Blog Posts

Madison Ricci (Georgia State University Intern)  

I began working at Central Outreach and Advocacy Center in late August and will continue serving as a social work intern until May. I am a senior at Georgia State University. I am appreciative to have the opportunity to earn my hours at an agency like Central Outreach and Advocacy Center, which serves to help those experiencing homelessness.

Upon receiving my placement, I was excited to work with the organization’s incredible team and work in the heart of downtown Atlanta. Atlanta is an ever-growing Metropolitan city, where many individuals need assistance. So, I was eager to get acquainted with Central Outreach and see how I could help them with their mission of preventing and ending homelessness – especially seeing how stigmatized those facing housing insecurity are.

My traditional idea of helping those experiencing homelessness was assisting with housing or food. Yet, since working at Central Outreach and Advocacy Center, I have learned how important it is for guests to receive documents such as ID, social security cards, birth certificates, and so much more. Without identification information, trying to apply for things such as housing or work is almost impossible. It brightens my day, knowing that I can help guests get the documents they need and help them in a way that can change their life for the better.

by Sam Phillips (Chaplain Intern)

“So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; look, new things have come into being! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation” 2 Corinthians 5:17-18

It is a privileged phrase, isn’t it? Sometimes in life, we get complacent, bored, or need a change. So, we can say to ourselves, “It’s time to turn over a new leaf.” Sometimes we do not get that gentle nudge into something new. Sometimes it comes as quick as a blinding light.

During my first month at the Central Outreach and Advocacy Center (COAC), I often met guests as they are turning over a new leaf. More often than not, this is not by choice. Life is full of surprises, but for people experiencing homelessness, it also comes with many hardships, uncertainty, and unwanted change.

How I ended up at the COAC also comes from an unexpected life shift. After finishing my degree at Columbia Theological Seminary, I was all set to begin with my dream job in camp and conference ministry. Due to unfortunate circumstances and realizing I was not in the right place, mentally and spiritually, I had to leave. So, now I was a recent graduate with little direction, and I felt like I had made an enormous step backward in my career, and now I was trying to get off the ground.

It was not until I gained some connections from old and new friends that I got connected to Central Presbyterian Church. There was a part-time job open for family ministries. Plus, I was considering what I had to do to complete the last step in my ordination, which was to complete a unit of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE). And it just so happens that there is an accredited CPE site in the basement of Central Presbyterian called the Center Outreach and Advocacy Center. Once I learned of this and began to meet the wonderful people participating in these wonderful ministries, I realized that I had not moved backward but was turning over a new leaf.

Sometimes life is the one to turn over the leaf, good or bad. And although I believe that God is big enough to hear complaints and laments, we must remember that God is not the cause of our misfortune but the presence that holds and endures our suffering. Perhaps gently nudging us into new places and spaces.

When we feel the discomfort and change that comes with something new, something lost, a piece of us yearning, it is hard. But in Christ, there is new Creation. In Christ, we are created new every day. Because every time that we turn over a new leaf, on our own will, or by life’s misfortune, or by God’s guiding hand, we are reconciling our old life to our new one.

I am blessed to be part of this ministry, where I get to be with people and hear their stories daily. Everyone who enters these doors has a story that will touch your heart. And as the chaplain, whether I am helping folks with new documents or simply listening to their stories, I see God at work making us new and reconciling our old selves to where we want to be, myself included. Ultimately, I’m not the one turning over the leaf as our guests embark on their next part of life, but I get to be a witness to and celebrate it with others.

Hallelujah and amen.

by Ani King (Summer Intern)

Living and working in Atlanta has been nothing short of a transformational experience, mainly because of my time at the Central Outreach and Advocacy Center. At the end of my first day of work, I could not believe how such a short visit could be the start of a new beginning for our guests. Nor did I ever expect to be able to assist our guests with a fresh start. Without your essential identifying documents, such as birth certificates, state IDs, social security cards, etc., it creates a snowball effect of issues that start with being unable to secure a job, housing, benefits, and more.

I have learned how to be an advocate and a support system for those with limited access to resources. But most importantly, I have learned how to be a resource for people, which goes beyond providing the services here at Central OAC. It means being a listener, being a learner, engaging in conversation, being empathetic, and being a decent person. Frequently, guests express how surprised they are by how respected and well-treated they are when they step into our space. This sentiment speaks to the vision of Central OAC’s vision of being passionate advocates and invested partners for those experiencing homelessness. In addition, our guests are so grateful that we can help them obtain their essential documents.

Our guests often end our time together, giving endless thanks for the services we offer them. However, I often thank them for sharing their stories because they matter! And while the services we provide can be an asset to the guest we serve, my experience with our guests has also benefited my life. With their charisma and lively conversation, I leave the office feeling fulfilled at the end of each day.

by Natalia Valencia Zometa (UGA MSW Intern)

During my yearlong internship, I had the opportunity to witness our guests’ hardships and listen to many wonderful and sad stories. Their stories have prompted me to reflect on the causes of homelessness and the fortunate state of many. We never consider factors outside of our world, which revolves around us to provide our home and safety. We think it could happen to other people and never to us. We believe that we are safe and that we will never be experiencing homelessness, but after listening to the many histories of our guests, my concept of homelessness changed. Life changes, unexpected situations occur such as illness, accidents, natural disasters, and wars, and suddenly you could be without anything or anyone in your life. Families are becoming smaller and smaller, leaving fewer people to give you support. One or two changes can leave you alone in the world, without any support to help you navigate abrupt changes in your life.

During my experience at OAC, I learned that I should be more sensitive to our guests’ stories, understand their life situations, develop humility in the relationship with them and learn how to change the local and national structure that will lead to a stronger community.

We should not forget that life changes; some of our privileges could be fleeting, and someday we could lose everything and become homeless. I have heard the stories of persons who had all the things needed for a great life, but they regrettably lost everything in one second. They have found at OAC a voice of hope and an extended hand that wants to help them transition through the challenging moments of life.