Central OAC

by Bri Reid

Central Outreach & Advocacy Center is an oasis of opportunities for many of our guests. Each day we encounter guests who are experiencing a desert-like moment. A desert can be described as a barren area of land where little precipitation occurs and consequently living conditions are hostile for plant and animal life. Many of our guests experience desert-like moments just as all of us do: loss of family member/friend, unemployment, an unfavorable doctor’s report, or the stress of paying bills.

When guests come into the Central OAC for services they are often experiencing a “desert” moment. Sometimes, our guests have even been turned away by other agencies, and we are their last hope. They are frustrated and exhausted from traveling by foot and transit to reach our doors.

One of our guests, Adam Barley*, came into my office for services recently. While sitting in my office, he shared his desert moment with me. Three years ago, Mr. Barley’s mother died of cancer. His mother worked for the Atlanta City School District for 30-plus years. As a graduate from Morehouse College with a degree in Business Administration, Mr. Barley worked as an accountant immediately after graduating from college. He owned his own home, a car, and even a motorcycle. Once Mr. Barley’s mother was diagnosed with cancer, however, he moved-in with her to assist her with day-to-day activities. He cared for her until the day she passed away. Mr. Barley said, “Ms. Reid, this is not the life I imagined for myself. I am college graduate. I would have never thought I’d be homeless.” I do not believe any person foresees themselves experiencing homeless, much less someone who had the stability that Mr. Barley had before his mother’s death.

After providing Mr. Barley with food referrals and an ID voucher he said, “Thank you Ms. Reid for listening to my story. I haven’t spoken about my mother since she passed away three years ago. Thank you for allowing me to get all this stuff off my chest.”

Central OAC creates space for guests to not only receive services, but experience moments of refreshment. Many of our guests share stories of loss and pain; however, just being a listening ear can impact their lives indefinitely. Our organization strives to provide an oasis of opportunities for people experiencing desert-like moments, people like Mr. Barley.  

 

*name changed for confidentiality

 

 

Each Monday and Thursday, volunteers and guests gather in our art room to create together.  Some guests choose to paint or draw.  Some work on ongoing projects – a series of sketches or an evolving sculpture.  Some sit in the corner, a bit removed from the group, making art out of words or abstract lines on a scrap sheet of paper.  However our guests choose to be creative, we are joyful and privileged to provide Central ArtWorks as a safe space for them.  Many guests over the years have been a part of ArtWorks – some come to our center once, draw a picture, and never come back to receive services again.  Others come again and again to rest and create.

Drew (name changed) is one such guest.  Drew is currently experiencing homelessness and has been for some time.  He is quiet, reserved, and soft spoken.  But he is an artist at heart.  Drew has participated in our Central ArtWorks fundraiser since its conception, and has even drawn some pictures of our executive director’s dogs to hang in her house.  Drew’s artistic talent is incredible, and we are blessed each week to watch him create breathtaking art in our center.

Evan (name changed) is another guest that has been a long-time participant in Central ArtWorks.  Evan first came to COAC to get an ID.  He was experiencing homelessness and needed help getting back on his feet.  Evan is now stably housed, but continues to come back each Thursday to make art with us.  It’s impossible to walk through the art room without Evan saying hi to you, smiling ear to ear, and proudly displaying his art.

Our guests are not the only ones who are profoundly affected by Central ArtWorks.  Our dedicated volunteer, Mark Smith, reflects on his time making art with our guests in these words:

“Coming into the OAC every Thursday begins a travel in time for me. But unlike travel going forward or back to other times, it’s travel into the moment, into what this day is and is going to be.  That’s what I come for each week. My excursion from wherever I was into something that might be or might not be. We don’t need a result, product, or solution. I won’t know what’s happening until the doors open.

This freshness, this requirement to get ready but not prepare is my antidote to the workings of my own life, to the steady rhythm under my thoughts. Just as we offer our guests, the class is a special space for us all – a room without an agenda. Where we’re free but contained in the world we want to imagine, playing the way our skills suggest or listening to what it is we hear.

When asked about the class I host, I fumble with possible responses. I could say it’s a service I’m part of, or I’m trying to right what’s wonky or be a brother, all probably involved. In truth, though, it’s enough to be there when barriers fall, when smiles flare or tears of tiredness dry.”

