Central Outreach & Advocacy Center

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6 Lessons from Hurricane Irma

by Kimberly Parker

Last week was a trying week for me. Prior to last Monday afternoon, I had stayed glued to the television, watching all of the news about Hurricane Irma, where she was going to strike next, and anticipating her arrival in Atlanta. I am not a stranger to hurricanes since I lived in Mobile, AL (on the Gulf Coast) for eleven years, but it’s been a long time since I have worried about the fact that a hurricane might hit near me. Irma was devastating to all of the places she had encountered so it was a little scary as Atlanta waited for her arrival.

In reality, Atlanta was not nearly as affected as other places. Yes, trees came down. Houses and cars were damaged. And many were without power, but we still did not have the kind of devastation that others experienced.

For me, loss of power was the only issue. Thankfully, we did not have any trees down at our house and no damage of any kind to our house or car or our very beings. We simply were without power for about 80 hours. It was a long 80 hours for me. I tried so hard not to complain because we did not have any damage. We were not hurt. We still had our family. We still had a home.

I have reflected a lot on those few days, trying to figure out why it was so hard for me and trying to learn from a time that challenged me quite a bit. I know that the number one thing I learned from Irma is that there is a lot in life that I take for granted. I have so much more than others, especially in regards to the people experiencing homelessness who walk through Central Outreach and Advocacy’s doors each and every day.

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So what are some of the other things I learned?

Lesson #1: Invitation … We had several different friends who did not lose power invite us to stay with them. How often do our guests get an invitation from someone to stay at their place? I would say this almost never happens. And we had more than one invitation.

Lesson #2: Showers … Taking a cold shower is not fun, but it is a shower and, again, we had friends who offered their hot showers to us. Without a home, people often do not have a place to shower. There are agencies and shelters who provide showers, but there are often restrictions that limit how often or how long a person can stay in the shower. Some of our guests may go days without a hot shower. I only went a couple of days without one.

Lesson #3: Cell Phone … One of the things I worried about the most was my cell phone and not being able to charge it. Fortunately, I was able to go into my office on Tuesday, even though we were closed for services, and charge my cell phone. I use my cell phone a lot. I use it for work, news, entertainment, communication, etc. Without it, I felt lost. On our first day being back open, my door was open and I was listening to a conversation taking place in the lobby. Two people were taking turns charging their cell phone. One guest said, “Okay I have 10% battery; you go ahead and charge yours for a little while.” It was a strong reminder that I am way too dependent on my cell phone.

Lesson #4: Laundry … One of my team members said that we could come and do our laundry if we needed to. Fortunately, we had done our laundry over the weekend so the majority of our clothes were clean. We see people walk into Central OAC every day with clothes that appear to have been worn for a while without being washed.

Lesson #5: Food Security … We ate out a lot because we couldn’t cook. We have the means to do that. It might not be the best use of our money, but we didn’t go hungry. Even though there are places for those experiencing homelessness to eat, it’s not always convenient or it may have restrictions that keep some from eating. I know that some of our guests do not have enough food to eat on a daily basis. I never go hungry.

Lesson #6: Darkness … I think one of the things that was so difficult for me was the darkness each night. Yes, we had candles that we lit, but candles can’t light up a room as well as electricity. It made me feel trapped in a sense and I don’t like that feeling. I thought a lot about the people who sleep out on the street. They must experience the kind of darkness that I felt last week, but possibly on a daily basis.

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Last week was a trying week for me. Through it all, I tried not to complain, but I did. My routine was thrown off, and I am a person who thrives best with routine. I kept trying to remind myself that we really did not have it all that bad, and, even though the power being out was an inconvenience, it would return. Life would also go back to being “normal.” I don’t think I am finished learning from Hurricane Irma. Each day, something else happens or I hear another conversation that reminds me of how privileged I am. I need to do a better job of not taking life and all that comes with life, for granted. I guess I should say “thanks” to Irma for teaching me a lesson or two.

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13 Years at the OAC

by Kimberly Parker

August 24, 2004

No, I didn’t get the date wrong! August 24, 2004 was my first day as a part-time employee of Central Outreach & Advocacy Center! Thirteen years ago! Who would have thought a new Columbia Theological Seminary graduate who was seeking a call in a parish would end up at Central OAC? I didn’t, and I also didn’t think I would be there very long, but after a few months, I was offered a full-time position and after a few more months, I knew that I had been called to the OAC. My parish was simply going to look a little different than the typical high, holy hour of 11 am on a Sunday morning.

During my thirteen years …  

  • I have worked under three different Executive Directors.
  • The OAC Board has had six different Chairs.
  • Two different Leadership Atlanta teams have completed projects for the OAC.
  • The Main Frame Job Readiness Program was created.
  • Three strategic plans have guided the programs and services.
  • The first Development Director was hired.
  • The first Director of Public Policy Advocacy was hired.
  • The budget has been sustainable and the budget has been in crisis.
  • Two annual fundraisers have been established: Cheers for Change and Central ArtWorks.
  • The staff has been as large as nine members and as small as three.
  • My own role has changed five different times:
    • Outreach Advocate
    • Assistant Program Manager
    • Director of Outreach Services
    • Acting Executive Director
    • Executive Director

It has been an amazing thirteen years! I have worked and continue to work with great people: staff, volunteers, interns, and Board members. I have sat with guests and heard their difficult stories. I have cried with some. I have laughed with some. I have been angry with some.  I have watched some of our guests struggle for thirteen years, something I wish were not the case. I have seen others move out of their dire situations. I have had guests come back and thank me for the work we do. I have had guests yell at me because we can’t do enough to assist them. The work has never been easy, but it has been rewarding.

