New Emergency Shelter in Canton

CANTON, Ga. - June 23, 2021 - PRLog -- HomeAid Atlanta and Century Complete celebrated the completion of Lotus House at North Georgia Angel House on May 21. The newly renovated home will serve as a refuge for six young women in need of emergency housing.  They will benefit from case management, job readiness, and counseling services available to them at North Georgia Angel House (NGAH).

NGAH already provides a wide range of services for girls in foster care, including a safe place to live while teaching them valuable life skills. Working in conjunction with Cherokee County officials, NGAH recognized a need for emergency shelter for young women, some of whom have aged out of the foster care system, in Canton. NGAH purchased a house near their main campus. Having worked with HomeAid Atlanta on a couple of past projects, NGAH once again called upon the building industry nonprofit to renovate the emergency shelter. National home builder Century Complete partnered with HomeAid for the project, which kicked off with demolition of two of the house's old bathrooms with rotten sub-flooring on April 16. Century Complete team leaders Cliff Niederpruem and Maggi Harwood brought together members of their staff, as well as their trade partners, for the demolition process. The two bathrooms were renovated as one large "dorm-style" bathroom, which is standard for this type of facility. They made additional improvements throughout the home to prepare it for young women in crisis by installing new kitchen countertops, sinks, and hardware, repainting, and replacing carpet with luxury vinyl plank (LVP) in three bedrooms.

HomeAid Atlanta serves as a "bridge," connecting builders, trades, and suppliers with community organizations serving families and individuals experiencing homelessness. Because of generous donations of labor and materials, HomeAid projects provide significant construction savings for organizations like NGAH. The Lotus House renovation saved over $35,000 in construction costs for NGAH. "Maggi and Cliff and the whole Century Complete family were amazing to work with on making this refuge a reality," said Jean Hilyard, HomeAid Atlanta Director of Shelter Development.

"Thank you so much for the investment you've made in us. Over the years, hundreds of lives will be changed while staying in this house you made a home," said Susan Worsley, North Georgia Angel House Executive Director. The first girls are set to move into Lotus House this weekend.

HomeAid Atlanta is a nonprofit organization founded in 2001 that builds new lives for families and individuals experiencing homelessness through housing and community outreach. HomeAid builds, renovates, and maintains facilities for nonprofits serving people experiencing homelessness. Celebrating its 20th year of service in 2021, HomeAid has completed over 140 construction projects at locations for victims of domestic violence, teen mothers, veterans and more, utilizing connections with building industry professionals and community organizations. Learn more at www.homeaidatlanta.org.