Greetings, all.
Our next monthly Donation Drive is Sat., Aug. 18, 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 Aug. 18, we’ll have drives next month on Sept. 1 and Sept. 15. Mark your calendars!
Within the past week, we added six new families to our list of those who are emerging from homelessness and need furniture and beds. Just to help these families, we’re seeking—in good shape (no stains, damage or excessive wear and tear):
- three twin mattresses
- five twin box springs
- one full mattress/box
- two queen box springs
- bed frames of any size
- three armchairs/recliners
- two small kitchen table sets (we have plenty of larger tables but they won’t fit in their apts)
- two sofas
- three TV stands (or very small entertainment units)
- one dresser
If you have any of these to donate, please email photos/phone to brenda@simpleneedsga.org. If you can deliver, GREAT! If not, include address as well. Note that we only pick up in Cobb County.
In addition to furniture, we are running very low on what we call “small items” for these clients. Each client comes to our space and gets to choose dishes, bedding, small appliances and SO much more. Here is a list of what they are offered. Next trip to the Dollar Tree or Walmart, please consider picking up a few things from the list.
We welcome financial contributions toward the purchase of mattresses, box springs and other household essentials as well.
For a full list of needed items, please click here. Specific needs for our My Birthday Matters program (very recently updated!) are posted on our SignUpGenius.
‘LITTLE HELPERS’ MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE
Thousands of children have rolled up their sleeves to help people in need over the past eight years thanks to a service organization called Little Helpers. It all started in 2010 when founder Tran Bui Smith had an epiphany.
“It just happened one day,” she said. “I’m looking around at all of the stuff that was in my house—all of the kids’ toys—and thinking ‘This was not how I grew up.’ ”
Click here to read more of our blog post on a fantastic organization that is all about teaching children the value of hard work, gratitude and giving back. We’re so grateful to the volunteers and donors at Little Helpers for the help they have provided to Simple Needs GA and for the overall vision of this organization!
BARNES & NOBLE—A CONSISTENT SNGA PARTNER
Last year, Brenda was strolling the aisles at Barnes & Noble Cumberland (2952 Cobb Pkwy.) looking for nifty toys and books for the homeless schoolchildren who are recipients of Simple Needs GA’s My Birthday Matters program.
“Since it never hurts to ask, I decided to tell the folks at Barnes & Noble about our nonprofit mission and programs,” she said. “Right away, Barnes & Noble Cumberland donated some great toys and books to Simple Needs GA—all brand-new and ideal for our clients.”
To Brenda’s pleasant surprise, the store has continued to contribute to SNGA ever since. “They’ve contacted us several times to make donations of a wide variety of toys, books and collectible items for kids,” Brenda said. “In addition to providing us with items that entertain and educate our clients, these donations also help us stretch our limited financial resources in ways that benefit more people in need in our community.”
Thanks so much Barnes & Noble Cumberland! You are A-OK in our book! 😀
WE’RE THRILLED TO BE LINKED UP…WITH LINKED UP CHURCH
When Claudia Manigault reached out to Brenda regarding Marietta-based Linked Up Church’s Serve Day on July 14, Brenda knew it would be a great collaboration. “Claudia has volunteered with us several times with her employer UCB as well as on her own,” Brenda said. “We love her!”
Linked Up Church did a drive and brought donations of many boxes of toiletries to SNGA, and plans to do more in the future! Thanks so much to Claudia and Linked Up!
BACK TO SCHOOL SPURS DEMAND FOR UNIS
Now that your kids are back in school, are their required uniforms getting a bit snug? Feel free to donate them to Simple Needs GA’s Uniforms for Excellence program, which helps schoolchildren in Cobb County “dress for success” by providing them with required school uniforms their parents struggle to afford.
In support of Uniforms for Excellence, donors provide gently used khakis, skirts and polo shirts that meet the requirements of individual schools. Alternately, they fund the purchase of brand-new uniforms.
SNGA opened and continues to supply a school uniform closet at the Powder Springs United Methodist Church, where social workers can find the uniforms that specific children need. As we collect unis year-round, we either add them to the closet or distribute them to the Marietta City and Cobb County school uniform closets.
If you’re interested in helping us with this, keep an eye on clearance racks at discount-oriented retailers like Walmart. On one trip, we found 10 pairs of khakis for just $7 or $9 each, along with 30 polos at just $3 each!
DONATION DRIVE BY SGS GETS AN A+
This past July, about 50 employees from Marietta’s Southern Graphic Systemsdonated a hefty amount of much-needed school supplies for clients of Simple Needs GA’s My Birthday Matters program. Thanks so much to SGS and Project Coordinator AnDreka Jones!
The donations included at least 30 Ziploc bags full of school supplies along with backpacks, toys, books and more. SGS reached out to Simple Needs GA as part of the packaging and marketing company’s ongoing efforts to give back to the community, AnDreka says.
“We thought SNGA was a great fit for us,” she said. “In particular, we loved the idea of helping kids who don’t really get to celebrate their birthdays because of their living situation. We were just there to be able to put that smile on a child’s face.”
SGS enjoyed the experience so much, in fact, that the company plans to continue working with us, especially as our Christmas program cranks up in November. “This is the beginning of something that is going to be great for us,” AnDreka said.
And for SNGA, too! Thanks again to the awesome folks at SGS!
SHOUT OUT TO OUR FACEBOOK FUNDRAISERS
We just wanted to say thanks to those of you who have used Facebook to raise money for Simple Needs GA. One recent example is Rob Bruce’s birthday fundraiser, which brought in $290 (out of a goal of $200). As Matt Harper and other SNGA contributors have learned, Facebook fundraisers can be an easy and efficient way to support our mission. Feel free to leverage your social media peeps! 😀
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 