Summer 2009 Newsletter - Children`s Restoration Network

A
Children’s Restoration Network
Summer 2009
Helping Hand
To Contributors and Friends in Our Community: A Report of Progress and Plans
www.childrn.org
Back 2 School
By Cliff Kinsey
Bookbag, bookbag where is mine?
Even an empty one would ease my mind,
Crayons, ruler, scissors too,
And yes a little Elmer’s glue
Paper, pencils, in my bag …
Would be better than what I have.
But wait, I have no money to purchase mine!
Who will help me at this time?
New school, new teachers, I might see,
Hope they won’t think bad of me.
Empty hands when the school bell rings,
Don’t know what tomorrow brings.
Some of my teachers, just don’t see,
They have no idea of my history.
I have no money for the Marta line,
To roll up to Kroger and purchase mine.
So if you have a few dollars to spare,
Please drop off some school supplies there.
If you have the money and find the time,
Donate a book bag that could be mine.
When the bell rings that first day of
school,
I will be ready looking really cool.
I feel so lucky to get this great gift for free.
I can’t wait to see what the volunteers
have packed up for me.
I know I’ll learn a lot, just wait and see.
Thank you one and all for helping me.
From July 24 through August 9 all
Metro-Atlanta Kroger stores will be
accepting donations of new book bags
and school supplies for roughly 2,000
homeless children living in shelters and
group homes throughout the 18 MetroAtlanta counties. We need volunteers
who are willing to be assigned to a
Kroger near their home or work to
check on our collection boxes and
empty them if needed.
continued on page 5
Let’s “Celebrate the Children”
Inside
By Kate Bachman
When you think of a fundraiser in
Atlanta, the first thing that comes to mind
is a stuffy, black-tie event with a chicken
dinner. Our “Celebrate the Children” Gala is
not that type of a fundraiser. Our annual
“Celebrate the Children” Gala, which benefits our 15th annual Back 2 School
Campaign, will take place on Saturday July
25th at The Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead. Doors
will open at 6 p.m. with dinner starting at
7:30. For $150 at this black-tie optional
event, you can enjoy wine, five-star nonchicken cuisine, live music from “A Blast,” a
live and silent auction, and tons more!
There are auction items to bid on that any-
one would love to have from vacation trips
and packages to exquisite jewelry to gift
certificates to sports memorabilia to restaurants all around metro-Atlanta and much
more. It is a night you won’t forget! This is
not an event that you want to hear about
after the fact. This is an event you want to
attend! To reserve your seat or for more
information, please visit our website or call
our office! Come and enjoy this wonderful
event while ensuring that metro-Atlanta’s
homeless children will be physically and
mentally prepared for the upcoming school
year. To make this event even more memorable, our first two New Hope Scholarship
continued on page 5
Volunteer Viewpoint:
Shine Simply by
Sharing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2
New Hope Scholorship. . 2
2008 Holiday Season . . . . 3
A Beautiful Day
for a Gala . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4
Project One on One:
Improving Our Programs
and Services to Make a
Deeper Impact. . . . . . . . . .
6
2
Volunteer Viewpoint
Shine Simply by Sharing
By Tom Ryan
Our goal at
Children’s Restoration
Network is to see that
no child or mother has
to spend a night on
the street or go to bed
hungry.
Alone, we cannot
get the job done.
Together, we do make
a difference.
Children’s
Restoration
Network
11285 Elkins Road
Suite E-1
Roswell, GA 30076
(770) 649-7117
info@childrn.org
Founders:
James Cox
Cliff Kinsey
Vision:
To continually seek
to enhance its ability
to offer significant
resources to homeless
children and mothers
and make a demonstrable difference in
their lives by creating
strong partnerships
and attaining
financial stability.
Mission:
To offer hope and
support, enabling
children and their
mothers to break the
cycle of homelessness
by empowering
them to become part
of mainstream society
as active, productive
citizens through
programs and special
events designed to
address their educational, emotional,
and physical needs.
Graphic Design
services donated by
The Newsletter Factory®.
www.nlf.com
Children’s
Restoration
Network
CRN and I found each other by chance about a
year and a half ago. Back then I had some extra
tickets to a local event that I was looking to put to
good use. My research at the time led me to CRN.
When I visited CRN I got the chance to chat
briefly, to meet some of the founding fathers, to
generally learn more and to leave with some information. When I got home I read the materials and
concluded that the people and the organization
might be something for me. Without having
planned it I had found an organization that would
allow me to “give back” something to the community. Let me explain.
“Giving back” was something I had previously
thought about. It was something that interested
me. I really wanted to find something that went
beyond my day-to-day routine. I wanted something that would allow me to become involved and
make a difference with important issues that had
true social value. I personally felt that I
could/would make a difference.
