“I just moved out of a homeless shelter. I was approved for my own apartment, but I have no furniture or household items at all. Please let me know if you might be able to help.”
—recent email to Simple Needs GA
UPCOMING DONATION DRIVE
Our next monthly Donation Drive is Sat., July 21, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at our Marietta warehouse. See list below for some of our most-needed items.
If you can’t make it on July 21, don’t forget that we have added a Donation Drive (same time and location) on the first Saturday of every month as well. Next month that first-Saturday drive will be on Aug. 4, followed by the regular third-Saturday drive on Aug. 18. Mark your calendars!
Right now we’re very low on some much-needed items for our clients (gently used items or new, please; no stains or damage.). These include:
- dish sets, larger pots and pans, casserole dishes
- silverware, vegetable peelers, pizza cutters
- comforters, blankets, mattress pads, queen and full sheet sets
- full/queen/twin mattresses, box springs, beds/frames
- small- to medium-sized dining tables (or card tables)
- new brooms and mops
- DVD players
- diapers size 4
- irons and ironing boards
- boys’ underwear
- birthday wrapping paper for teen boys
- backpacks for boys and teen boys
For a full list of needed items, please click here.
Email brenda@simpleneedsga.orgif you have anything to donate at this time. For large furniture, please email photos; we will arrange for you to drop off or for us to pick up (in Cobb County). Thank you for your support!
‘LITTLE MERMAID JR.’ PERFORMANCE DELIGHTS SNGA CLIENTS, CHILDREN
A children’s theater company performed “The Little Mermaid Jr.” for a special audience of VIP guests—clients of Simple Needs GA who have faced challenges such as homelessness or domestic violence.
During the June 30 matinee at From the Top Theatrics, the audience included 13 children and 9 adults invited by SNGA Founder Brenda Rhodes. Afterward, the families had a pizza party with the “Little Mermaid Jr.” cast—still dressed as characters like Ariel, Eric, Ursula and Sebastian—and some Disney princesses, too. The children also opened Lego sets, sports balls, nail polish and other presents provided by From the Top Theatrics and SNGA’s My Birthday Matters program.
“It was like having a well-known production company put on a production just for us,” said an SNGA client who brought her son, daughter and niece to the show. “The colors and everything were amazing. The kids had an awesome time and are still talking about it.”
Founded in 2015 by Jessie Curtis, Cara Jollie and Jenn Loudermilk, From the Top Theatrics always donates a portion of its ticket sales to a local charity (the organization’s slogan is “a play in charitable acts”). Its first production (“Aladdin Jr.”) raised $1,134 for the Rally Foundation to fight childhood cancer. Its second (“Once on This Island Jr.”) brought in $575 for Camp to Belong, which reunites brothers and sisters separated in foster care.
“The Little Mermaid Jr.” was From the Top’s third production. It took in $1,125 to support My Birthday Matters and other SNGA programs!
“We were just thrilled with the generosity and talent of the amazing cast and crew,” Brenda said. “Our client families don’t get to go to shows like this, because they just can’t afford it. For them, it was an incredibly special day.”
Loudermilk, artistic director and resident music director, said she was moved by the way the party and performance affected the children and families who attended. “One of the little girls told her mom ‘Thank you so much for this day. This is the best day of my life,’ ” Loudermilk said. “When the mom shared that with me, I had to walk away because I was starting to cry. Kids are the center of everything I do. I’m a teacher in the daytime, and then I teach music and theater here after school. It’s where my heart is, and it’s the heart of this organization.”
From the Top Theatrics features casts ages eight to 18. For more info, call 678-961-3867 or visit www.fromthetoptheatrics.org.
GREAT NEWS ON THE FURNITURE FRONT!
This past spring, we lost the 1,300-sq.-ft. space we were using to store furniture for our Simple Household Needs program. A generous donor stepped forward to help us afford commercial storage while we pounded the pavement to find a longer-term replacement. And we have some good news! We did indeed find a new space and moved in on Sat., July 14. We’ll provide more details later, but if you have furniture or mattresses in good shape (no stains or damage) let us know!
Just email brenda@simpleneedsga.organd include photos, address and phone number. Thanks to all of those who worked so hard to help us in our quest!
SOME SHOUT OUTS!
Did you know that since 1972 Cobb County government employees have donated more than $2.3 million to local charities? It’s all thanks to a service organization called the Friendship Club, which recently donated $500 to Simple Needs GA! Thanks for all your great work, Friendship Club!
Thanks again also to the Cobb Marietta Harry Norman office, which held a yard sale on May 5 that raised $1,000 for Simple Needs GA. Brenda recently visited the office at 776 Whitlock Ave. NW to thank everyone for their hard work, speak a bit about SNGA’s mission and pick up the check! 😀
BELOW: Harry Norman’s Carson Wernz (l) and Lane McCormack present the generous donation.
We’ve been meaning to thank the awesome Kennesaw State University students [BELOW] who volunteered at our Marietta warehouse on April 14 as part of KSU’s Day of Service. We truly appreciate all of the help you provided and hope to see you all at the warehouse again! Thanks so much!
OTHER WAYS YOU CAN HELP SNGA
Donate onlinehere. Donations can be sent to Simple Needs GA, Inc., P.O. Box 670265, Marietta, GA 30066.
To volunteer as an individual, company, church or other organization, contact us at brenda@simpleneedsga.org. Visit our volunteer page for more info.
smile.amazon.com is a great way to support SNGA. Just sign up for the program and choose Simple Needs GA from the list. After that, AmazonSmile will donate to SNGA each time you make a purchase! Just remember to go to the smile.amazon.com portal before you do your shopping!
Check out how you can support us in similar fashion by signing up for Kroger Community Rewards!
Simple Needs GA 