“Simple Needs GA helped me in a time of a frustrating transition. I was just leaving a domestic violence shelter and pregnant with my first child. Simple Needs GA took most of the burden of moving and starting over off of me. They made my home feel comfortable and safe. For that I will be forever grateful for Ms. Brenda and all of the Simple Needs GA volunteers.”
—recent client of our furniture program.
DONATION DRIVE ON SAT., JULY 20!
Our next monthly Donation Drive is Sat., July 20, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at our Marietta warehouse. Email brenda@simpleneedsga.orgfor the address or if you have any questions.
If you can’t make it on July 6, we’ll have drives next month on Aug. 3 and Aug. 17. Mark your calendars!
Top needs are:
BRAND NEW
- birthday wrapping paper for younger girls and boys
- kitchen garbage cans
- Dr. Seuss books
- board books
- chapter books for tweens, including classics
- Amazon Fire 7 tablets and cases (might be on sale during Amazon Prime Day)
- stuffed wolves, unicorns and tigers
- stuffed dogs for older kids
- Character (such as Paw Patrol) and learning books for younger children
NEW OR GENTLY USED
- TVs (cable-ready and not too large/heavy)
- microwaves
- toasters
- irons/ironing boards
- vacuums
- coffee makers
Full list:
https://simpleneedsgablog.com/drives/
THANKS AGAIN TO POWDER SPRINGS!
On July 4th, Simple Needs GA was honored to be the nonprofit beneficiary of the annual SpringsFest celebration in Powder Springs! Thousands of people came out to listen to live bands, sample delicious fare from local food trucks, shop artisan vendors and, of course, watch a thrilling fireworks display.
A portion of the proceeds went to SNGA.
True to form, Brenda Rhodes, SNGA founder and president, volunteered at the event for six hours, working with the vendors and, for a short time, at the bouncy house!
“It was a pleasure seeing Powder Springs City Councilmen Henry Lust and Patrick Bordelon and their families, as well as Rev. Roger Vest from the First United Methodist Church of Power Springs who spent the day running around coordinating vendors and other logistics,” Brenda said. “We are incredibly grateful to the City of Powder Springs for their support!’
SALUTE TO WOODSTOCK HIGH SCHOOL ROTC!
We had a great group of volunteers on July 6 from Woodstock High School’s Navy Junior ROTC program. Thanks so much to Ben Simmons, Community Service Officer, for reaching out to Brenda and volunteering to pitch in. All told, seven students and two adults (PICTURED) came to our Marietta warehouse for the donation drive and volunteer day. 
“They assembled duffle bags and did some other projects. They also sorted lots of donations and unloaded cars full of incoming items,” Brenda said. “As you’d expect, they were a disciplined, sharp and energetic group. Woodstock’s NJROTC can volunteer with us anytime!”
FACEBOOK BIRTHDAY FUNDRAISERS—A GREAT WAY TO SUPPORT OUR CLIENTS!
“I want to thank Simple Needs GA for all you did for my son and me. You helped me with a beautiful dresser set for my apartment, as well as providing a wonderful birthday package for my son’s seventh birthday! That was so awesome of you guys. I appreciate it wholeheartedly. You’re amazing!”
Receiving notes like this is part of what keeps our donors and volunteers so motivated to give back to our community. A great way you can help support our programs is by holding a Facebook birthday or other fundraiser.
This month so far, our supporter Rob Bruce has raised $550 with a Facebook birthday fundraiser. “Rob used Facebook to raise $290 for our clients last year as well,” Brenda noted. “Thanks to Rob and everyone in our social media community for using these tools to make the world a better place. Happy birthday, Rob!”
YOU BLINKED. NOW IT’S TIME FOR BACK TO SCHOOL!
Can you believe it’s almost time for Back to School? For many families in need, this can be a particularly stressful time due to their inability to afford basics that most of us take for granted like school supplies and uniforms.
Our Uniforms for Excellence program helps schoolchildren in Cobb County “dress for success” by providing them with required school uniforms supplied by donors. These items include new or gently used khakis, skirts and polo shirts that meet the requirements of individual schools. (Some donors choose to fund the purchase of brand-new uniforms rather than donate the items themselves.)
Simple Needs GA opened and continues to supply a school uniform closet at the Powder Springs United Methodist Church, where school social workers can find uniforms for the children they work with. We collect uniforms year-round and either add them to the PWUMC 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!
“Our dedicated volunteer Staci Bushey is using nextdoor.com to collect suitable uniform pieces from her neighbors,” Brenda said. “That can be a fantastic way to gear up for back to school. You could also start a drive at your church or company.”
A PRIME WAY TO HELP SNGA’S CLIENTS!
Amazon Prime members know that huge Prime Day sales are coming on July 15-16. If you’re planning to take advantage of those sales, consider selecting Simple Needs GA as your nonprofit of choice via the AmazonSmilegiving program.
“We’re getting pretty substantial donations from AmazonSmile, and those can increase with the higher volumes of Prime Day,” Brenda said. “And of course, it’s really cool when Prime users go to Smile and then buy new items for our clients using our list of current client needs!”
Here’s the specific link for Simple Needs GA: smile.amazon.com/ch/27-2889754
HEARTFELT GRATITUDE TO NEW RECENT DONORS
We wanted to take a moment to acknowledge the tremendous support we have received over the past couple of months from Simple Needs GA donors.
The son of one of our former board members donates $100 a month to support our clients and has donated a total of $1,600 in addition to that this summer alone, in addition to $3,000 in 2018.
Another supporter, who attended our open house in April, has started to donate $50 a month as part of our Simply Caring recurring giving program.
A member of the GSO Chorus just donated $1,000 to support people in need in Cobb County and has also donated hundreds of dollars every year to SNGA. 
“It is truly inspiring to receive so much support from our community, and these funds are making a difference for our clients each and every day,” Brenda said. “The need in Cobb County is tremendous—far more than most people appreciate—and these checks translate directly into things like brand-new toys, school supplies, truck rental costs, cleaning kits and much more!”
If you regularly make donations to Simple Needs GA (or would like to!), we’d love it if you would consider making your donation automatically recur each month. Just go to SimpleNeedsGA.org, click one of the “donate” buttons and then check “make this donation recurring (monthly).”
You can use your credit card or a PayPal account for these donations. However, if you plan to routinely donate online to SNGA, you might consider signing up for a PayPal Giving Fund account. PayPal Giving Fund charges no fees to enrolled charities, so all of your donations will go to SNGA!
Of course, you could also just mail a monthly check to:
Simple Needs GA
P.O. Box 670265
Marietta, GA 30066
THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF PEOPLE IN NEED!
Simple Needs GA 