Central Outreach & Advocacy Center

Central OAC

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In Their Shoes

by Amy Kirkland

Supporting Mr. P Through His SSDI Application Journey

My usual role at the COAC involves checking mail. Over time, by seeing the same guests repeatedly, I gradually learn their stories, often in fragments. One memorable day last summer, I had the opportunity to work with Mr. P and conduct his intake assessment.

The intake assessment process includes asking questions about health and income. During Mr. P’s assessment, two important things became clear: he had significant health issues, particularly related to seizures, and he needed to apply for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). I discovered he was receiving support from Grady for his seizures, but he was still unhoused. To address his SSDI needs, I encouraged Mr. P to meet with our SSDI advocate on Wednesday. Although I had to remind him a couple of times, he eventually visited Suzanne Struble, our SSI/SSDI advocate, who arranged an appointment to start his application.

During each step of the application, Mr. P received letters from the Social Security Administration (SSA) and Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency (GVRA), detailing subsequent actions. Suzanne or I would read these letters to ensure he followed the instructions. He completed his application at the downtown SSA office, and Grady assisted with documentation. However, the process required further steps. Mr. P needed to meet with a physician to assess his disability status.

When I reviewed the letter about his physician appointment, I found it was scheduled nearly two months away in Griffin, GA, which was inaccessible for Mr. P. I submitted a request for a closer appointment, and the result was only slightly better—his appointment was in Snellville, an hour from Atlanta, but scheduled within a few weeks. Recognizing the importance of this appointment for Mr. P’s well-being and SSDI approval, I approached Kimberly, explained the situation, and asked if we could arrange an Uber for him. Before I finished asking, Kimberly agreed.

On the day of the appointment, I prepared a letter for Mr. P to present at the doctor’s office, requesting they notify me of his arrival and help arrange his return via Uber. I was anxious about sending Mr. P, who struggles with communication through no fault of his own, to an unfamiliar place. To my relief, the doctor’s office confirmed his arrival and ensured he got back safely.

Afterwards, we received several more letters to review. Mr. P needed one final doctor’s evaluation to complete the process. Once again, I turned to Kimberly for what I hoped would be the last Uber ride—this time to Decatur. We believed navigating buses and trains would be too difficult for him, and Kimberly agreed without hesitation. The team worked together once more, and the doctor’s office accepted my letter, confirmed his arrival, and notified me when he was ready to return.

The day was joyous when we received the letter confirming Mr. P’s SSDI check would arrive soon. The best moment came when he checked his mail and picked up his first check. This achievement brings hope that Mr. P will soon have an apartment to call his own. At the very least, it provides options and choices that were previously unavailable to him.

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Spring of Hope

by Corey Jones (Chaplain Intern)

Spring is the season of hope and rebirth. As Atlanta warms up from the winter, the
hope in our hearts starts to warm up, too. New daffodil and daisy blooms remind us that
there are still new opportunities for us to discover. Many of these new and hopeful
opportunities can be found here at Central OAC.

As a chaplain intern, I spend time during my shifts focusing on the inspiring spiritual
stories I hear from our guests, even while I fill out forms and hand out snacks. I hear so
many stories of hope, but I would like to highlight one from guest Cory Crawford. (He
gave me his permission to tell his name and his story.)

First, we connected over our similar names, and then I started asking him questions
during the intake process. I was hesitant to ask questions that seemed way too
personal, but I was rewarded with a story of hope. When I asked him if he was on
parole for a felony, he replied, “I did fifteen, and I’ve been home twenty. I’m so glad
those days are behind me.”

I told him that his story might offer some hope to others. Did he have a message he
wanted to impart to the younger men and women waiting in the lobby and on the
streets? He said he did:

“Make better choices and better decisions because you are responsible for your
choices. You can’t blame other people. Don’t be a knucklehead! Surround
yourself with positive people. Stay hopeful – there’s a positive day ahead. Look forward;
don’t look back. Don’t beat yourself up for past mistakes.”

