“My kids have not had new shoes in a long time. Now they can run and play and their feet don’t hurt. Thank you to everybody at this place. God will bless you, too.”
Simple Needs GA received this heartwarming thank-you card, which included a kid’s drawing of a pair of sneakers, a few weeks ago after our new Shoe Them Love program provided the kids in this disadvantaged family something they would otherwise have gone without—new pairs of clean, well-fitting shoes. Another child who received new shoes told his mom he wanted to stay inside to avoid getting dirt on his first pair of shiny new sneaks!
Meanwhile, SNGA has started delivering birthday presents to homeless children via our My Birthday Matters program. One of the first recipients, a little boy staying at a local emergency shelter, was thrilled with his new football. “I play with it every day!” he said. Through a pilot program at Sawyer Road Elementary, a 7-year-old boy and a 10-year-old girl received new books, basketballs, toys, school supplies, underwear and even cupcakes and candles!
It’s so exciting to see how our new programs are getting off the ground—and getting results. And of course, none of this would have been possible without the amazing generosity of our donors and volunteers. Thank you so much!
Next week, there’s a great opportunity to help us continue in this work: Simple Needs GA will participate in Georgia Gives Day, an annual event sponsored by the Georgia Center for Nonprofits in which people from across the state pull together to support organizations and causes they believe in. On Nov. 13, more than $200,000 in prizes will be distributed to participating nonprofits. By going to SNGA’s Georgia Gives Day page and making a donation, for example, you could be randomly selected for a “Golden Ticket,” adding an extra $1,000 to your gift!
We hope you’ll check out our Georgia Gives Day page and make a donation—and feel free to spread the word about SNGA’s participation in the event!
In other news, we wanted to thank the 50 volunteers—33 volunteers from UCB Inc. and 17 from SNGA—who helped out at our Marietta warehouse on Hands on Atlanta Day, Oct. 5! These generous folks wrapped presents for My Birthday Matters, put together 300 bags of full-sized toiletries for people experiencing homelessness and wrote notes on 112 holiday cards for friends of SNGA! The volunteer day was a great success!
We also wanted to thank the eight-or-so donors who were kind enough to drop off new toys, winter supplies and other items. As the cold weather sets in, the winter supplies will be extremely helpful for people experiencing homelessness. As you know, SNGA continues to provide tents, tarps, sleeping bags, candles and other useful items through our program for people living in the woods.
Lastly, our fall donation drives are in full swing. We’re collecting winter supplies, toys and other useful items at our Marietta warehouse on Sat., Nov. 9. Please join us if you can! We’re also collecting items for a great cause: the new children’s room at the YWCA of Northwest Georgia. For more on the stuff we need, click here.
We’ve got lots more planned for the year ahead. Please visit this blog and our Facebook page for regular updates. More information about our programs is also available at SimpleNeedsGA.org.
Thanks for your support of people in need!
Simple Needs GA 