Action Ministries, Inc. is a faith-based 501 (c) 3 organization serving Atlanta and north Georgia for over 50 years. Action Ministries offers programs that assist in feeding, clothing, children’s services, emergency assistance, transitional housing for families with children and addiction recovery. Our services are open to all who are in need. Our mission of pulling people back from the brink of hunger, homelessness, and addiction... and equipping them to prosper is fulfilled by seven unique programs served and administered by the Action Ministries corporate office, including programs in Athens, Atlanta, Augusta, Decatur, Gainesville, Rome and a Transitional Housing Program covering all of north Georgia.
A flagship program, Action Ministries-Atlanta exists to prevent homelessness, hunger and poverty and to provide assistance to women and children experiencing these financial challenges. The goal of the program is to help these women and children become self-sufficient in order to end the cycles of homelessness, hunger and poverty. Having programs specifically designed for children works to prevent the systemic issues of poverty and homelessness for future generations. The program offers services which help children living in homeless shelters focus on education to end the cycles of homelessness, which include after school programs, tutoring and summer day camps.
AMI-Atlanta’s Women’s Community Kitchen provides women and children with meals while they are in the process of overcoming homelessness, hunger and poverty. Hot prepared meals are served restaurant-style Monday through Friday at lunchtime for women and children. Approximately 85 to 100 people are served lunch each day, in conjunction with case management services to bring these families out of homelessness.
Action Ministries-Rome seeks to care for and empower those in need of food assistance through the provision of accessible pantry, agency partnerships, client education, and referral services. Through its direct services to clients and through its growing network of partnerships with other agencies, AMI-Rome serves a central and indispensible role in the provision of on-going staple food services to the homeless, impoverished, and working poor in the Rome-Floyd County area.
AMI-Rome’s Backpack Buddies program provided approximately 5,000 weekend and summer meals to children, whose only source of nutrition is their school cafeteria. During the school year, children take home extra nutrition in their backpacks on Fridays to hold them over until returning to school on Monday morning. During the summer months children are supplied with a week’s worth of food, containing nutritious, kid-friendly foods, through coordinated visits to the local food pantries.
Since 1984, Action Ministries Transitional Housing programs have been helping homeless families with children escape homelessness and become self sufficient. The purpose of the Transitional Housing program is to empower homeless families to become self-sufficient through the provision of housing, case management, and wrap-around supportive services. Currently the Transitional Housing program provides housing for 33 household throughout north Georgia. Jenny enrolled in the AMI-TH program after spending numerous nights sleeping at a MARTA station, without custody of her daughter. Upon acceptance to the Transitional Housing program, Jenny was able to regain custody of her child, enroll her in school and begin an intensive job search in the Atlanta area. As Marie thrived in school, with stable housing and engaged teachers, Jenny enrolled in a TANF work program which provided her job search assistance and refined her skills in the work place. Based on her experience in this program Jenny was able to obtain employment in a local government office, earning a living wage, receiving health benefits for her family and working to achieve her goals of self sufficiency. Jenny works every month with her Case Manager to assess her budgeting and life skills, furthering her successful journey to self sufficiency. Jenny now has hope for what her life can be with Marie.
For more information on the life changing services Action Ministries provides across north Georgia visit our webpage at www.actionministries.net or contact Mackenzie Harkins, VP, Development at 404-881-1991 x5603 or David Jordan, VP, Operations at 404-881-1991 x5602.