We chuckled, finished out the form, and hugged. Mr. Crawford’s hope-filled words
were words I needed to hear myself; perhaps you needed them, too! This Spring, don’t
be a knucklehead, but follow Mr. Crawford’s advice to stay hopeful instead. As I always
say, “hope is real!”

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Love in Action

by Austyn Long (Chaplain Intern)

I started working at the OAC as a chaplain intern in September of 2025, and when I think back
over past five months, I can’t think of a better description for this time than “Love in Action”.

Love means many things to many people, but in the OAC, love in action looks like hospitality, and preparing a place for every person to belong.

Hospitality has been woven in, since the first day of my internship. As I walked toward the gate, hoping I had found the right place, many of the guests were already lined up and waiting for the center to open. I asked someone if this was the Central Outreach and Advocacy Center, and shared that it was my first day working. Someone in line responded with a warm welcome, and showed me where the gate was, and told me where I could enter. Each day since, I’ve enjoyed the walk down Washington St., exchanging good mornings and conversation with the guests,
and seeing some more familiar faces as we start the day together.

Right after arriving, I was invited to join the morning circle. Here, staff and volunteers gathered
before beginning the day to share their joys and concerns and pray with and for one another
and the guests. As I heard the things that lifted and weighed on the hearts of the staff and
volunteers, and saw how deeply everyone held one another, again, I could see how much love
filled every corner of this place.

In the months since that first day, and the hundred-plus hours I’ve spent learning from the staff
and volunteers, speaking with and learning from guests, and even getting to see how
organizations throughout Atlanta are collaborating with one another, I’ve seen love in action in
a thousand different ways.

Sometimes, love looks like a conversation filled with so much laughter and connection that the
whole hallway overhears. Other times, it looks like sharing your burdens and finding comfort.
Sometimes, love in action looks like staff members collaborating to quiz a guest on the
citizenship test every time he visits, to help him study. Or, it looks like being recognized at the
door by someone who knows what you’re looking for. Often, love looks like being able to say
‘yes,’ to requests for warm hats, clean socks, shaving kits, or other much needed items, because
of the generosity of people I’ve never met.

A phrase I hear often at the OAC is, “I’m so glad you’re here.” Volunteers say this to guests, and
guests say it back. Staff and volunteers say it to each other on slow and busy days. To me, this is
what it really means to put love into action – to make the OAC a place where everyone belongs,
and where everyone is welcomed warmly, with love.

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Fresh Start

by Sarah Zimbardi

A new year brings the opportunity for a fresh start, and the OAC advocacy team is stepping into it with renewed energy and purpose. 2025 was a year of trying new approaches, learning new things, and most importantly, building new connections that will carry our work forward.

Throughout the year, we deepened our engagement with local government, meeting with ten different representatives from the City of Atlanta and Fulton County to push for improved access to public restrooms and summer cooling centers.

We also formed connections with new organizations and renewed relationships with longtime partners, strengthening the network that makes our advocacy possible.

We circulated the OAC’s first petition, asking Mayor Dickens to improve access to public restrooms downtown.  We invited partner organizations to share the petition as well. Together, we collected 923 signatures from downtown Atlanta residents, visitors, churchgoers, and commuters.

We navigated the process of getting an in-person meeting with representatives from the Mayor’s Office – a meeting that was rescheduled 3 times over the span of two months before we were able to sit down in the Mayor’s cabinet room to discuss public restrooms.  Once again, we leaned on our partnerships, bringing representatives from five other organizations to the table and the support of many others who could not attend. 

We also started a quarterly guest advocacy meeting.  These gatherings have allowed us to share information about downtown changes affecting the unhoused community ahead of the World Cup, hear directly from guests about the barriers they face, and gather input on where new public restrooms should be located. Most importantly, these meetings have given us time to sit together, share a meal, and listen without an agenda beyond connection.

Throughout all of these efforts, we’ve been reminded of the importance of patience, persistence, and connecting with others. Trying to advocate in a silo is like yelling into the wind. As we move forward into this new year, we will work to maintain strong partnerships and create new ones, so that together we can advocate for the City and County to make positive changes for us all.