guys are comfortable with. I want to make it easy for folks to to tap in.

Marianne Butler: Sure. So our our Facebook page, Homeless Coalition. Cherokee County is one way our website is homeless coalition Cherokee county.org and people can contact me via email is a good way. It’s Marianne m a r i a n n e at homeless coalition cherokee.org is another great way even.

Leonard Akers: Though the website is long. In all honesty, if you go to Google and you search homeless coalition Cherokee, it will pull it will pop up right up to the top. Yeah. And that has all the information on the main page about tickets to the gala other ways to sponsor and support and also all of the information about the different ministries and programs and resources that we’re trying to bring to bear to our community, which as you’ve already mentioned, stone Like we are so blessed to live in this amazing community, right? And I think that the more that we can help others find their way to feel like they’re blessed to be a part of this community, then that’s a win win win for all of us.

Stone Payton: Well, speaking of win win wins, it has been an absolute delight having you two in the studio. Keep up the good work. Do keep us posted. And yeah, don’t be a stranger. You got to come back and let us know. Maybe on the back side of the gala. It would be nice to do sort of a recap. Oh, that’d be fun. Yeah, that’d be fantastic. We can work that. But you guys, you’re doing such important work, and we. We sure appreciate you.

Leonard Akers: Thank you, Stone. We appreciate you.

Stone Payton: Yeah, my pleasure. All right. Until next time, This is Stone Payton for our guest today, Marianne Butler and Leonard Acres on behalf of Homeless Coalition Cherokee. And everyone here at the Business RadioX family saying we’ll see you again on Cherokee Business Radio.