A Letter of Farewell from Claiborne

June 6, 2014

Dear Friends of Emmaus House,

My heart is full of gratitude and hope as I send along the wonderful news of Joseph Mole’s appointment to be the next Executive Director of Emmaus House. A brief biography is elsewhere on this blog. You will see that Joseph brings a wonderful combination of gifts and experience to our work. And having enjoyed a long conversation with him by phone, I could not be happier or more optimistic about the future of Emmaus House. Joseph will begin on July 7, after returning to Atlanta from his work in Chicago.

My heart is also full of gratitude and hope because of your support of Emmaus House. Our various stakeholders, church folk, community partners, donors, consultants, interns, and volunteers have expanded the reach and effectiveness of our work over the last nine years. We have doubled the hours of the Lokey Center, built a new help center and retreat building, provided new parenting classes, refined the focus and outcomes of our Summer Camps and Community Arts, hosted monthly community suppers, held an annual Gala celebration and a yearly Walk the Road learning and service opportunity, moved forward with a challenging Strategic Plan and enlarged our fellowship of friends. All of this can be attributed to our wonderful staff whose care, commitment, and professionalism are superb and who will become a treasure for Joseph. I will miss Emmaus House and I am ready for retirement!

Thank you for what has been, but most of all for what will be as you move with Joseph Mole into a new seedtime and harvest at Emmaus House.

Yours faithfully,

The Rev. E. Claiborne Jones Director and Vicar