From Homelessness to Hope at HomeStretch, with Cheryl Carter and Brittany Phillips (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 791)
In this episode of North Fulton Business Radio, host John Ray introduces Cheryl Carter, Executive Director of HomeStretch, and Brittany Phillips, a HomeStretch client. Cheryl shares insights about HomeStretch, an organization dedicated to providing long-term housing solutions and support to families experiencing homelessness. Brittany provides a personal account of her journey from homelessness and addiction recovery to professional growth and family stability, highlighting the impact of HomeStretch’s comprehensive support programs. They discuss the critical importance of financial literacy, education, and community support in overcoming homelessness and achieving economic independence. The episode concludes with information on how listeners can support HomeStretch’s mission through donations, volunteering, and engaging with their community initiatives.
John Ray is the host of North Fulton Business Radio. The show is recorded and produced from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.
HomeStretch
HomeStretch originated in 1991 when volunteers at the local North Fulton Community Charities recognized the pressing need for affordable housing in the North Fulton area. As the number of at-risk families seeking housing assistance increased, the charities found themselves limited to providing only emergency, short-term aid.
Today, the agency oversees and maintains 39 single-family residences. With a team of trained human services professionals dedicated to supporting families and the commitment of over 400 compassionate HomeStretch Heroes (volunteers), it strives to ensure the success of its clients.
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Cheryl Carter, Executive Director, HomeStretch
Cheryl Carter is a results-oriented administrator with over 40 years of executive-level experience in the development, growth and leadership of not-for-profit organizations. Ms. Carter possesses solid capabilities in outcomes-based program development, fundraising, event production, media relations, market research, public/private partnership development, and public speaking. Cheryl’s passion lies in creating programs that empower individuals to overcome poverty.
Cheryl has served on the board of directors of various nonprofit organizations and has received prestigious awards for her community leadership and professional contributions. Before her nonprofit career, she served in the US Army’s 103rd Military Intelligence Division, earning recognition for her service.
Cheryl holds degrees in Business Administration Management and Human Services Management, and she resides in Grayson with her husband Drew, an entertainer. They have three successful adult children and a high school senior.
Topics Covered in this Episode
00:00 Introduction and Welcome to North Fulton Business Radio
01:31 Introducing HomeStretch and Its Mission
02:27 Cheryl’s Journey to HomeStretch
05:07 Understanding Homelessness and Its Root Causes
06:59 Addressing Housing Affordability
10:07 Brittany’s Story of Recovery and Resilience
13:52 The Five Pillars of HomeStretch
22:54 Personal Challenges and Willingness to Change
23:51 The Importance of Savings
25:14 Understanding Executive Functioning
27:30 Brittany’s Journey and Achievements
30:06 Empowering Families and Making Tough Decisions
32:14 Future Goals and Financial Planning
39:11 Supporting HomeStretch and Volunteer Opportunities
42:59 Conclusion and Additional Resources
Renasant Bank and Casa Nuova Italian Restaurant support North Fulton Business Radio
Renasant Bank has humble roots, starting in 1904 as a $100,000 bank in a Lee County, Mississippi, bakery. Since then, Renasant has become one of the Southeast’s strongest financial institutions, with over $13 billion in assets and more than 190 banking, lending, wealth management, and financial services offices in Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida. All of Renasant’s success stems from each of their banker’s commitment to investing in their communities as a way of better understanding the people they serve. At Renasant Bank, they understand you because they work and live alongside you every day.
Casa Nuova is a proud family-owned and operated restaurant, serving classic, authentic and traditional Italian cuisine and top tier hospitality since 1998.
Casa Nuova is a cook-to-order kitchen, serving traditional fare including pasta, chicken, seafood, veal, vegetarian and gluten-free options, plus daily specials. They are a farm-to-table establishment, meaning that in the summertime, they cultivate their own vegetables in their garden, steps away from the restaurant, including tomatoes, corn, peppers, zucchini, sunflowers and more!
Celebrating more than 25 years, Casa Nuova has become a true staple in the Alpharetta area, serving more than three generations of families, including friends old and new, visiting near and far from all over the metro Atlanta area and beyond.
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About North Fulton Business Radio and host John Ray
With over 780 shows and having featured over 1,200 guests, North Fulton Business Radio is the longest-running podcast in the North Fulton area, covering business in our community like no one else. We are the undisputed “Voice of Business” in North Fulton!
The show welcomes a wide variety of business, non-profit, and community leaders to get the word out about the important work they’re doing to serve their market, their community, and their profession. There’s no discrimination based on company size, and there’s never any “pay to play.” North Fulton Business Radio supports and celebrates business by sharing positive business stories that traditional media ignore. Some media leans left. Some media leans right. We lean business.
John Ray is the host of North Fulton Business Radio. The show is recorded and produced from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta. You can find the full archive of shows by following this link. The show is available on all the major podcast apps, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, Amazon, iHeart Radio, and many others.
The studio address is 275 South Main Street, Alpharetta, GA 30009.
John Ray also operates his own business advisory practice. John’s services include advising solopreneurs and small professional services firms on their value, their positioning and business development, and their pricing. His clients are professionals who are selling their expertise, such as consultants, coaches, attorneys, CPAs, accountants and bookkeepers, marketing professionals, and other professional services practitioners.
John is the national bestselling author of The Generosity Mindset: A Journey to Business Success by Raising Your Confidence, Value, and Prices.
