giving back to gwinnett Archives

Mental and Behavioral Health

June 10, 2021 by Mike

Giving Back To Gwinnett

Mental and Behavioral Health

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Chad Jones, Heather Loveridge and Farley Barge

Chad Jones/View Point Health

View Point Health is a community behavioral health center utilizing a team of psychiatrists, nurses, licensed counselors and social workers, as well as other professionals, to provide services to individuals who need treatment and support to cope with mental illness, substance abuse, and intellectual and developmental disabilities. View Point Health serves uninsured, underinsured, low-income Medicaid, Medicare, war veterans, and some private insurance across multiple locations with a full continuum of behavioral health services and supports. The services provided by View Point Health contribute to the reduction in homelessness, reduction in crime and subsequent incarcerations, higher graduation rates, lower dropout rates, decreased ER visits, and decreased inpatient admissions.

Farley Barge/Navigate Recovery

Navigate Recovery Gwinnett is a Recovery Community Organization (RCO) committed to supporting individuals and families in recovery from addiction. Safe Harbor is an Addiction Recovery Support Center. Services are provided at no charge. Their mission is to serve individuals and families impacted by addiction, connecting them to the resources they need and removing barriers that prevent them from getting and staying well. Their vision is a community that treats addiction as a chronic condition and those who are affected with dignity and respect.

Host: Heather Loveridge/Magnolia Media Group

At the heart of marketing is great storytelling – and that’s what they do at Magnolia Media Group. Whether it’s through social media, e-newsletters, websites, brochures or complete marketing services, they help organizations tell their story.

Giving Back to Gwinnett is presented by:

Better Together: The Power of Collective Impact

May 13, 2021 by Mike

Giving Back To Gwinnett

Better Together: The Power of Collective Impact

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Randy Redner, Paige Havens, Renee Byrd-Lewis and Heather Loveridge

Randy Redner/Community Foundation for Northeast Georgia

At the Community Foundation for Northeast Georgia, everything they do centers around one purpose – improving our world through the power of philanthropy.

On a fundamental level, they do that through managing funds held in trust, donated by individuals, organizations and businesses. Most funds are donor-advised funds, similar to savings accounts. These funds are pooled for investment purposes and their income is used to make grants for a wide variety of charitable purposes.

But their goals expand far beyond managing funds. They desire to strengthen the communities they serve in Gwinnett, Northeast Georgia and beyond by providing leadership, addressing community needs, and assisting individuals and organizations with their charitable giving.

Renee Byrd-Lewis/Gwinnett Coalition

The Gwinnett Coalition for Health and Human Services is a public/private partnership whose mission is to facilitate collaboration that improves the well-being of the community.

They accomplish this mission by identifying needs and resources, setting priorities, planning solutions, focusing on results, and educating and motivating the community to action.

Paige Havens/Gwinnett Cares

Gwinnett Cares is an online grassroots effort that’s spun from a large group of community stakeholders (citizens, municipalities, businesses, non-profits, schools, faith community, healthcare providers, civic clubs, etc.) to streamline communication to Gwinnett’s population of a million people about how to get and give help during COVID-19.

Their goal is to synchronize Gwinnett’s existing support services and infrastructure to effectively address real-time needs across the community. Response teams, made up of community leaders and subject matter experts, have formed in 5 key focus areas: Food Insecurity & Supplies, Homelessness & Housing, Healthcare Access, Educational Support, and Workforce Development.

Host: Heather Loveridge/Magnolia Media Group

Giving Back to Gwinnett is presented by:

MARR Addiction Treatment Centers and Author Nina Owen

April 8, 2021 by Mike

Giving Back To Gwinnett

MARR Addiction Treatment Centers and Author Nina Owen

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Will Atkins/MARR Addiction Treatment Centers

Established in 1975, MARR Addiction Treatment Centers is a private, non-profit organization that provides long-term residential addiction treatment to men and women. They are dedicated to bringing lasting recovery through intensive, high-quality, gender-specific rehab programs. They understand that the process of you or someone you love starting addiction treatment can be stressful and overwhelming. Their clients are their top priority, and they want to help identify the best options for you, even if that doesn’t mean coming to MARR. Their Clinical Assessment Team is a source of information and support during this part of your journey. They want to hear your story and help you figure out the next best step.

