There are stops along life’s journey that leave marks on our heart that remain for a lifetime. For me, Emmaus House has been one of those stops. From the moment I heard about this special place founded by Father Austin Ford during the height of the civil rights movement of the 1960’s, it captivated my activist imagination for what a community could do for itself when organized for justice. When I was chosen to serve as executive director of Emmaus House, I was both surprised and honored to be entrusted with such a legacy. And I’m so grateful that I was.

At the beginning of 2017, I will be headed “home” to embark on a new chapter in my life and career as founding executive director of Covenant House Illinois. Founded in 1972, Covenant House is one of the largest privately funded agencies in the Americas helping homeless and trafficked youth. It has provided food, clothing, crisis, and long-term housing, medical care, and vocational and educational opportunities for over 51,000 homeless and trafficked youth each year. As I’m sure you’ve read in the news, Chicago is experiencing a perfect storm for homeless youth with gang-related deaths at their highest in 20 years, dangerously cold winters, and a state government slashing funding for social services.

Having started my journey into social justice ministry in Chicago nearly 20 years ago, my heart is being drawn home. In the words of Frederick Buechner, “The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” For this next chapter, my deepest gladness is to head home and play a role in addressing the deep needs of homeless youth fleeing gang violence, abuse, and the bitter cold. I’m thrilled to be entrusted with the task of building the work of Covenant House from the ground up in Chicago.

The last two and a half years have been an exhilarating ride at Emmaus House as together we’ve tried new things, taken risks, and learned new ways of telling our story and the stories of our resilient neighbors in Peoplestown. From the chants and cheers of Freedom School® scholars to Christmas dances with our feisty seniors, there are many memories I will treasure. But most of all, I will treasure the relationships I’ve made with Emmaus House staff, board members, and supporters. This is truly a special place, and it is made special by the love and support of so many whose lives have been touched in some way by Emmaus House. Thank you for allowing me to be one of those lives!

It is comforting to know that I leave Emmaus House in a stronger place than when I arrived, and with a capable and talented leadership team at the helm. With Greg Cole stepping into the role of deputy director, the organization will have steady leadership through the transition and beyond.

Joseph Mole, LMSW

Executive Director

Click here to read the Bishop's letter.

For 50 years, Emmaus House has stood with the residents of Peoplestown in their quest to build better lives for themselves and their children. From our early days during the Civil Rights Movement to the uncertainty of today, we have loved and learned, prayed and mobilized, and laughed and cried with the incredibly resilient people of this historic neighborhood.

As we look forward to the next 50 years, we are clearer than ever about the work before us.

At Emmaus House, we stand for justice and equity. Justice and equity rooted in faith and a deep respect for the dignity of every human being.

At Emmaus House, we harness the power of community, education, hope and love to dismantle poverty, racism, and other barriers to opportunity in the lives and communities we serve.

In neighborhoods like Peoplestown, we see too many displaced families, shuttered local businesses, and kids kept indoors for fear of violence. We watch our neighbors confront challenges like limited access to affordable housing and underfunded schools. We see the barriers that limit the opportunities that many of us take for granted. And we recognize that our work is as necessary and important now as it was when Fr. Ford moved to Peoplestown in 1967.

In response to these threats, Emmaus House offers academic and social enrichment programs during the week, on Saturdays, and during the summer for children and youth.

But, we know that supporting children is only half of the solution.

We can best serve families through a two-generation approach. One that addresses the needs of the entire family — children and parents together — so that they can experience academic achievement and sustained economic success.

I hope you’ll read the story of La ‘Tasha, and her son Micah, below — an example of our two-generation approach in action.

Through your generous support, we can help remove those barriers to opportunity that so many families on the south side of Atlanta face. Thank you for continuing to walk this journey with us at Emmaus House and in Peoplestown.

Joseph Mole

Executive Director

Emmaus House

---

WHEN WE FIRST MET MICAH* at our Children’s Defense Fund Freedom Schools® program in the summer of 2015, he was a rising fourth grader at D.H. Stanton Elementary School. Micah was hard to miss. He had a way of lighting up a room with just his smile. His intellectual curiosity inspired the tutors who worked with him.

But at home, Micah experienced some serious challenges. His mother, La ‘Tasha, was suffering from significant health challenges that threatened them with homelessness.

One weeknight in July, Micah’s mom attended one of our weekly meetings for parents of Freedom Schools scholars. There, La ‘Tasha learned about the other services available at Emmaus House. And when our team realized the crisis La ‘Tasha and Micah faced, we invited them to become one of the first families to enroll in our Peoplestown Family Initiative (PFI). PFI is a new case management program that seeks to help families to overcome the barriers that often lead to poverty.

