Grant: Integration of mental health services and primary healthcare coordination at the Ben Massell Dental Clinic

Mission:

For 100 years, we have been changing people’s lives – thousands of them, every year.

How the the Ben Massell Dental Clinic benefits the community:

The Ben Massell Dental Clinic provides the most advanceddental care available to its patients. We are the only resource for comprehensive, quality dental care available at no cost to Atlanta’s neediest population. Our 140 volunteer dentists dedicate their time and expertise each month to people who otherwise would not have access to the services we offer.

Grant: “Second Chance” program

Mission:

The mission of Odyssey Family Counseling Center is to strive to provide high quality, professional counseling in the areas of mental health, substance abuse, trauma, anger management and the prevention of addictive behaviors, to all socio-economic groups.

How the Odyssey Counselling Center benefits the community:

The Odyssey has always been firmly rooted in community. Throughout Odyssey’s history, the objective of the agency has been consistent, to provide high-quality, affordable and professional counseling services. A write-up from 1977 states “Odyssey retains its commitment to providing service to anyone in need”. In 1976, “one-third of Odyssey’s clients had incomes of less than $5,000 per year; another third had incomes between $5,000 to $10,000. Clients are charged a modest fee, scaled to income – for instance a family with an annual income of $10,000 pays $7 per session. No client is refused service because of an inability to pay”. Community response to The Odyssey was strong and very positive. Several school counselors said The Odyssey is their primary referral agency. One commented “I sincerely cannot sing the praises loudly enough to express my satisfaction and appreciation for what Odyssey is doing in our community. It means so much . . . to be able to recommend a place for professional counseling for families where you feel confident in the staff and leadership.”

Mission:

To provide a supportive environment that enables homeless newborns and their families to achieve positive life outcomes for this generation and those to come. Genesis serves families with a baby under six months of age, with priority given to families with newborns.

How the Genesis Shelter benefits the community:

Genesis Shelter offers a wide range of programs and services to babies under six months of age and their families, all within the centrally-located 30,000 sq.ft. facility in downtown Atlanta.  These services include:

• A safe, caring place to live for up to six months. This includes 18 private rooms with beds, cribs, chests of drawers, etc. for Genesis families.
• A full-service kitchen serving three full, nutritious meals every day
• A fully-stocked clothes closet for infants, children, and parents
• An on-site licensed Child Care Center
• 24 hour a day staff support and services
• Financial Management including budgeting and Credit Counseling
• Comprehensive life skills
• Individual, group, families, and couple counseling
• Play Therapy
• Comprehensive nutrition, meal prep, kitchen hygiene and budgeting training
• Parenting classes

Grant: Education Station program

Mission:

The Athens Nurses Clinic is a non-profit safety-net health care clinic providing free evaluation, treatment and education for acute and chronic medical and dental conditions to uninsured low-and-no income residents of Athens-Clarke County and the surrounding counties.

How the Athens Nurses Clinic benefits the community:

The Athens Nurses Clinic along with the Athens Regional Breast Health Center, The American Cancer Society, and It’s the Journey, Inc are collaborating to fight breast cancer in Northeast Georgia.

The clinic is currently proving free screenings on-site and at other locations in Northeast GA. To qualify for services women must be 40 year of age or older, have not had a mammogram in the past year, and have not been previously diagnosed with cancer. Household income must be at or below 150% of the federal poverty level.

The clinic will also provide outreach and education programs to local churches, civic groups, neighborhoods, and community organizations.

Grant: Advocacy for children to enroll in Medicaid or PeachCare

Mission:

Established in 2003, Voices for Georgia’s Children is a nonprofit child policy and advocacy organization that envisions a Georgia where children are safe, healthy, educated, employable, and connected to their family and community. It is our mission to be a powerful, unifying voice for a public agenda that ensures the well-being of all of Georgia’s children.

Although Georgia has taken steps to improve the lives of children, there is still a lot of work to do. According to the latest Annie E. Casey Foundation Kids Count Data Book, Georgia ranks 37th among states for child well-being – a figure that is steadily improving, but still a disappointment for Georgia’s kids. If we want Georgia’s children to compete both nationally and internationally, we must start at the beginning and support children and their families from birth into young adulthood.

To fulfill our mission and, ultimately, make life better for Georgia’s children, we provide the necessary research-based information, measures, collective voice and proposed legislation to help guide decision makers in the right direction – that is, supporting policies that ensure Georgia’s children grow up to be healthy, educated and productive citizens. It’s a win for children, it’s a win for Georgia.