I had personally observed on a first hand basis
how seemingly small things can lead to dramatic
positive life changes. I had also seen that caring
and trying can often be far more important to people than specialized training or expertise. Simply
put, regular people, like you or I, are empowered
and can do great things. We all have a chance to
shine simply by sharing what we know, what we
have talent for, or aptitude for with others — we
shine when we give ourselves to others.
CRN for me has been a vehicle to help make
each day count. You see I view each day as a gift.
Each day is important on its own. You never get to
relive a day. On that basis personally I want to
reach any given year end and be able to say to
myself … hey self this year I was able to do some
really good worth while stuff. I want to do the
same in the long term 5, 10, 20 years. Whatever
time period I am looking back at I want to say “I
left some good tracks”. In direct contrast, my idea
of a bad dream is to have blank pages in my diary
having done nothing, having tried nothing.
Anyway that’s just me … you see my point I hope.
My reasons for volunteering? For me my volunteer work has added more meaning to my life and
bridged a gap. I feel good as a volunteer. I feel fulfilled as a volunteer. I smile as a volunteer. I see
the fruits of my labor and efforts in the success of
the children that I work with. For me this is great.
I would strongly recommend volunteering for any
one who has even remotely considered the idea.
Try it … you will not be disappointed or sorry for
having taken the first step. •
New Hope Scholarship
By Cliff Kinsey
Priceless: Having a value beyond measure.
That’s what comes to mind when I think about
this life-changing program. May 9, 2009 is a
date that will forever be seared into our history.
That’s the date our first ever New Hope
Scholarship (NHS) recipient gathered at the
Georgia Dome with her classmates to celebrate
her two Bachelor Degrees: one of Business
Administration in Marketing and the other in
Managerial Science from Georgia State
University. We are so proud of her accomplishment in getting a four-year degree. She has
already landed a one-year managerial training
program with a national company to begin the
transition from college student to a business
professional. This year we also had another NHS
continued on page 5
First New Hope Graduate: Coco Hunter!
3
2008 Holiday Season
By Jim Cox
We want to thank all involved with
the Thanksgiving Food Drive, our
Adopt a Shelter Program, and the 12
Days of Caring Campaign. It’s amazing
that with the economy in such a recession, how generous CRN supporters
were. We were of course a little worried when the food drive seemed to
start a little slower than usual, but in
the end we had another great collection. As for the last 5 or 6 years AJC
International played a leading role in
the campaign. The weekend before
Thanksgiving all the food was brought
to an empty store in Roswell. There, an
army of volunteers sorted the food and
then distributed them in piles according to how large the shelter or group
home was. The food was then sent to
the various shelters to stock up their
pantries for the Holidays. Thanksgiving
they wanted brought tears to the eyes
of more than a few volunteers, and a
warm glow in their heart.
For the shelters and homes that
were not “adopted” we had our 15th
Annual 12 Days of Caring” campaign.
From the day after Thanksgiving, Post
Properties and the School Box stores
served as drop off locations for the
public to drop off their donations.
Family Project - wrapping gifts!
Wrap Party at the old Tower Records.
Thanksgiving Dinner at Rainbow Village.
Day approximately 100 CRN volunteers helped cook and serve at 21 shelters and group homes.
For Christmas we had 59 companies, families, and clubs “Adopt a
Shelter”. They were given “Wish Lists”
from 1,242 kids and so many got
exactly what they wanted (if they
weren’t too extravagant — no one got a
60-inch plasma TV)! Many of the
groups actually delivered the gifts to
the shelters and group homes and had
parties with the kids. We had many
people tell us how gratifying it was to
see the kids as they opened a couple
of their presents. The excitement and
joy on the kids’ faces when they saw
that Santa had brought them just what
Many companies and schools and
churches also did general collections.
The weekend before Christmas we
brought all the collected gifts to the old
Tower Record store in Buckhead.
There for three days we sorted the gifts
by age, gender, and value, and then
wrapped and sorted the gifts, matching them as best we could to the children’s “wish lists”. The “Wrap Party” is
one of the funnest events CRN
does. There’s Christmas
music, good food
and drink, and
little kids
and
grandmothers all
filled
with
the
Christmas Spirit as they picked and
wrapped the perfect gifts for “their
kids”. And all the gifts are personalized, to Michael or LaShonda, From
Santa Claus. Over 1,000 people helped
out in 2008 and I believe every one of
them was in a good mood, and had a
great time. Saturday morning we had
so many volunteers the Fire Marshall
made us turn away people for several
hours, until the crowd thinned out
some. After the gifts were wrapped
they were delivered to the various shelters and group homes, along with
enough turkeys for Christmas dinner. It
was an awesome year and a great way
to end the year. We thank every one
who helped to make the 2008 Holiday
Season so wonderful for the children
and mothers we serve. •
4
A Beautiful Day for a Gala
By Jim Cox
Where does one see Spiderman,
Tinker Bell, SpongeBob SquarePants,
the Hulk, Cinderella and the Easter
Bunny? You could guess the Cartoon
Network, but you would be wrong —
only at CRN’s 15th Annual Spring
Fling/Easter Gala. Again this year,
Peachtree Road United Methodist
Church was the gracious host for our
Dancing up an appetite.