La ‘Tasha embodies all that we admire about the strength of a mother’s love. That love compels her to never give up as she works to care for Micah. Still, she found herself struggling to help her son with the newer approaches to reading and math, now taught at D.H. Stanton, and schools across the state. And she was not the only parent to struggle in this way. More and more parents in Peoplestown communicated similar challenges.

Emmaus House responded by launching Parent Power! (formerly called Homework Relief Bootcamp) Through a partnership with Literacy Action, we began teaching parents how to help their children with their reading. We also taught them tools and strategies so they could help with other subjects as well.

By implementing La ‘Tasha’s new skills, Micah caught up in grade-level reading, regaining 19 months of instructional level in just 16 weeks!

*The real names of our clients have been changed to respect their privacy.

As our relationship with La ‘Tasha grew, we learned that she and Micah were about to lose their home. The owner of the apartment building they lived in had stopped taking Section 8 subsidies.

That’s when our team sprang into action. We found another property in the final phases of construction that would keep La ‘Tasha and Micah in safe, afford•able housing.

However, in an all-too-common turn of events, the developer halted construction just days before La ‘Tasha and Micah were to move in.

Upon learning the news, Adam, our director of social services, went directly to the •developer's office where he refused to leave until they resolved the situation. And under threat of arrest, Adam’s advocacy went all the way to the owner of the company in Nashville.

Within days, the developer completed the unit, and La ‘Tasha and Micah had a beautiful new home.

If Micah had simply attended the CDF Freedom Schools program for six weeks one summer and gone home, he and his mother could have ended up homeless. But because of our deep commitment to embracing the whole family, we met La ‘Tasha.

A two-generation approach allowed us to harness the power of community, education, hope and love so that La ‘Tasha and Micah can work toward a better life for themselves. Now, this remarkable family is stronger and more stable than ever.

---

EMMAUS HOUSE PROGRAMS 

PEOPLESTOWN FAMILY INITIATIVE

The primary goal of the Peoplestown Family Initiative is to help clients increase their income levels, to teach financial management skills, to address health related issues and promote healthy living, and to secure or improve proper housing. Clients work with a case manager to create a customized service plan.

CHILDRENS DEFENSE FUND FREEDOM SCHOOLS®

Our CDF Freedom Schools program aims to shape children’s futures by developing strong, literate, and empowered children through six weeks of summer reading enrichment for children who might otherwise not have access to books or the environmental structure necessary to do summer reading.

PARENT POWER! Formerly Homework Relief Bootcamp

Parent Power! is an eight-week program designed to increase the literacy skills of parents and their children. Working in partnership with Literacy Action, we teach parents specific skills an• strategies for helping their children with homework and reading.

SATURDAY STE(A)M New in 2016

In partnership with Community Guilds, Inc., our redesigned Saturday program features the award-winning STE(A)M truck and uses project-based learning to incorporate science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) along with our existing arts program.

YOUTH ON THE MOVE New to Emmaus House in 2016

Youth on the Move strives to provide middle and high school students with opportunities that will prepare them for success as adults through enrichment, education, empowering experiences, and peer support.

There are many ways to celebrate the holidays with Emmaus House and the residents of Peoplestown. If you would like more information, please contact Charlotte Cameron and she will send you a brochure with descriptions and ways to help. Contact Charlotte Cameron at 404-525-5948, ext. 22, or charlottecameron@emmaushouse.org.

Thanksgiving at Home

Emmaus House provides 350 families with a turkey, side items, and fresh greens, allowing each family to prepare and enjoy a meal in their own home.

How you can help:

• Donate side items (we provide the shopping list and bag for you to put the groceries in)
• Contribute to the cost of 350 turkeys. Bags are due by Nov. 20 by 1:00 p.m.

Contact Adam Seeley at 404-525-5948, ext. 27, or  adamseeley@emmaushouse.org.

Christmas in Peoplestown - Saturday, December 3rd

Emmaus House partners with The Study Hall and McDevitt Center for a fellowship gathering and tree lighting in Peoplestown.

How you can help:

• Dress up in holiday hats and clothes.
• Help lead the Christmas carol singing.
• Help with setup (3:00 pm).
• Bring your family and friends and celebrate the season with residents of Peoplestown.

Contact Charlotte Cameron at 404-525-5948, ext. 22, or charlottecameron@emmaushouse.org.

Peoplestown 555 Senior Luncheon

Our 555 Seniors group celebrates Christmas with lunch, music and a visit from Santa and his elves! The 2016 luncheon will be hosted by Church of the Holy Innocents’.

