Fayette Senior Services Awarded Subaru “Share the Love” Grant

Funds to Help Feed Seniors in Need this Holiday Season

Fayette Senior Services has been awarded $500 from the Meals On Wheels Association of America (MOWAA)/Subaru “Share the Love” grant program. The MOWAA/Subaru “Share the Love” grant is tied to Subaru’s Share the Love Event.  The Share the Love Event will run from November 20, 2010 – January 3, 2011. Subaru will donate $250 for every new Subaru vehicle sold or leased to the customer's choice of one of five charities, including MOWAA.The winning essay, which follows this news release, describes how our volunteers go the extra mile to help those in need.

The next phase of this competition relies on getting the most Facebook users to “Like” this story.  More than 140 “Share the Love” essays from programs across the country have been posted on MOWAA’s Member blog.   The Meals On Wheels program with the most “Likes” will win an additional $500. Those placing 2nd through 10th will receive an additional $250. To “Like” the local essay submitted for this Facebook contest, go to mowaablog.org and search “Fayette Senior Services.”

For more than 30 years, Fayette Senior Services Meals On Wheels program has ensured that no senior in Fayette County goes hungry, or is without the ability to have proper nutrition. Each year, a team of dedicated volunteers deliver more than 40,000 meals to more than 250 homebound and semi-homebound older adults throughout Fayette County. Many suffer from health conditions that make preparing a hot, nutritious meal difficult. Good nutrition is essential to anyone’s well-being, yet for many seniors who live on a limited source of income, maintaining a healthy diet is a challenge.

“These Meals On Wheels programs share love every day by bringing food and companionship to America’s hungry seniors,” said MOWAA President and CEO Enid Borden. “For the third year in a row Subaru has generously included Meals On Wheels in its Share the Love Event. We want the world to read these stories and find out more about what these amazing Meals On Wheels programs do every day to ‘Share the Love’ in their communities.”
The funds will be included in Fayette Senior Services goal to raise $30,000 for its annual Project Love Holiday Meal Campaign. By contributing to Project Love, individuals can help Fayette Senior Services provide holiday meals throughout the year. Proceeds from the campaign will also be used to purchase doctor prescribed Ensure® supple­ments for clients with special dietary needs, as well as “shelf meals” that seniors can have on hand in the event a meal cannot be delivered to them due to extreme weather conditions. So far, the Project Love campaign has raised just over $10,000. If you would like to make a donation visit www.FayetteLifeEnrichment.org and click on the Project Love logo to download a printable form or make an online donation. Donation forms are also available at Fayette Senior Services Life Enrichment Center, 4 Center Drive in Fayetteville (across from the Fayette County Justice Center). Checks should be made payable to Fayette Senior Services, Inc.

“This is the season of giving and we are so thankful that Subaru has decided to give back to our Meals On Wheels program said Fayette Senior Services Executive Director, Debbie Britt. Britt adds “As a non-profit organization, we receive some government funding for the Meals On Wheels program; however, these funds don’t quite cover the cost of the regular weekly meals and make no provision for holiday meals. When you consider this, you can see why this grant, and the community’s support for our Project Love campaign are truly meaningful gifts. Our homebound seniors who depend on us for weekly meals certainly deserve a little extra love and support this holiday season and throughout the year.”

Fayette Senior Services, Inc. (FSS), a non-profit, 501.c.3 organization, provides services that help Fayette County’s older adults maintain their independence and improve their quality of life. Programs include Meals on Wheels, Transportation, In-Home Personal Care/Homemaker Services, Case Management, Adult Day Care, Information & Assistance, and Home Repair. For active older adults, Fayette Senior Services Life Enrichment Center offers a wide variety of social, leisure, fitness and recreational activities, the Ultimate Café, and more! FSS programs are focused on total wellness – body, mind, and spirit – to help older adults live well and age well.
About Meals On Wheels Association of America. The Meals On Wheels Association of America (MOWAA) is the oldest and largest national organization in the United States representing those programs that provide meals to people in need.  MOWAA’s mission is to end senior hunger by 2020.  To obtain more information about MOWAA or to locate a local Meals On Wheels program, visit the MOWAA website at www.mowaa.org.

Fayette Senior Services Meals On Wheels Winning Essay

The holiday season is a time when most of us share the love with our family and friends. Meals On Wheels shares the love with our local seniors who would otherwise be all alone and hungry during the holidays.  It’s only fitting that we are partnering with our friends at Subaru for the third year in a row for their “Share the Love” Event to raise funds to support Meals On Wheels. This is just one story of how we share the love here in our community.

