It’s almost as though Hippocrates could see nearly 2,500 years into the future when he coined the phrase, “Desperate times call for desperate measures.”
With rising inflation, skyrocketing home prices, and a depleted inventory of affordable housing, a growing number of families have either found themselves precariously housed or without a home altogether.
In Gwinnett County alone, more than 2,000 Gwinnett County Public School students do not have a permanent address on file. A leader in transformational programming and transitional housing in Metro Atlanta, Rainbow Village is at full capacity, but still receives calls daily from families seeking haven. The need is not only growing, but also accelerating.
In addition to aiding the families it already serves, the nonprofit hopes to grow its reach beyond its 2.5-acre campus in Duluth in 2023. To that end, Rainbow Village is asking the public to Give the Gift of HOPE this holiday season to impact the lives of families experiencing homelessness.
“Over the course of these last nine weeks of 2022, we’ll be sharing different ‘views of the village’ from a wide range of people who have either impacted or have been impacted by Rainbow Village,” said Melanie Conner, CEO of Rainbow Village. “Our Give the Gift of HOPE campaign is intended to shine the light on the growing issue of homelessness across Metro Atlanta, tell the story of what we’ve been doing as an organization to address that issue for more than 30 years, and explore the possibility of expanding our scope so we can touch the lives of more families than ever before. In keeping with our name, we believe it truly does take the support of the village beyond our Village to make everything we do possible. In 2021, we provided 35 families with over 27,000 bed nights on our campus and we’re on track to surpass those numbers this year. But we need to do more. The money raised during this year-end awareness and fundraising campaign will move the needle towards change – not only for our organization, but also for Georgia families in need.”
Hope is not only a feeling the nonprofit seeks to supply to the families it serves, but for the purpose of Rainbow Village’s campaign, HOPE is an acronym. “H” represents the fact that Rainbow Village has a 90% success rate with the families it serves because it believes in giving them a Hand Up – instead of a handout – through transitional housing and transformational programming. “O” signifies the Opportunity afforded to each resident through life skills classes and success coaching – often connecting them with prospective employers and focusing on managing finances. “P” stands for the Peace Rainbow Village provides as its residents transition away from the trauma of being homeless to a place where they find a supportive community. Lastly, “E” represents Empowerment as all of these elements come together to inspire each resident to thrive beyond the boundaries of Rainbow Village.
Throughout November and December, Rainbow Village will promote its Give the Gift of HOPE campaign to fuel its goal to expand its reach to families in need in 2023. To support those efforts, individual donors and corporations can make a one-time donation or become a monthly recurring donor of Rainbow Village by texting Giftofhope to 844-422-6444 or visiting www.RainbowVillage.org.
Editor’s Note: List of safe and stable shelter provides essential protection and nurturance for individuals and families for Gwinnett