How you can help:

• Donate gift cards (Kroger, Walmart, etc.)

Contact Charlotte Cameron at 404-525-5948, ext. 22, or charlottecameron@emmaushouse.org.

Grandparents Party

Community grandparents raising grandchildren are invited to take the night off and join us for dinner, singing and a raffle.

How you can help:

• Donate $10 gift cards
• Donate raffle items (towels sets, dishes, small appliances, gloves, XXL jackets, etc.)

Contact Charlotte Cameron at 404-525-5948, ext. 22, or charlottecameron@emmaushouse.org.

Secret Santa Shop – December 17

This is an activity of the Emmaus House Chapel. Children buy gifts for their parents, grandparents and family members. Volunteers help shop and gift wrap.

How you can help:

• Donate small items (new or used) for the gift shop: scarves, slippers, socks, soap, shampoo, cologne, shaving cream, razors, gloves, billfolds, home items, small appliances, costume jewelry, and watches make great gifts
• Help children select and wrap gifts.

Contact Father Ricardo Bailey at 404-525-5948, ext. 13, or ricardobailey@emmaushouse.org.

Children’s Christmas Festival – December 24

Santa and Mrs. Claus come to Emmaus House and distribute gifts to 900+ children.

How you can help:

• Create an “Angel Tree” for your parish, organization or group of friends. Shop, collect, wrap (optional) and label toys. Gifts should be delivered between December 16 and December 23.
• Help sort, stack and wrap Christmas gifts at Emmaus House after December 16th.
• Volunteer to help Santa & Mrs. Clause on December 24th.
• No time to shop? Send a donation to Emmaus House or donate online HERE and we will shop for you!

Contact Charlotte Cameron at 404-525-5948, ext. 22, or charlottecameron@emmaushouse.org.

Meet Joel Baker, Fire Chief of the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department, recipient of our Ethel Mae Mathews Courage & Character Award, and Peoplestown native. He has come full-circle by investing his time in helping the children at Emmaus House. We thank him, and everyone else who has been touched by Emmaus House in some way, for circling back.

Chief Baker is just one of many individuals whose lives were changed through programs and services at Emmaus House. With that being said, we’re pleased to announce the Circle of Hope campaign. An anonymous donor whose life was impacted by Emmaus House many years ago has pledged to match, dollar for dollar, the funds we raise, up to $25,000. This means your gift will be doubled, allowing us to raise $50,000 or more for future programs for children and families this fall at Emmaus House.

Because of you, we will continue to grow, learn and show resilience in the face of poverty and other challenges in Peoplestown.

The theme of our annual Walk the Road event this year is “Bridges to Educational Achievement.” On Sunday, September 25, 2016 from 3:00 – 6:00 p.m., participants from Atlanta and beyond will have the opportunity to contribute time, talent, and treasure to our local D. H. Stanton Elementary School.

The afternoon will include three activities: 1) volunteer service projects at D. H. Stanton; 2) STE(A)M projects (see below); and 3) a fellowship dinner.

Many bridges lead to educational achievement in Peoplestown, including the soon to be built Sheltering Arms Early Education and Family Center; Emmaus House programs for children and families, schools in the Jackson cluster, The Study Hall, and community offerings.

Emmaus House partners with D. H. Stanton to improve educational opportunities for children and youth. For instance, this fall the Emmaus House program, Homework Relief Boot Camp for Parents, will take place at the school.

In September, Emmaus House’s Saturday Arts program will evolve to become Saturday STE(A)M. In partnership with Community Guilds and the award-winning STE(A)M Truck, we will supplement our traditional arts programing with science, technology, engineering, and math projects. During Walk the Road, youth and community members will engage in interactive STE(A)M projects focused on building bridges.

Our longtime partner and friends at Church of the Annunciation, Marietta will provide the fellowship dinner.  This ministry provides a festive cookout for all the participants and neighbors that drop in.

We suggest a donation of $10.00 and five cans of food for our food pantry. Those who donate will receive a free Walk the Road t-shirt.

A few months ago, we introduced you to one of our latest innovations – the addition of mindfulness training to our A Great Start for Parents and Children program.  This addition came as a response to parents telling us that they needed help dealing with stress. We already knew that parents and children who live in low socioeconomic status neighborhoods like Peoplestown are particularly susceptible to financial and economic stressors and we felt compelled to take action. Read more about the background and details of this program and our partners here.