Nina Owen/Author of “Throwing It All Away“

Depression and suicide are at record numbers in the country. Throwing It All Away gives an uninhibited look at one family’s journey through depression, drug use, and suicidal ideation. It is written by a mother who lost her 20-year-old son to suicide. The book talks about the son’s struggle to get well, his death, the mother’s indescribable grief and guilt, and the metaphysical spiritual experiences she underwent after his death. Six of the chapters of the book have been taken – verbatim – from the son’s journals, school papers, and other documents. Suicide rips through a family and a community, leaving destruction in its wake. This book shows that suicide is not always planned, it can be impulsive and, with the right help, can be averted.

Shelters to Shutters and Preface

March 11, 2021 by Mike

Giving Back To Gwinnett

Shelters to Shutters and Preface

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Andy Helmer/Shelters to Shutters

Shelters to Shutters is a national 501c3 organization that transitions individuals and families out of homelessness to economic self-sufficiency by educating and engaging the real estate industry to provide employment and housing opportunities.

Jonathan “JT” Wu/Preface

Founded in 2019, Preface is a national public-private philanthropic initiative dedicated to fostering Equality Through Education & early childhood literacy – often with a multilingual twist! Partnering with educators and community leaders across America, Preface empowers local high schoolers to give back to their communities and bridge opportunity gaps by fostering literacy among young students. A federally recognized 501(c)(3) organization, Preface is proudly headquartered in Gwinnett County, GA.

Peachtree Christian Health and Top Dogg K9 Foundation

February 11, 2021 by Mike

Giving Back To Gwinnett

Peachtree Christian Health and Top Dogg K9 Foundation

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Christi Heidt/Peachtree Christian Health

Peachtree Christian Health, a Life Enrichment Center, is where older adults and those living with dementia can find the safe and engaging care they need to stay happy and healthy during daytime hours, providing peace of mind to their caregiver. Their 25,000-square-foot facility is fully-equipped for participants with physical conditions and diminished cognitive capacities. Whether you are caring for an older adult living with Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s or a physical injury, your loved one will receive quality care and attention from experienced and trained caregivers.

Participants are offered meaningful and therapeutic activities and enrichment programs such as arts, games, cooking lessons, special occasion parties, exercises, horticultural therapy, and much more. The goal is to keep the minds and bodies of all participants active and engaged and to keep caregivers and their loved ones living together at home for as long as possible.

Drop off your loved one and relax. At Peachtree Christian Health, they got this!

Blake “Top Dogg” Rashad/Top Dogg K9 Foundation

The Top Dogg K9 Foundation mission is to reduce the number of military families that are impacted by suicide due to mental illness each year. TDK9 Foundation stands on the principle that “Veterans Deserve Outstanding Generosity and Service” (VDOGS). They support this principle by rescuing, training and pairing suitable K9s with disable veterans for a happier and healthy life. Hit the donate button and make a difference today!

Heirborn Servants and Torn Pages

January 14, 2021 by Mike

Giving Back To Gwinnett

Heirborn Servants and Torn Pages

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Jon Lewis/Heirborn Servants

Heirborn Servants seeks to improve every aspect of life by providing women in need with transportation, mentorship, and bonding ties within their local communities. Their approach gives survivors of human trafficking, survivors of domestic violence, and single moms the support they need on every level to empower them to make lasting changes in their lives and the lives of their families. They want to help single moms and survivors find not only stability, but also passion and purpose.

Jay Gardner/Torn Pages

From the beginning. it’s been part of Jay Gardner’s vision to help prisoners transition back into society. Many prisoners are discharged with nothing more than $35 and a bus ticket. Building a new life on that basis is a brutal challenge that often turns out poorly. Recidivism hurts everyone.