Spiderman does balloons.
event. Days before and days after
Easter Day were cool and rainy, but on
Easter the weather was perfect. Sunny,
with a few puffy clouds in the sky, the
temperature was in the 70’s with a
nice cool breeze.
Volunteers began arriving about
one, and began setting up the Jumping
Moons, the face painting and jewelry
making tables, and the Book Barn. The
sno-cone and popcorn makers were
assembled, and the big UPS grill was
fired up. Soon the smell of chicken,
hamburgers and hotdogs filled the air.
Then at 2:30 p.m. vans and buses filled
with kids began unloading. Some ran
to the Jumping Moons, some to the
playground, some to the food lines,
and some just ran, trying to decide
what to do first. Kim Anderson started
up the music and soon dozens of
women and kids were dancing to all
the old favorite group dancing songs.
There was even a rumor that our
Board Chair was seen putting on a
pretty smooth move or two.
The Super Heros and cartoon characters enthralled the kids with magic
and balloon creations. Happy and
excited voices filled the air. The
younger kids stared wide-eyed at Dora
the Explorer and SpongeBob as they
had their pictures taken. About 3:30
p.m. the playground was emptied and
1,000 candy filled eggs were “hidden”.
We gave the youngest kids a twominute head start an then all the kids
were sent in. Pandemonium might be
a good adjective for the next few minutes. Kids were running and yelling
and filling their bags with the colorful
eggs. I don’t think any kids came away
with less than a dozen, and some had
50 or more!
As the afternoon wore on people
returned for seconds or thirds at the
food line. Books were chosen and
snow cones eaten. And then it was
time to go. But there was one last surprise. The big U-haul was backed up to
Baskets filled with all type of toys,
candy and games were unloaded. In a
mostly orderly line the kids lined up
and chose the basket they wanted.
Kids and their mothers smiled and
thanked our volunteers. As the kids
waved good-bye we knew it had been
another wonderful event that volunteer and clients, and the kids would be
talking about for weeks!
I need to thank Processors Co-op, for
providing most of the food, UPS for the
grill and the grillers, American Family
Day for the Jumping Moons and tables
and chairs, George’s Motor Coach and
Airport Express for transportation, Copy
Cats for the cartoon characters. Bank of
America for a corps of volunteers, and
CRN’s great group of volunteers. The
TEAM was like a well-oiled machine
and the day came off without a hitch,
making it one of the most enjoyable in
history. THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO
MADE THIS POSSIBLE! •
the parking lot, the doors were
opened, and big, colorful Easter
5
New Hope Scholarship
Really Special
People
continued from page 3
Tony Emanuel
recipient earn a degree from Georgia
Perimeter College who has already begun
working in his field of study. Both of
these young adults have overcome so
much to reach these high plateaus. Even
though we did help fund their studies,
degrees are not bought and come only
with dedication, hard work and commitment, and we look forward to seeing
them continue to thrive. A common trait
they share is that both of this year’s graduates have vowed to get involved with
children who are living the same hardships that they once endured. Actually
both have already done some volunteer
work, and I know they will continue to
inspire all of us, especially the children
who now sleep in the beds that they
once occupied in a shelter/group home.
What a great role model they are for
Donald George
Back 2 School
Bill Barrand
Bill Blohm
Kathy Bramlett
Alan Brown
Melissa Clayton
Sally Cottrell
Mary Converse
Jocelyn Dorsey
Delinda Doss-Alwan
Glynn Jenkins
Margaret George
Rena Harris
Joanne Johnson
Cindy Lavelle
Mike Luckovich
Shirley Mitchell
Donna Morris
Sandra Raeder
Tom Ryan
Andrea Seidl
other struggling children who are wondering what will become of them after
high school. Hopefully they will be inspirations for some who now wonder, “Why
should I even care about finishing high
school?” Currently we have 13 students
in college or technical schools across
Georgia. Hopefully each year we will be
celebrating more graduations.