At Central OAC, we are always striving to break barriers and provide rest for some of the people who need it the most.  Central ArtWorks is only a piece of what we have to offer our guests, and the stories of Evan and Drew are only a couple out of hundreds.  We would love for you to be a part of this story, too.  And you can be, by joining us for Central ArtWorks: Art Opens Windows one week from today!  This annual fundraiser showcases the art of our guests and raises money for the crucial services we provide.  To buy your ticket today, click here.  For more information about the event, take a look at our Facebook page.  We hope to see you there!

by Brenna Lakeson

At Central OAC, it’s important for us to be involved in the issue of homelessness in three different ways.  We provide direct services such as ID, medical referrals, clothing and food referrals, and birth certificates that help meet practical needs.  We have the Main Frame Job Readiness Program that works with guests who are ready to take the next steps to get back on their feet.  Lastly, we advocate in systems of government to improve policies and laws for the benefit of the people we serve.

“Advocacy” can often be a scary word for those of us who don’t know exactly how to do it or what it means.  So, this post serves to break down some of the mystery to help you be a better advocate in your community!  The following are three easy and important ways for you to advocate for policies that are important to you.

Call your representatives!  To find out who your representatives are, there are several online resources.  For your local rep’s in the Georgia House or Senate (or any other state!), check here.  For your state rep’s in DC, look here.  Once you know who represents you, you can easily find their contact information online.  Most of them have either interns or answering machines set up to take your calls.  So, keep it short and simple.  A great sample message is as follows:

“Hi, my name is ______, I’m a constituent from (city), (zip code). I am opposed to _____ OR I support _______, and I encourage the Senator/Representative to please oppose OR support (legislation/policy). Thanks for your hard work answering the phones!”

It’s most effective to call only your own representatives.  This also helps you build a relationship with them (especially your local rep’s).  Lastly, try to keep your calls focused on one issue at a time.  You might have a lot you want to address with your representative, but you’ll get your point across better if you focus on issues individually instead of leaving a message with your opinions on all issues at once.

Track important legislation.  If you’re passionate about a particular issue, say healthcare or poverty, you can track legislation through the House and Senate to find out what decisions are being made.  This website is a great place to get started.  This site is also very helpful, and you may recognize it from tip #1! – it helps you find your rep’s and gives a breakdown of legislation for you! Bills in the Georgia Legislature are given reference numbers, i.e. SB210 or HB115.  “SB” stands for Senate Bill, and “HB” stands for House Bill, indicative of whether a House Representative or a Senator is sponsoring the bill.  These numbers make it easier to track the legislation.  They also make it easier for you to tell your representatives about specific legislation that your support or oppose.

Meet with representatives! The best way to get your message across is in person.  So, while setting up a meeting with your representative might seem scary, it can be highly important.  It’s hard to ignore the opinions of someone sitting right in front of you!  Especially if you have already been calling your rep’s about specific legislation, your name might be familiar to them, giving you a higher chance of getting a face to face meeting.  It can be difficult to get on their calendar, so don’t give up!  Keep contacting their office until you’re able to set something up.

You can also try to find advocacy organizations that might be planning to meet with representatives and see if you can join them.  Although this year’s legislative session is nearly over, attending the advocacy day for an organization you care about can be a great way to briefly meet with a representative.  Throughout the month of February, many different organizations throughout Georgia have scheduled days that they come to the Capitol and speak with their legislators.  So, if you’re not quite ready for a one-on-one, join us next year for our day at the Capitol for a beginner’s course!

For more about advocacy and the work we do at COAC, visit https://centraloac.org/programs/advocacy.

by Ahren Cassinari-Foster

At Central Outreach and Advocacy Center, we engage with people who are experiencing homelessness and at-risk of homelessness.  When doing working with guests via direct services, we see people for only a brief period of time, an hour or so, and we may never see them again.  They go their way, getting their ID, birth certificate, or receiving medical care and we go ours, helping the next guest and determining how to best address the next need we encounter.  Sometimes we have no way of knowing whether or not our work made a lasting difference for the guest.

One of the joys of working with people long-term in the Main Frame program is the change and growth that I get to see happen in them.  Of course, some of the most important changes we observe in people are difficult to measure:  when someone becomes more honest, caring, or sincere.  But thankfully, some of the other profoundly important changes that I have the privilege of seeing are easy to measure:  when someone gets a job, a promotion, or a raise.

This measurable sort of change happened a few months back with one of our job readiness students.  He started the class about a year ago and moved relatively quickly into a work program.  I was sad to see him go, as he was a great student, but I was happy for his progress towards self-sufficiency.  He maintained occasional contact with us over the following months, using the Main Frame computer lab to apply for jobs, check email, and fax important documents.

But, one day, he came in and needed some assistance with a new job he had been offered.  It was a supervisory position.  He would be making more money and overseeing other employees on the construction site.  This was a huge, concrete, measurable step towards self-sufficiency that he had taken.  But there was another, maybe more important step that I believe he took that day that was not quite as obvious-a step towards more confidence and belief in his own abilities.

Many of us have had the satisfaction that comes from a supervisor recognizing the qualities within us and rewarding them.  That day, that particular student did too.