HomeAid Atlanta's 2017 Essentials Drive

ATLANTA - May 23, 2017 - PRLog -- HomeAid Atlanta's 16^th Annual Essentials Drive to benefit homeless babies and their mothers wrapped up on May 12, just in time for Mother's Day. The community-wide effort to collect "essential" baby products such as diapers, baby food, formula, wipes, and hygiene items garnered more than 134,000 items, with a value of over $24,000.  Items were distributed to 24 area nonprofits serving homeless children and families, providing critical support to these organizations and the families they serve.  Several of the receiving locations were built or renovated in partnership with HomeAid Atlanta.  The Drive was first launched in 2002 to help meet the growing needs of Atlanta's changing homeless population. Since then, more than 1,000,000 essential baby items have been collected and distributed.

From May 1 – May 9, more than 40 Atlanta business and organizations, as well as hundreds of individuals, participated in the Essentials Drive by hosting collections and making donations. On May 11, volunteers from companies including Denim Marketing, CBRE, McMichael & Gray PC, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, and Bank of America worked diligently to sort and pack baby items for delivery.

Atlanta-based UPS joined HomeAid for the 11^th year to assist with delivery of donated items.  Four UPS employees volunteered to drive two trucks to receiving locations.  Atlantis Granite & Marble also assisted with deliveries for the first year.

2017 organizations receiving donations include: Action Ministries (Atlanta); Atlanta Dream Center/Out of Darkness (Atlanta); Atlanta Mission (Atlanta); Ceek to Fulfill (Conyers); City of Refuge (Atlanta); Community Advanced Practice Nurses (Atlanta); Decatur Cooperative Ministry (Decatur); The Drake House (Roswell); Family Promise of Hall County (Gainesville); Our House (Atlanta); HavenATL (Atlanta); Helping Mamas (Snellville); HomeStretch (Roswell); MUST Ministries (Marietta); New American Pathways (Tucker); Nicholas House (Atlanta); Partnership Against Domestic Violence (Atlanta); Phoenix Pass (Conyers); Rainbow Village (Duluth); Salvation Army, Red Shield Shelter (Atlanta); Sheltering Arms (Atlanta); Sheltering Grace Ministry (Marietta); Solomon's Temple (Atlanta); and United Methodist Children's Home (Decatur).

Longtime Essentials Drive volunteer and supporter, Darlene Eiford, remarked, "It was a great day for a lot of charities who will benefit directly from HomeAid's hard work. Not many people can make that claim, but HomeAid has consistently provided so much for so many."

Marlene White, Executive Director of Decatur Cooperative Ministry (DCM), stated, "We send a sincere THANK YOU for the amazing items donated to DCM as part of the Essentials Drive! Year after year, HomeAid Atlanta and its supporters have continued to surpass our expectations and we consider HomeAid to be one of our greatest allies in the fight to alleviate homelessness in metro-Atlanta."

HomeAid Atlanta, founded in 2001, is a nonprofit organization that builds new lives for homeless families and individuals through housing and community outreach. HomeAid works in partnership with the building industry, as well as community building organizations, to assist people experiencing homelessness. To date, HomeAid Atlanta has completed over 76 housing, remodel and care day projects at locations that serve victims of domestic violence, teen mothers, veterans and more. HomeAid is the designated charity of the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association. Learn more at www.homeaidatlanta.org.