Louise was legally blind but insisted on staying in her own home instead of going to assisted living. For Louise, whose only close relative lived in North Carolina, this was challenging. With the help of our Meals On Wheels volunteers, who have done much more than deliver a meal for the past 9 years, Louise was able to stay in her home. They took her in as family ensuring that she had rides to church and shopping, got her mail, and took her garbage out, along with other household chores.  Every Thanksgiving, a Meals On Wheels volunteer invited her to dinner with his family. Louise would then call another volunteer to take her to the store to buy something for that dinner.  The volunteers formed a network to make sure Louise was being cared for in every possible way. She always said “I couldn’t have stayed in my home without the help of Meals On Wheels and all the volunteers.” Unfortunately, Louise took a fall and had to move into assisted living in North Carolina near her sister. Shortly after moving, Louise passed away. We were saddened by her death, but her “family” of volunteers had shared their love, which had helped her maintain the independence she loved so much.
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Carter Endorses North Korea Housing Initiative

/PRNewswire/ -- Former President Jimmy Carter this week praised a first-of-its-kind building project that will involve volunteers from the United States building homes side by side with North Koreans.

The Fuller Center, a US-based Christian non-profit organization, has been working with its North Korean partner, the Paektusan Academy of Architecture, since 2008 developing plans for the project.

According to U.S. News & World Report, Carter said: "They've already gotten permission from the government of North Korea to come in; they've already had a team there to assess the construction possibilities. This has to be a very flexible thing because as you know all of the houses in North Korea are owned by the government," Carter said. "We're just thankful that we'll be able to get some houses built in North Korea for people in need."

President Carter made his comments during the 27th annual Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project in Washington, D.C. where he is building homes with Habitat for Humanity International. The Founders of Habitat for Humanity, Millard and Linda Fuller, also started The Fuller Center for Housing in 2005.

Fuller Center President David Snell, who just returned from North Korea, says the first group of volunteers is scheduled to travel to Pyongyang in late October or early November. "The team will be led by Don Mosley who, along with Dr. Han Park, helped open the door for this initiative. The team is made up of volunteers who are dedicated to both the building of houses and building of peace," said Snell.

The Fuller Center plans to build 50 new homes at Osun-Ri in the outskirts of Pyongyang, the capital of the DPRK. The houses will be for farmers working on the tree nursery that surrounds the building site. "We know that what we are doing is considered controversial to some," says Snell. "The governments of our two countries have been at war for 60 years. But the people of both countries have the same basic hopes -- a decent home to raise our families in, a sense of security, and peace. The Fuller Center hopes to be part of that, building peace one house at a time."

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Foresters, KaBOOM! & Volunteers Build New Playground for Southeast Atlanta Children

/PRNewswire/ -- Thomasville Heights Elementary School received a brand new playground September 11 thanks to the effort of more than 200 volunteers from Foresters(TM), the school and non-profit KaBOOM! The new playground will serve 7,500 children and their families in the Atlanta community for years to come.

"Foresters is more than a life insurance provider," said Bruce Burak, National Sales Manager with Foresters. "Foresters also invests in its members and in communities where they live, such as Atlanta. Foresters believes in creating opportunities for families to spend healthy time together, like the Thomasville Heights Elementary playground we all built here together."

Foresters, a life insurance provider committed to the well-being of families, is funding 20 playground builds across North America in 2010. By investing $1.5 million in these projects, Foresters is partnering with KaBOOM! to build playgrounds that will eventually serve more than 250,000 children and their families.

The playground at Thomasville Heights Elementary will provide 7,500 children and their families in the southeast Atlanta community with a great place to play. In less than eight hours, the child-designed playground was built from scratch by hundreds of volunteers from Foresters, the school and the surrounding community. In addition, children and families spent the day playing games and participating in arts and crafts activities. Playgrounds are an ideal place for families to get to know other families and build strong communities.

"With the addition of this playground, our children and their families will have a safe place to connect and play," said Thomasville Heights Elementary Principal Charles Penn. "This play space is going to be a tremendous asset to our entire community."

Thanks to the work of Foresters, Thomasville Heights Elementary and KaBOOM!, children and their families now have a 3,600 square-foot playground to call home that includes features such as a Slither Slide, Rockblocks Climbing Wall and Tic-Tac-Toe Activity panel.

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Homes Dedicated on 9-11

/PRNewswire/ -- On Sept. 11 thousands of volunteers are wrapping up a week of building, repairing or dedicating more than 100 homes for those in need as part of the worldwide Millard Fuller Legacy Build, organized by the Fuller Center for Housing.

The Fuller Center for Housing is an affordable housing nonprofit working in 60 U.S. cities and 17 nations throughout the world. The Legacy Build, now in its second year, was established to honor Millard Fuller, the founder of Habitat for Humanity and The Fuller Center.

