Maddison Dean/SK Battery
SK Battery America is the global leading battery manufacturer for electric vehicles. SK Battery America produces the world’s safest, fastest-charging and longest-lasting batteries which is installed in the Ford F-150 Lightning and the Volkswagen ID.4. They are building a new chapter in automotive history.
Rebecca Armstrong/City of Jefferson
The City of Jefferson, a 200 year old community, is located in Northeast Georgia about an hour north of Atlanta along Interstate 85. Jefferson has a population of 10,195 and is the county seat of Jackson County with a population of 61,257 (2015 U. S. Census Bureau Estimates).
Jefferson, the county seat of Jackson County, is named for President Thomas Jefferson. It is a picturesque community set among the gently rolling hills in the piedmont region of Northeast Georgia. The landscape is still dotted with small farms and lakes. Jefferson like many small towns in the south has gradually made the transition from primarily agriculture, to a balance of commercial and industrial businesses. The City’s leadership is working to maintain Jefferson’s small town character while strongly encouraging the development of a diverse economy that employs the growing local workforce.
Most people move to Jefferson for economic opportunity, its small town atmosphere, acceptance of newcomers and wholesome environment for raising a family. The Jefferson City School System is highly ranked, year after year, in terms of student achievement and SAT scores. The City offers a broad range of extra curricular activities including community theater and an award winning recreation department for adults and children of all ages.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
