Since 1997, Central Outreach and Advocacy Center has built a well-established reputation as a go-to resource for supportive services and job readiness for individuals in the Atlanta community. We also rely on many partnerships with agencies in the community in order to successfully implement all of our programs. Several of these agencies provide services on-site at Central OAC, some daily while others are scheduled a few times throughout each month. The presence of these partners gives our guests greater access to services beyond what we directly offer, including eye exams, housing assistance, and benefits assistance.
Our Service Partners
Atlanta Community Food Bank
ACFB offers resources to those needing food in the Atlanta area. They supply food for many food pantries across the city and provide food directly to families in need. At Central OAC, ACFB assists our guests in applying for SNAP/EBT and Medicaid on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays.
Bashor Homeless Men’s Night Shelter
Bashor Night Shelter (formerly known as Central Night Shelter) houses men during the coldest months of the year – November through March. Many of our guests stay here during the winter, and it’s reputed to be one of the cleanest and safest shelters in the downtown area. They also hold a foot clinic on Wednesday evenings for the men staying there to fit them with proper footwear.
Church of the Common Ground
On Monday and Wednesday mornings, Church of the Common Ground hold morning prayer in our courtyard, and this holy time is important to many of our guests. They also serve coffee and provide a fellowship time. Church of the Common Ground also provides a foot clinic on a regular basis, which many of our guests take advantage of. Lastly, they host an annual “Homeless Requiem” service, honoring those experiencing homelessness who have died in the past year. We believe the work they do is incredibly important, and they provide spiritual guidance for many of our guests.
Community Friendship, Inc.
CFI has day services, which include programs to develop vocational and social skills. They also have a variety of housing programs including group homes, supervised living, and independent living. CFI serves those with mental illness who are experiencing homelessness with several different programs, including street outreach and housing.
Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities
DBHDD provides a wide variety of resources including behavioral health, addiction assistance, services for deaf individuals, and recovery. A representative from DBHDD is at Central OAC on the 3rd Wednesday of the month to help our guests apply for SSDI benefits.
Empowerment Resource Center (ERC)
Empowerment Resource Center (ERC) is a non-profit, community-based organization, that provides health-related programs and services, more specifically HIV and sexually transmitted infection prevention education, risk reduction and family planning counseling, testing, referral, and treatment services, reproductive health services, substance abuse treatment and recovery services, mental health therapy, psychiatric evaluation and medication management, social services and primary medical case management, client advocacy and navigation services, and primary care linkages. ERC focuses on a broader array of services, assisting both individuals infected and affected by HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. ERC will be onsite Thursday from 9am-12:30pm at Central Outreach and Advocacy Center.
Fulton County Board of Commissioners
On May 17, 2023, the Fulton County Community Services Program (CSP) Evaluation Committee made recommendations to fund non-profit programs in the amount of $6,863,958.00 to support the delivery of essential community services to Fulton County residents. Central Outreach and Advocacy Center was among the nonprofits receiving 2023 funding in the Homelessness service Category.
Gateway Center
Gateway is a hub for many services in downtown Atlanta. They have walk-in services available to all, including showers, laundry, lockers, and restrooms. They are also home to satellite locations of Mercy Care, Division of Family and Children Services, and Georgia Dept. of Labor. Gateway has several housing programs for men, including one for veterans, one for those recuperating from medical care, and their Georgia Works program.
Hope Atlanta
Hope Atlanta is a central location for many types of services including emergency housing, rapid re-housing, domestic violence assistance, HIV/AIDS assistance, and street outreach. They also house Traveler’s Aid, which helps connect those who are stranded or homeless away from family with a support system back home. This can include a bus ticket home and/or travel accommodations.
Intown Collaborative Ministries
The mission of Intown Collaborative Ministries is to prevent and reverse homelessness and hunger in Intown Atlanta. They provide both homeless outreach services and food ministries. It’s thanks to their outreach work in encampments that many people continue to gain access to affordable and supportive housing. They come to the OAC on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month to assist our guests with housing.
MARTA
MARTA provides transportation to our guests through their Transportation Assistance for the Homeless Program. The OAC and other nonprofits like us are able to purchase tickets at half fare in order to provide more services for our guests. Our MARTA cards are given to the students in the Main Frame Job Readiness program for job interviews, work transportation, and other job related purposes.
Mercy Care
Mercy care provides free medical services to the Atlanta community, including general medical care, health screenings (including HIV), dental care, vision exams, substance abuse counseling, and mental health resources.
New American Pathways
NAP offers many resources to refugees and immigrants, such as resettlement navigation, career services, after-school and summer camp for youth, family engagement, and immigration assistance. Many of our guests have benefited from NAP’s assistance getting replacement immigration documents in order to get Georgia ID.
Paying for Senior Care
This organization is full of resources for older adults. Assisted living and home care can be expensive, especially for those with ongoing health needs. Their list of recommendations and knowledge is incredibly helpful to those who need more information about caring for aging relatives or finding options for themselves. Their Senior Downsizing Guide can also be found here.
Prevent Blindness Georgia
Several times per year, Prevent Blindness Georgia hosts an eye clinic at Central OAC, providing eye exams and free glasses to our guests and those in our community. They do vision screenings, eye exams, and vision health programs all over the state to educate others and provide vision resources to those in need.