SNGA: Eleven Years of Caring
“Thank you for helping a family that I am working with in getting home furnishings. The items that your organization gave them is awesome and has helped them more than you can imagine. … Keep up the great work and service that you provide to kids and families in need.”
—Tamara Kapper, Court-Appointed Special Advocate, Cobb County, volunteer
‘SIMPLY SAYING’ (A NOTE FROM OUR FOUNDER, BRENDA RHODES)
We were excited to celebrate our 11th anniversary on June 21! We decided to not make a big deal out of our 10th anniversary last year since we were in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic and there were so many needs out there such as food which we felt were more pressing (didn’t want to distract anyone or funding from those needs). So here we are at 10+1! We’ve come a long way in 11 years. From three programs (Comfort Kits, Simply Sheltered and our original furniture program, Simple Household Needs) to a total of seven programs (My Birthday Matters, Shoe Them Love, Uniforms for Excellence and Spirit of Christmas). Thanks to your amazing generosity, our financial and in-kind donations have increased dramatically, which has made it possible for us to better respond to the acute need in our community. We continue to assist as many people as possible and are honored to do so. Here’s to another “10+1” years of joyful service to others!
Please read on for Donation Drive information as well as some articles with some fun news!
AUGUST DONATION DRIVES
Our next Donation Drive is Sat., Aug. 7, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at our Marietta warehouse. Email [email protected] for the address or with questions.
The donation drives after that are Aug. 21 and Sept. 4. Mark your calendars!
Here are some of the items we need most right now.
● ALL NEW: stuffed dogs, stuffed monkeys, women’s socks, Cars/Hot Wheels and My Little Pony backpacks, car toys for kids ages 4-6, Minecraft Lego sets, bike helmets.
● GENTLY USED OR NEW: crockpots, vacuums, blankets, throw blankets, irons, ironing boards, extension cords/power strips, bowls, mattress covers.
To see what we need the most at any time (we update about once a week), please visit:
MT PARAN CHRISTIAN SCHOOL CHOOSES SNGA FOR SERVICE DAY
We’d like to thank Mount Paran Christian School, 1275 Stanley Road NW in Kennesaw, for choosing Simple Needs GA as one of 21 different nonprofits to benefit from its latest Family Serve Day.
In the annual event, families with students in grades 6 through 12 do service projects off campus. Lisa Majeski and Emily Wynn organized the SNGA event, where volunteers [PCTURED] assembled Comfort Kits and cleaning baskets and helped with our My Birthday Matters supplies.
“Working at Mt Paran Christian School has been truly a blessing,” Lisa said. “When Claire Mozley approached me to include SNGA on the roster, I was thrilled to shine the light on an organization that inspires me to serve. Being a volunteer at SNGA has allowed me to be part of something bigger, helping the less fortunate in our community feel loved and empowered.”
‘MUSIC TO OUR EARS’
Thanks so much to Tran Smith of Little Helpers and her daughter Ava [PICTURED] for once again going out of their way to help Simple Needs GA. [You can read more about Tran and her organization on our blog ‘Little Helpers Makes a Big Difference’.]
Recently, SNGA was the nonprofit beneficiary when Ava performed in her band at Crabapple Middle Schoolin Roswell, Brenda explains. “It was the first time Ava, who is one of two girls in the percussion section, has been able to perform live in the band since December 2019,” she said. “She had mostly been learning online for the past year because of the pandemic.”
Having the concerts benefit a charity is a longtime practice of Gus Melton III, Director of Bands. In a Facebook post about the event, Tran described the concert as “music to my ears” and once again shared our donation link. “Tran has been a huge supporter of SNGA over the years,” Brenda said. “Her work with Little Helpers is just amazing!”
SHOUT OUTS!
We wanted to thank Claire Simmons for recently donating an enormous number of brand-new toys [PICTURED]: just a sample of Claire’s purchases] for children in our My Birthday Matters program. The toys included classic board games, Discovery playsets, Our Generation dolls, Sharper Image remote-controlled vehicles, Dirt Diggers bulldozers, a Discovery Kids easel, and much more. “This really was a huge donation of great new toys that will bring countless hours of delight to our MBM children,” Brenda said. “I can’t resist the urge to call it ‘Christmas in July’!”
Marietta FUMC, 56 Whitlock Avenue, N.W., was kind enough to include us in a project for its Day of Service on March 21. Ten enthusiastic volunteers [PICTURED] helped with a variety of projects. Says Brenda: “Two of the guys even extended their time and helped us deliver furniture to a client!”
In addition, a Sunday School class at Marietta FUMC recently asked participants in its annual Day Lily Brunch to bring donations for SNGA.
Our longtime volunteer Stacy “Mac” MacIlwain attended and said the brunch and fellowship were outstanding. Pastor Fred Finzer noted that many of the Sunday School members already knew about SNGA (through Brenda, who is a fellow church member). According to Pastor Fred, “They thought SNGA was doing a great job at providing help to those in need in a way that no one else was doing. So choosing Simple Needs GA was simple. We provided the class with a copy of your wish list and let the Holy Spirit take it from there.”
We’ve always been big fans of small acts of kindness. Recently Lisa Byrdfound Target and Visa gift cards worth a total of $50. Since these cards are anonymous, there was no way to track down the owner. “Many people would have splurged on themselves but Lisa thought first of how she could use the cards to benefit others,” Brenda said. “She donated them to us and we used them to buy needed items for our clients. Thanks so much, Lisa!”
Along the same lines, Karen Boettler’s nine-year-old daughter Clairedonated money she received for her First Communion to Simple Needs GA. “We are always touched when we see children learning how to serve people in need in their community,” Brenda said. “Thank you Claire!”
| NEW SIMPLY CARING DONORS! |
| We call our recurring donation program Simply Caring. We recently reached out to some of our newest monthly donors to find out why they’ve committed to us in this extraordinary way. One of them is Pam, who wrote back that “it is our honor and privilege to support Simple Needs GA. The work that you do is near and dear to our hearts.”Sarah said she decided to become a monthly donor to help make sure we stay stocked with the items our clients need. “I have seen firsthand the work of Simple Needs GA, and clients I have referred to SNGA have shared their stories with me,” she explained. “Most recently, they helped a father who had just gotten an apartment and needed a bed to get his child out of foster care. SNGA not only provided a bed, but they also helped furnish the whole apartment and provided new presents for the child’s birthday. This father was so overwhelmed with hope and gratitude.”Another family struggled with chronic illness and developmental disabilities and had moved into an apartment, Sarah continued, but for months the only furniture they had was two blow-up mattresses. “SNGA furnished the whole house in one day and provided the mom with much-needed household essentials.”As Sarah sees it, SNGA “brings hope and dignity to vulnerable families, and they give these families a fresh start. It is this hope that changes everything for these families. It is absolutely my pleasure to support this life-changing organization monthly and ensure they are here for years to come serving our most vulnerable neighbors, children, and families.”If you donate to SNGA (or would like to!), we’d love it if you would consider making your donation automatically recur each month and become a member of Simply Caring! 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. Another option: 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! |
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