THANK you to everyone who has supported our New Hope Scholarship program. Together we are changing lives and
shaping future generations in a very real
and positive way. We could not do this
without the support of our donors and
volunteers. If you would like to get more
information on supporting this program
please call me at (770) 649-7117 or e-mail
me at cliff.kinsey@childrn.org. •
continued from page 1
On August 9 we will hold our Annual Back
2 School campaign for homeless children,
inviting all 2,000 children to receive new
book bags, medical and dental screenings,
hearing and vision tests, and haircuts. We
will have a huge buffet set up and volunteers
will be needed on that day from 12:30 p.m.
to 6 p.m. We also need people who are
willing to organize a school supplies drive
in your church, office, neighborhood, civic
club etc. We can provide you with flyers,
boxes, and signs.
Please call us at (770) 649-7117 to get
involved. Education is the key to breaking
the cycle of homelessness. •
If you are not on
our volunteer
alert list, and
would like to be,
please e-mail
LaNita@childrn.org
and ask to be put
on the list.
Betty Smith
Ralph Smith
Miriam Spencer
Greg Wicker
Doug Williams
Wyvonnee Wintlend
Elaine Wood
Let’s “Celebrate the Children”
continued from page 1
recipient college graduates will be at the gala
telling their stories. Together, we can make a
difference!
If you have an item you would like to donate
to our silent auction, please e-mail
Kate@childrn.org. All items are tax-deductible
and all donors will be acknowledged in the
evening’s program. •
It’s not a Gala if there ain’t no dancing.
6
Project One on One
Improving Our Programs and Services to Make a Deeper Impact
By Ben Minor
As an employee of Children’s
Restoration Network (CRN), I have met
countless volunteers that have blown
me away with their generosity, their
passion, and their dedication to these
struggling children. As the coordinator
for Project One on One, I have been
further blessed with the opportunity to
watch mentors as they make that connection and develop a relationship that
expands beyond the hour and a half
mentoring session each week. The universal quality I’ve see in working with
CRN is that our volunteers have an
insatiable desire to make a difference
in the lives of these kids as they grow
and develop into successful young
men and women.
Yet for all of our success, we must
always ask ourselves, “How can we
make a greater impact in the lives of
these children?” While this question
produces different solutions for different programs, for Project One on One
the answer is fairly simple: our mentors must teach these children more
effectively, and they should develop a
deeper relationship with those kids
that they work with.
I have no doubt that our mentors
are capable of this. Already, they teach
with the passion of an educator and
connect to the children with the concern of a caring parent. Yet CRN must
ensure that mentors have the academic tools necessary to target each individual child’s needs and the social support to help foster a meaningful social
relationship the children they work
with.
Starting in July, every academic
mentoring site will have a binder full
of academic resources, worksheets,
exercises, and assessment tools.
Mentors will be able to target areas
that a child struggles with and go to
the binder to find worksheets that will
help the child to develop those skills.
Moreover, mentors will have access to
tests and assessment tools so that they
can have a broader understanding of a
child’s strengths and weaknesses and
work with them accordingly.
Starting in June, mentors will have a
volunteer event coordinator who will
be assigned to help them plan social
and educational outings so that the
mentors can spend more time with the
kids in a social setting. Event
Coordinators will research community
events and plan out the logistical
details so that mentors can enjoy
social outings at no cost to themselves.
With the help of these Event
Coordinators, we hope to more than
double the number of outings that
these kids go on with their mentors. I
believe that these new resources will
assist us in providing a better service
to the kids we work with. With that
said, a worksheet and a trip to the
aquarium mean nothing without the
person who teaches you how to learn
and who listens and understands you.
Project One on One looks to our volunteers to ensure that the program
touches more lives at a deeper level.
Academic binders and an increase in
social outings are just two examples of
the ways we can further impact children in need with the help of caring
volunteers. As Project One on One
reaches out to help more homeless
children, I ask that you will join us in
improving the quality of our services
as we work to make a deeper impact
in these kids’ lives. •
Companies adopting a shelter for the Holidays:
ADP, AJC International, American Trust Bank, Comcast, Cox Communications, Dunwoody National Charity League,
Georgia Dept. of Labor, Georgia System Operating, iHealth Technologies, Lassiter H.S., Morrison’s, Platinum Construction,
The Cooler, Northside Hospital, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, Porsche Cars N.A., Ralph Smith Family, Rehab Results Group,
Siemens Energy, United Commercial Bank, UPS, X-cel Contacts, plus numerous other churches, clubs, neighborhoods,
individuals and businesses. •
Children’s
Restoration
Network
11285 Elkins Road
Suite E-1
Roswell, GA 30076
(770) 649-7117
NONPROFIT
US POSTAGE
PAID
PERMIT 276
ROSWELL GA
30076