Central Outreach & Advocacy Center

Central OAC

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A Season For All

by Kandice Dinkins, Georgia State University Intern

As I reflect on what a “Season For All” means, I think about exactly what this means to the guests we serve daily at the COAC. I plan to give each guest the gift of inclusiveness and support that can empower them to get through their challenging time with a lighter heart and a mind that is at ease. Regardless of their circumstances, they know our Center is dedicated to helping them with their essential resources such as IDs, birth certificates, social security cards etc. We know that this access is critical to helping them with stable housing, employment and additional services that are needed to facilitate them through their challenging times. As I continue my internship with the COAC, I want to continue the Center’s dedication to uplifting spirits, valuing our guests and giving collective support to those in need. As we push through the holidays, let’s all think of “A Season For All” as a time to embrace each moment as an opportunity to make a difference and contribute to a brighter future for those experiencing homelessness. Showing compassion, patience, and empathy gives us the power of advocacy and gives a positive impact for those we serve. With that said, let’s make this “Season For All” an unforgettable one for our guests.

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Grateful

by Bella Ragone, Georgia State University Intern

As we near the end of the year and reflect on what we have accomplished, what lies ahead, and what we are grateful for, I find myself thinking most about my time spent at the OAC. Although I have only served as a student intern for two months, I have learned and experienced so much alongside fellow students, dedicated volunteers and staff, and our incredible guests. Everyone involved at the OAC at every level has already made an incredible impact on my own personal journey.

 

During one of my first weeks as an intern, I had the pleasure of attending the birthday party of a regular guest who had recently got her own apartment. During this celebration, I got to know this guest better and was shown the fruits of all the hard work that OAC staff and the guest put in to accomplishing this goal together. For many of our guests, this goal seems a long ways away, but I remind them in my small intake room that they showed up and are doing the work to get themselves there. As much as I hear guests thanking us for providing services, we are also thanking and celebrating them for showing up and working towards our common goal of overcoming and preventing homelessness. I’m excited when I can recognize guests that I have worked with who return to pick up their IDs and take their next steps. It warms my heart to get to know them, share laughs, and see their progress despite all the challenges thrown their way.

 

This year, I am grateful that I get the opportunity to build community amongst my neighbors and play a role in maximizing the potential of every guest that seeks services at the OAC. I think we should all be looking for ways to connect with our communities and make a difference in the lives of those we share this city with. The threats of winter weather, unstable housing, and food insecurity loom in the coming months. As we close out the year, I encourage everyone with the means to do so to get involved and look for opportunities to strengthen connections with everyone around you. Practicing gratitude has taught me to celebrate all wins, big or small, for myself and for others. Look out for your neighbors and get to know their stories. Celebrate them, and they’ll celebrate you back.

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Turning Over a New Leaf

by Camille Frink

As fall approaches and the leaves begin to change color, it is a reminder of the potential for change in us all. Everyday at Central OAC, we see examples of our guests taking steps to turn over a new leaf in their lives–-interviewing for a new job, trying to re-establish relationships with family, entering recovery programs, seeking a fresh start after incarceration. Many of the people who walk through our doors have parts of their past that have created challenges for them, but so many of our guests are doing everything they can, despite what may be in their past, despite the barriers they may face, to move forward and start anew. 

One of my favorite fun facts about nature is that the change in color of leaves in the fall is due to a decreased production of chlorophyll, the green pigment fading away to reveal other pigments in the leaf. Many scientists refer to the bright oranges, reds, and yellows that remain as the leaf’s “true color.”

At the OAC, we regularly witness our guest’s “true colors”–hope, determination, forgiveness, as they try their best, despite so many obstacles, to start fresh and move forward in their lives. Recently, I have worked with two guests who are father and son. The father, Mr. F, is facing many physical health challenges, and his son, Mr. J, looks out for him, keeping track of his health and asking for help for him when needed. I have never seen one of them without the other being nearby, and it is clear how much they rely on each other. While I don’t know what events in their past led them to their current circumstances, the love and care they have for each other is apparent.

Every day, I am reminded that though our circumstances are very different, each person in the OAC–staff, volunteers, interns, and guests–all share a commonality. We are all of us, despite our circumstances and our pasts, human beings who ultimately, at our core, want and hope for a safe, fulfilling life, for a future filled with possibility. These are our true colors.

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Serve With a Purpose

by Kimberly Parker

At Central Outreach and Advocacy Center, we serve people who are experiencing homelessness or on the verge of being in a homeless situation. Through the services we provide, we hope to assist them in taking steps forward and out of the situation they have found themselves in. Our staff and volunteers do this work each and every day that we are open and they do it well.

There’s another group of people who also serve and help to make sure that Central OAC has what it needs to serve our guests. This is our Board of Directors. Some of them recently shared with me what comes to mind when thinking about what it means to “serve with a purpose.” I enjoyed reading their varied thoughts! I enjoy serving with them even more!

Cortney Rosen … When I hear “Serving With a Purpose”, to me this means focusing my actions on something that is bigger than myself. It’s not just about fulfilling a role or checking the box on a task, it’s about truly aligning my energy and choices with values that matter to me and that positively impact others.

Steven White … When I think about serving with a purpose, a few things come to mind. I believe that it’s about making a positive difference in the lives of those around us. It’s about using our words to uplift and build up, rather than to tear down. I think it’s about leveraging our skills to help others succeed and using our time to be a source of encouragement and support.

In our often-hectic lives, it’s easy to lose sight of this. However, being clear about who we want to be and living by a personal vision statement can be powerful reminders of who we strive to be and the impact we aim to make.

Jim Emshoff … Serving with a purpose means not just helping an individual in the moment, but to start a chain of positive events that will help a person find permanent housing.  It also means acting not only for these individuals, but for the benefit of the larger community, in ways that are consistent with the values of Christianity.  

Melanie Bliss … When I hear the phrase “serving with a purpose,” it reminds me that we at the OAC serve others intentionally and mindfully. We do not do it for our own glorification or to feel good, but to purposefully and thoughtfully create change in others’ lives. I am humbled, grateful, and privileged to be able to serve, and I strive to do so with hope and cheer even when I am painfully aware of the suffering of others. 

Sallie Baskervill … Serving with purpose means keeping the why behind COAC top of mind. It means making a commitment and keeping it. It means showing up to board meetings and to events even when it doesn’t perfectly fit into my schedule. It means serving with intentionality, generosity, and optimism. It means having gratitude and being willing to help those who aren’t as fortunate.

Kevin Pleiss … When I think of ‘Serving With a Purpose’, I think about keeping our guests at the center of everything we do. Whether it’s providing support for someone facing housing insecurity or helping remove barriers like lack of ID or job skills, our work is rooted in dignity and hope. Serving in this way allows us to be part of transforming individual lives and strengthening our community as a whole.

Jeff Hilimire … “Serving with a Purpose” is what life is all about. I believe finding your purpose is one of the most important things a person can do…but just finding your purpose isn’t enough! When you figure out what God put you in this world to do, it then becomes your responsibility to find ways to use your gifts and skills (or as I call them, your ‘superpowers’) toward that purpose, which is why my time on the Central OAC board was so significant to my life.

Do you serve with a purpose? If not, maybe this blog will encourage you to seek out a way in which to do so. It will truly make a difference in the lives of other people!