All sales of Torn Pages jewelry go directly into supporting the great work of multiple organizations they have partnered with as well as in ministering directly to prisoners who are ready to learn life and vocational skills, be discipled into a life in Christ, and begin to live the new life of true freedom God has planned for them after serving their sentences.

Giving Back to Gwinnett
is presented by

The Manna Scholarship Fund and Gwinnett Building Babies’ Brains

December 10, 2020 by Mike

Giving Back To Gwinnett

The Manna Scholarship Fund and Gwinnett Building Babies’ Brains

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Kim Holland, Stacy Lord and Dr. Genie Burnett

Dr. Genie Burnett/Manna Scholarship Fund

The Manna Scholarship Fund, aka Manna Fund, is a 501c3 organization that has been operational for 15 years. Their mission statement is dedicated to providing hope and financial assistance to individuals who need eating disorder treatment scholarships. Manna provides funding for inpatient, residential, partial hospitalization, and intensive outpatient eating disorder treatment for individuals lacking insurance coverage or for those with inadequate insurance coverage. Manna Fund grants scholarships to recipients by providing direct payment to partnering eating disorder treatment facilities for the highest levels of care. However, the local program, Manna Treatment, provides direct client treatment in the Gwinnett area. Manna has expanded its definition of treatment services to include those who have experienced trauma and have trauma-based issues. Manna Treatment also provides outpatient therapy for individuals with varying issues and needs such as anxiety, depression, marital issues, and family therapy.

Kim Holland & Stacy Lord/Gwinnett Building Babies’ Brains

The Gwinnett Building Babies’ Brains initiative is a community collective is comprised of over 40 business, community, education and non-profit leaders who have come together to tackle the school readiness crisis in Gwinnett.

Their mission is to ensure that all children in Gwinnett are ready to thrive in Kindergarten. Their strategy is to ensure that all parents have access to the information and tools they need to be their child’s first and best teacher so that all children have access to high quality early learning at home or elsewhere.

Why Does Early Learning Matter? Did you know that 52% of Gwinnett children are not ready for Kindergarten according to the GCPS Kindergarten Readiness Entry Profile? Awareness of the importance of early learning starting at birth and having access to the tips and tools needed to teach children is key to changing this number.

Giving Back to Gwinnett
is presented by

Rest Assured and Sunshine on a Ranney Day

October 8, 2020 by Mike

Giving Back To Gwinnett

Rest Assured and Sunshine on a Ranney Day

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Varessa Butts/Rest Assured

The mission of Rest Assured is to support and encourage low income families. They do this by providing heirloom-quality beds and comfortable mattresses and bedding to enhance the quality of home life. They believe that no matter what your situation or circumstance, everyone deserves to have a comfortable place to lay their head each night. They further believe that everyone deserves to feel confident in the craftsmanship and quality of their furniture. These should be pieces of furniture that they can be proud to own and pass down through generations.

Holly Ranney/Sunshine on a Ranney Day

Sunshine on a Ranney Day is a nonprofit organization that renovates homes for children with special needs using top of the line construction and design. Through partnerships and donors, they provide no-cost wheelchair accessible bathrooms, dream bedrooms, and in-home therapy rooms.

Giving Back to Gwinnett
is presented by

Atlanta Harmony Celebration, Jambos and Boy With a Ball

September 10, 2020 by Mike

Giving Back To Gwinnett

Atlanta Harmony Celebration, Jambos and Boy With a Ball

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Rebekah Black, Kathy Stone and Anna Currie

Kathy Stone/Atlanta Harmony Celebration!

Atlanta Harmony Celebration! is a non-profit, women’s acappella organization promoting community through singing and education.

Rebekah Black/Jambos

Jambos is a local nonprofit on a mission to bring comfort to kids in foster care by providing them with brand new pajamas.

Anna Currie/Boy With a Ball

Boy With a Ball transforms communities by equipping and unleashing the young people within them. They turn vulnerable youth populations from being a city’s problem into the solution. Although disconnected and disengaged youth may damage a city’s future, they have found a way to turn these young people into the heroes their city needs.