I have come to understand that people experiencing homelessness are no different than you and I and with certain changes in our own circumstances, we too could be walking in their shoes. I have come to understand that the issue of homelessness is extremely complex and the solutions are not quick and easy. It takes a lot of different organizations working together, each focusing on what they do well to truly make a difference in the numbers of those experiencing homelessness. It takes resources to make it work and not all funders want to support this type of work.

I am certainly not the same individual that I was thirteen years ago, when I first walked in the doors of Central OAC. I have grown and changed as a person. As I said earlier, I never dreamed I would still be here thirteen years later. There were certainly times when I thought I couldn’t do this work one more day and there are still days like that. However, throughout these thirteen years, people have been there to support and encourage me. Without each person (and there are too many to individually thank), I would not still be here. I often say that I hope when it is time for me to leave Central OAC that I will clearly know that. For now, however, I am still serving and I am grateful for the dedicated staff, volunteers and board members whom I work with each day. It truly is a privilege to serve in this place as we all work together to open doors to overcome and prevent homelessness!

Kimberly isn’t the only one celebrating an anniversary: Central OAC is celebrating 20 years of service in downtown Atlanta! In honor of both Kimberly’s time at the OAC and Central OAC turning 20, please consider giving to support our continuing work.  Visit our donations page for more.

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Hearing from the Source

by April Campbell

A couple of months ago, Ahren, our Main Frame Coordinator, came to the team with the idea of putting together a focus group with the goal of discussing the issues people experiencing homelessness face.  The focus group would also serve to improve how we, both as an agency and individually, could help advocate for everyone who comes through our doors. Everyone on the team thought it was a wonderful idea to provide a space for us to speak to our guests and gain firsthand knowledge of the problems they have experienced. The group was planned for December 13th, and I had the pleasure of being asked to co-facilitate the group with Ahren. I don’t think either one of us knew that by facilitating this focus group we would be introduced to so many personal tragedies, triumphs, and such a sense of community between the people in the room.

We began the group by having each person introduce themselves, if they felt comfortable, by saying just their first name. The group was quiet at first – no one said much more than what they were asked to share. Ahren and I then introduced ourselves and explained to the group how important advocacy is to the values and morals of this agency and how their stories can help us to fight the social injustices they face. We then opened the floor to anyone who wanted to share. Hands slowly began to rise, and the more people talked, the more energy was added to the room. It was amazing to watch! People were able to share their hardships with others who understood what they are going through.  People were able to share different resources they have found over the years, and in turn, helped others in the group.  People were also able to laugh together and forget, if just for a moment, what faced them when they left our doors. By the end of the focus group, our guests had come up with nineteen challenges that people experiencing homelessness face. Some of the challenges they mentioned were: affordable housing, stress and tiredness, evictions, job availability, addiction, medical care, mental health, and safe & clean shelters. One particular item that was on their list was lack of storage. When this was said, everyone in the room nodded or voiced their agreement. When the particular guest who brought it up was asked to explain what he meant, he stated, “I stay at a shelter at night and have to take all my stuff with me in the morning. I’m not able to leave my bags there. Do you really think people want me in a store or at a job interview with all my stuff? It just makes it known that I don’t have anywhere to go.” This was so eye opening to me. Everyday guests come through our doors to receive services, many times with bags upon bags in their hands. I never thought about where they would place their items if they needed to complete a task that did not allow for them to bring their belongings.

I write about this experience to say that everyone has a story.  I write about this experience to remind myself that every person who walks through our doors deal with daily challenges that I cannot even fathom. I write about this experience to say how important is it to understand what we are advocating for – to hear it from the people experiencing it and not just assuming we know their needs.  It’s because of stories like the ones we heard in our focus group that the OAC continues to advocate until all of our guests  have a place to call home at the end of the day.

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It’s Not About the Numbers


by Ahren Cassinari-Foster

As the Main Frame Coordinator, it can be discouraging when class turnout is small.  I recently ran into this issue.  Upon my wife and I’s return from vacation, staff at the OAC profoundly struggled to sign people up for the May Main Frame class.  After two orientation sessions and two weeks of trying we finally got one student!

At first, I was disheartened by the low turnout.  I know there are more people out there on the streets, in our lobby, and staying at emergency shelters who need the services we provide in the Main Frame.  I want them to come and work with us to find employment and begin the journey to self-sufficiency.

I still feel all of those things as we wrap up the second week of Main Frame class.  However, I feel something else as well.  I feel grateful for the one student I do have.  As with so many of the people we see, Mr. A recently became homeless due to a confluence of difficult circumstances.  A few months ago, Mr. A and his wife financially assisted a family member who had fallen sick.  When Mr. A lost his job shortly thereafter, they were unable to absorb the financial blow and were evicted from their apartment.  Despite these significant challenges, Mr. A has been a dedicated and conscientious student and a quick learner.  In his first two weeks of class he has completed a resume, revamped his computer skills, and applied for several jobs, three of which have contacted him for an interview!

It’s easy to get caught up in the numbers.  Numbers are easy to understand, they tell us if we are growing or shrinking, and many other useful things as well.  But what I was missing out on when I was focused on the number of people in the class was the quality of the one person who was actually taking the class.  There may just be one Mr. A in this class, but he is having a full class worth of success.

EDIT: Mr. A got a job!  The week after graduating from Main Frame, Mr. A was hired by a hotel downtown.  Mr. A has worked in hospitality for most of his life, so this is exactly the type of job he hoped to secure!  We are so proud of him and grateful that we were able to help him take steps toward employment.  We are excited that he and his wife are now back on the road to stability.