"September 11 affected the lives of millions and destroyed a community. This is a way that I can rebuild a community close to my own home," Jodi Newell, a volunteer from Indianapolis, Ind. said. "It's a day out of my life that will help the lives of many others."

Six newly renovated homes will be dedicated on Sept. 11 in Atlanta, Ga. as part of the Legacy Build. The Fuller Center of Greater Atlanta is calling the dedication a Day of Celebration. Six families will celebrate as they walk their new homes that were once abandoned or in dire need of major renovation.

In a time where the nation has seen record numbers of home foreclosures, the Fuller Center for Housing, with the help of thousands of volunteers, is demonstrating the capability of citizens to continue to address the housing needs of low-income families.

Indianapolis, Ind. is the international host city for the worldwide Legacy Build. Home dedications in that city will be held Sept. 10 for the 22 families. In just one week, eight new homes were completed, 13 dilapidated homes received major repairs and one abandoned duplex was completely remodeled.

"When I get those keys, I'll be filled with joy," Sherrice Harris said about Friday's dedication of her new home. "I'm filled with joy now seeing all these people come together to help me and my family."

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Ingenious Med Partners with Children's Restoration Network for Holiday Charity

/PRNewswire/ -- This holiday season, Ingenious Med is partnering with Children's Restoration Network (CRN) to donate employees' time and treasure to roughly 2,000 Metro-Atlanta children living in group homes and shelters.

CRN kicked off November with a Thanksgiving food drive, an effort to stock 129 shelters with basic needs as well as holiday favorites. The organization looks to volunteers like Ingenious Med to host these food drives throughout Atlanta. Ingenious Med has sponsored a month-long drive within its office complex, giving 14 companies and nearly 450 individuals the opportunity to donate everything from canned foods to grocery gift cards.

Additionally, Ingenious Med will be actively participating in CRN's "Adopt-A-Shelter" holiday program. Not only has Ingenious Med pledged to make its adopted shelter's holidays more enjoyable with volunteered time and gifts, Ingenious Med has engaged to donate time and scholarships to the shelter year-round.

During CRN's "12 Days of Caring" event, volunteers like Ingenious Med will be invited to a gift wrapping party, where they will have the opportunity to meet other volunteers and distribute gifts to the children of all ages.

"Holidays are always tough on those less fortunate, especially homeless children and homeless mothers with children," said Cliff Kinsey, CEO of CRN. "We could not touch so many lives without the help of great corporate citizens like Ingenious Med. We are very grateful to be a part of their Philanthropy."

CRN has been servicing 18 Atlanta counties since 1993, providing shelter for nearly 3,800 needy children each year. Beyond providing the basic necessities of food and shelter, CRN strives to provide education opportunities and special programs and events to bring positive experiences for some of Atlanta's most deserving youth.

"We felt an immediate connection with CRN due to its emphasis on our Atlanta community and the ability it gave us to donate and volunteer all year and not just during the holiday season," said Ingenious Med CEO, Hart Williford. "The passionate staff and volunteers have had such wonderful successes with the shelters and homeless mothers and children they serve. We're enthused on an individual and corporate level about this partnership."

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Foresters and community partners volunteer to build new playground in Ben Hill community

/PRNewswire/ -- R.N. Fickett Elementary School in Southwest Atlanta has a brand new playground thanks to a coordinated effort of 200 volunteers from Foresters(TM), students, teachers and the community who erected the facility. This playground will serve the children of Ben Hill where previously there was the original wooden equipment from 1972. Georgia State Representative Roger Bruce, Dr. Sharon Williams, Atlanta Public Schools and Yolanda Johnson, Atlanta Board of Education, joined Stephen Sprague, Foresters Director, Legal, in acknowledging the tremendous contribution made by all the volunteers.

"Foresters is thrilled to provide the children of the Ben Hill community with a wonderful new park where they can play and spend quality family time together," said Stephen Sprague. "This is Foresters' sixth playground build of 2009, and another excellent example of team spirit and of Foresters purpose coming to life. Foresters champions the well-being of families by investing in our communities and by providing opportunities for our members, our agents and staff to help make a difference."

Foresters, a member-based life insurance provider with members throughout Georgia, funded and organized the playground build with KaBOOM!, local parents, R.N. Fickett Elementary School and Atlanta Public Schools. This is the fourth of six playgrounds in the U.S. that Foresters is funding and organizing with KaBOOM! this year. In its 135th anniversary year, Foresters has invested close to $500,000 to provide playgrounds where children and their parents can spend quality time together playing, learning and having fun.

Before the first hole was dug in the ground, children from R.N. Fickett Elementary School helped design the playground of their dreams.

