Central Outreach & Advocacy Center

advocacy

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Be the Change

by Brenna Lakeson

“Be the change you want to see in the world.”

We’ve all probably heard this quote so often that it’s become a cliche.  We hear it in reference to charity work – volunteering, doing random acts of kindness, and sharing love with everyone we meet.  Rarely, though, do we hear it applied to the political process. Many of us might think of politics as corrupt and inefficient. While that can definitely be true, being involved in the political process, both locally and nationally, is also an important way to affect change.

As hard as it can be to trust the government to get things done, changing policies is actually a huge way to improve the world around us.  For example, a few years ago, people who were convicted of a felony in the state of Georgia could no longer vote – not just temporarily but for the rest of their lives.  However, now the law states that anyone convicted of a felony can vote once their full sentence has been served, including completion of probation or parole. While this still isn’t ideal for some of our guests, the fact that they can now vote after a certain period of time is a huge step up. 

A lot of us don’t see or hear about the legislative changes being made, especially in local government.  But by being informed of and involved with the things that are happening under the gold dome, we can help Atlanta change for the better.  Currently, a few of the bills on our radar include Senate Bill 322, which would create incentives for the development of affordable housing. It only takes one search for an apartment to realize that there is very little affordable housing around the city.  Another bill that affects our guests is House Bill 792/793. These bills are expansive, as they outline the entire state budget, but the section we’re most concerned about is funding for healthcare. Many of our guests have limited or no access to healthcare, so expanding the funding available for them to get the help they need is crucial.

These bill numbers might seem overwhelming, but it’s actually pretty easy to track what’s going on.  You can find out which bills are where in the legislative process by visiting the Georgia General Assembly website.  You can figure out who your representatives are so that you can contact them about issues you support by entering your home address here.  In order to make your advocacy as impactful as possible, check out Presbyterians for a Better Georgia’s gude here.

Be the change you want to see in Georgia by taking a stand on what matters to you.  Be a part of changing policies that will transform lives. Your voice matters.

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Our Guests Are Our Teachers

We often get the opportunity to tell our guests’ stories to educate others.  We believe that our guests are the experts on their own experiences and, therefore, are the best teachers about homelessness.  It’s a gift to witness the ways our guests are able to teach others.  Our Main Frame Coordinator, Ahren, recently witness this is a powerful way.

During the March and April Main Frame class sessions we were lucky enough to have some honors students from Georgia State University working with our job readiness students.  Many of these students came from fairly privileged backgrounds and were learning about homelessness and poverty in an up close and personal way for the very first time. Encountering homelessness, poverty, and addiction in such an intimate way is a powerful experience that can make a lasting change in how we view and interact with the larger world.  

One of the GSU students, “Lisa”, wrote me an email about how her experience in the Main Frame impacted her.  She said that when she feels discouraged by the challenges in her own life, she thinks about the folks at the OAC and is reminded of how fortunate she is to have all that she does.  She has even gone beyond this important recognition to reach out to friends and educate them on issues of homelessness in the Atlanta area.

This kind of encounter, the kind that compels action and advocacy, is exactly what we hope for when we bring people into the OAC.  Lisa and her classmates’ recognition of the importance of not only serving and caring, but of educating people on the issues our guests are facing on a daily basis brings me hope for the future.  

If you are interested in learning from our guests, there are many ways to get involved at the OAC.  Visit our Get Involved page or email our Program Director, Chattrelle Gillyard, at [email protected] for more information.

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What is our Mission?

by Kimberly Parker

What is the mission of Central Outreach & Advocacy Center (Central OAC)?

“We open doors to overcome and prevent homelessness.”

Our mission statement has changed over the years. This latest version was adopted by our Board of Directors in 2017 in conjunction with our new current three-year strategic plan. I often begin any talk I give with our mission statement and then go on to share how we accomplish our mission through our three main programs: supportive services, job readiness, and advocacy.

In sharing about our mission, I also talk about how we are not going to eliminate homelessness on our own. As we provide our vital services and work in partnership with other agencies, I believe we can make a difference for those who find themselves in a situation of homelessness. It takes all of us working together, doing the work we each do well, to truly make a difference. We work with Mercy Care to give our guests access to medical care.  We work with Georgia Law Center to give our guests access to legal assistance.  We can’t do these things alone.

Our mission statement guides all of the work we do. Anytime we are thinking about making a change to our programs or services, I ask myself if the change will allow us to carry out our mission.  In addition to our mission, we have also recently developed core values and tenets for our organization.  I wanted our team to have some guiding principles for our work and for who we are as an organization. The team sat down over a year ago with our Board Chair, Jeff Hilimire. He led us through an exercise to  help us get at the heart of who we are as an organization serving those experiencing homelessness.

We developed three tenets that defines the work we do:

We open doors to overcome and prevent homelessness by:

  • empowering our guests to take the next step toward self-sufficiency.
  • passionately and intentionally telling our guests’ stories to educate others.
  • ensuring we have the resources to be at our best.

In addition to our tenets, we developed four core values:

We believe in meeting people where they are with patience and humility and treating each person with respect and dignity.  

I firmly believe that if you sit down and observe with one of our staff or volunteers while they serve our guests, you will see each person living out our values. These values are critical in creating trust with our guests, which I believe to be the first step in helping someone overcome homelessness.

The issue of homelessness is complicated. Many barriers exist. There is no easy fix. It takes time. It takes relationship building. It takes navigating through difficult processes and systems. It takes resources. Unfortunately, it’s the resources that are often the barrier to doing more for those experiencing homelessness. Non-profits like Central OAC  regularly struggle to find foundations, government monies, and individual donors to continually support the good work that is done on a daily basis. Central OAC has had its ups and downs in the funding arena and certainly one of my biggest tasks as the Executive Director is to make sure the monies continue to come in to support the programs and services we offer.

As a result, I will keep telling our story and our guests’ stories because I know that we can make a difference. I know that we can continue to open doors to overcome and prevent homelessness. For those of you who already support us, thank you. For those who may want to get more involved, let’s talk. Your support will go a long way to ensure that our staff and volunteers are able to continue the good work that has already begun!