This past spring, our first cohort of parents participated in A Great Start, including the mindfulness component. Using detailed pre and post-testing, a graduate student from Georgia State University came to the following conclusion:

“As reported by participants, partaking in the integrated mindfulness-parenting education program lead to an increased level of mindfulness. Program participants also demonstrated a decrease in self-reported anxiety and depression” (Josephine Ojo, Evaluation of an Integrated Mindfulness Parenting Program for Parents in a Low SES Neighborhood).

Based on a pre and post survey, all of the parents and caregivers in the class reported an increase in knowledge of how to handle stress in their lives.

One of the keys to success for this program is the peer support developed between parents. As one parent reported: “I learned more than what I thought I would. It was good to know other people had the same things happening.”

We’re excited by these initial very positive results and plan to incorporate mindfulness training into some of our other offerings, such as our CDF Freedom Schools® summer program.

Our mission at Emmaus House is to use a two-generation approach to help families achieve economic self-sufficiency and children to increase academic success. By helping parents and children to respond to stress in positive ways, we are helping both generations to meet these goals.

Students of Atlanta Public Schools return next Wednesday, August 3rd and Emmaus House has set an ambitious goal: to provide backpacks and school supplies for 1,000 area students.

We need your donations by August 2nd to make this happen.

Please help us equip these students with tools they need for success, by dropping off your donation at Emmaus House M–F, between 9–3pm. A list of school supplies needed can be found here.

If you need to arrange a drop off after-hours or if you have any questions, please contact Rakia Reeves at (404) 524-0229 or at rakiareeves@emmaushouse.org.

Our program’s purpose is to close the achievement gap by improving literacy and learning for children who face poverty and lack access to the educational resources they need to succeed. The Children's Defense Fund Freedom Schools® program at Emmaus House is a summer program serving students from kindergarten through 8th grade. It’s aim is to motivate young scholars to read, generate positive attitudes towards learning, and empower students to make a difference in themselves, their families, their communities and their world.

Last summer, we enriched the lives of 70 scholars. This summer we hope to make an even bigger difference by enrolling 100 scholars thanks to the support of our donors and Peoplestown Partners.

During an average summer, students may lose up to two month’s worth of learning. This is known as the “summer slide” and it accounts for more than half of the achievement gap between lower- and higher-income students.

And the statistics portray a sober reality:

• Children who can’t read by 3rd grade are 4x times more likely to drop out of school.
• In 2013, only 21% of 4th grade children from low-income families in Georgia could read at or above grade level.

Students who do not complete high school are significantly more likely than high-school graduates to become incarcerated, become teen parents, be subjected to violence as either an aggressor or a victim, be unemployed, and be recipients of Medicaid and welfare.

The good news is that studies have found that educational summer programs for children, like the CDF Freedom Schools® program at Emmaus House, can help reduce or eliminate the gaps. Plus, the effects of these summer programs last over time. We believe in solving problems instead of treating symptoms. The CDF Freedom Schools® program at Emmaus House is a perfect example of this.

Our 2015 Program Had Great Results!

Pre and post evaluations conducted with a sample of scholars, using procedures recommended by the Freedom Schools® program, indicated the following:

• 100% of scholars who were evaluated maintained or gained in their instructional reading level over the six-week program as measured by pre and post standardized testing.
• Of those, 79% of students tested improved their instructional level in reading.
• Students who maintained their reading level all showed gains in either accuracy, comprehension or fluency within that reading level.
• Children in grades 4-7 saw the greatest gains.

Support our scholars in their fight against the summer slide and the achievement gap by donating today. 

The Road Episcopal Service Corps is a paid urban fellowship year for young adults (21-32) who want to put their faith into action, make the connection between faith and social change, and work alongside others in community. Road Fellows serve 32 hours a week with agencies and people committed to social justice, advocacy, and compassionate care for vulnerable people. Fellows live together in an intentional spiritual community at Emmaus House. The Road Fellows also engage a curriculum of social justice education, spiritual and theological reflection, vocational discernment, and leadership development. The Road equips fellows with practical skills and hands-on experience for lives of active hope and leadership. 

The Road seeks Fellows who bring passion, energy, and imagination to the collaborative endeavor of building more just and liberating communities and are ready for challenging, creative, and impactful work. The Road welcomes fellows from all walks of life and many faith perspectives, believing the gift of differences enriches a year of inner and outer growth.

The fellowship year begins August 24, 2016 and ends in mid-July 2017. The Road provides a stipend to cover costs of food, transportation, and personal expenses; housing and utilities; and health insurance.

To Apply Contact: lbryant@theroadatl.org

Visit our Website: www.theroadatl.org

Call: 404-984-3294