"This KaBOOM! opportunity allows Fickett to be a shining beacon in the community," said Dr. Anthony Dorsey, Principal of Fickett Elementary. "We pride ourselves in being a high performing elementary school in an urban environment. These new additions allow Fickett to transcend tradition and history and become a beautiful educational facility that upholds the standards and expectations of our esteemed community.

"Our goals at Fickett are to come around full circle and display 360 degrees of progress. This playground will energize our students and encourage all Fickett Trojans to complete the circle and attain the 360 degrees of achievement. Fickett has always been a great place to learn. This KaBOOM! partnership will allow us to be a great place to learn and PLAY. And like our funding partner, Foresters, Fickett 'Champions the well-being of Families.'"

The new playground will be nearly 2,400 square feet in size and includes an adaptive swing set, bell panel, catacombs panel, chime panel, drum panel, funnel adventure tube and much, much more. With a duration expectancy range from 15 to 20 years, the playground has the capacity to serve approximately 8,200 children in its lifetime.

Foresters investment in this playground extends beyond the work completed on build day. Foresters volunteers and the community have made a commitment to maintain the playground to ensure it is available for subsequent generations of parents and children.

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UWG Named to Peace Corps' Top Ten

The University of West Georgia has been named as one of the Peace Corps’ Top 10 colleges in Georgia that contribute to the number of Peace Corps volunteers. With 38 UWG alumni listed as volunteers in the Peace Corps, the university is ranked 10th out of 76 Georgia colleges and universities who have produced volunteers since the Peace Corps’ inception in 1961. Two UWG alumni are currently serving overseas.

David Leavitt, a former Peace Corps volunteer and a representative at the Atlanta Regional Office, and Kyle Jessop, Peace Corps regional recruiter, will visit the campus on Wednesday, Jan. 28, to give a presentation on “The Toughest Job You Will Ever Love.” They will also attend several classes as guest speakers.

Jessop served as a Peace Corps volunteer in two different assignments: the Kingdom of Lesotho and the Republic of Zambia from 2002 through 2006.

“I think Peace Corps has opened up doors for me that I am still waiting to approach,” said Jessop. “My heart is with the people in the developing world and I find it hard at times when I look at the vast differences in different societies. It simply amazes me. I hope to do my part in helping to bridge the gaps.”

The presentation will include the Peace Corps application process, a description of what it is like to live and work overseas, and the long-term career advantages of service. The event is scheduled at the Technology-enhanced Learning Center, Room 1203, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Students and community members are encouraged to attend.

Peace Corps volunteers must be U.S. citizens and be at least 18 years of age. Joining the Peace Corps usually requires a degree and a 27-month commitment. This event will mark the second visit to the UWG campus by Peace Corps representatives this academic year.

The Peace Corps organization is especially attracted to UWG because many of its undergraduates fill assignments in scarce skill areas where it is traditionally difficult to find qualified applicants. These skill areas include education, business, foreign languages and global studies.

As the Peace Corps approaches its 50th anniversary, its service legacy continues to promote peace and friendship around the world. Historically, more than 195,000 Americans have volunteered and have helped to promote a better understanding between Americans and the citizens of the 139 countries in which they have served.

Applications to serve in the Peace Corps have increased by 16 percent this past year, which is the largest boost in the last five years. Currently, 7,876 Peace Corps Volunteers are serving in 76 countries. To learn more about the Peace Corps, go to www.peacecorps.gov, or call 404-562-3472.

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Volunteers to Celebrate Completion of Repair Work to Tornado-damaged Home

Three months after a tornado sent a massive tree crashing onto his house, volunteers will celebrate the completion of extensive repair work to the home of East Atlanta resident Grady McCollum on Saturday, June 14th.

A cookout will begin at 12 Noon, followed by a 2 P.M. dedication ceremony were volunteers from various non-profits, churches, community groups will be thanked. The home is located at 1393 Glenwood Avenue.

“We would like to commend everyone who answered the call and joined us in getting Mr. McCollum and other families back into their homes,” said City Councilmember Natalyn Archibong, who represents East Atlanta, one of the hardest areas. “The completion of Mr. McCollum’s home shows that anything is possible when a neighborhood is mobilized. It also shows the compassion we share in our community in times of tragedy.”

Among the groups that lent a helping hand to repair damaged homes and remove fallen trees were the Fuller Center for Housing, a Americas, Ga.-based non-profit organization dedicated to building and rehabilitating houses for people in need and our city’s own Hands on Atlanta, a metro area non-profit volunteer organization.

National Association of the Remodeling industry sponsored Mr. McCollum house by raising several thousands of dollars to help in repair costs, said Mark Galey, President of the Fuller Center for Housing of Greater Atlanta.

“Even individual homeowners have participated in helping with their own repairs. This has not been a hand-out but a hand-up.”

McCollum’s home was restored to pre-tornado condition, Galey said.