On behalf of Emmaus House and our CDF Freedom Schools program team, we want to thank all who helped us raise $55,000. This was possible thank to you and the generosity of a supporter who matched $20,000, doubling the impact of your contributions!

These gifts will have a major impact on helping or children in Peoplestown and the south side of Atlanta beat the “summer slide” and unlock their infinite potential!

Juneteenth is a holiday to commemorate the day that the last enslaved Black people learned of their liberation. On June 19, 1865, enslaved Black people in Texas finally learned about President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. Last summer, one week before Juneteenth, a police officer shot and killed Rayshard Brooks, an unarmed Black man, at the Wendy’s in Peoplestown. That incident served as a sobering reminder of the ongoing risks faced by Black people in this country. This tragedy affected people around the country and in our local neighborhood. It also had an impact on the Emmaus House staff. In response, Emmaus House leadership decided to recognize Juneteenth as an organization-wide holiday to celebrate and reflect.

Tanisha Corporal, our Director of Community Engagement and Strategic Initiatives, reflects on the death of Rayshard Brooks.

“This week we remember the tragic death of Rayshard Brooks. The incident was particularly poignant because of its proximity to my personal and professional life. While the national news is full of body cam and cell phone footage of the many horrific acts committed against black people in this country, it was dispiriting to experience this in my backyard. The Wendy’s where this incident occurred is halfway between my home in South Atlanta and my office at Emmaus House. My black son frequented that location for dinner on many Saturday nights. We have sat in that very drive-through, waiting to receive our food. It was a part of the fabric of our community. That summer weekend changed our neighborhood forever. The fire of injustice was ablaze in our neighborhood, both literally and figuratively. Like most wildfires, these tragedies scorch the foundations of equality and justice. It compromises the integrity of freedom and liberty in this county. However, times like these strengthen our resolve and that of those affected by injustice and inequity. We must continue to hold onto the humanity of our people and the hope for our community.”

—Tanisha Corporal,
Director of Community Engagement and Strategic Initiatives

In less than five weeks, the eviction moratorium passed to protect tenants and prevent the further spread of COVID-19 is set to expire.

As the end of this order looms, many social services workers have warned of an “avalanche” of evictions once the moratorium is lifted. Many families, including those in our Peopletowns neighborhood, have not been able to pay rent since the pandemic hit, but when the eviction moratorium is lifted, all past due rent will be due in full. Low-income families are at the highest risk of immediate eviction and displacement.

What this would do on a mass scale is hard to predict — but will undoubtedly affect many of the families Emmaus House serves. As we walk this unknown path, we are actively leaning into our partners and resources to assist the immediate needs within our community to keep Peoplestown residents housed and safe.

Our CDF Freedom Schools® program is designed to motivate young scholars to read, build positive attitudes towards learning, and equip them with the educational resources needed to succeed. After a year off due to COVID-19, our six-week summer reading program is back, ready to provide an enriching space for kindergarten through fifth-grade students to learn, be empowered, and have fun along the way.

We are currently accepting applications for the June 7–July 16 program. There are 50 spaces available, and to ensure the safety of our students, we are following CDC protocols. Students will have the opportunity to participate in yoga and meditation activities, social and emotional learning classes, drama classes, and water activities while improving their literacy.

Our goal is to help keep children from falling behind during the summer, known as the “summer slide,” which accounts for more than half of the achievement gap between lower and higher-income students. Qualified and dedicated counselors, nurses, and teachers from Barack and Michelle Obama’s school will be assisting us in fulfilling this program’s mission and preparing our students for a brighter future. We are also seeking afternoon teachers for activities such as art, robotics, drum circle, and STEM. Please contact Ann Fowler at annfowler@emmaushouse.org if you are interested in joining.

As our program continues to close the achievement gap and empower our students for success, we sincerely appreciate your support in making this program possible with your donations and volunteering.

Peoplestown was established as a streetcar suburb in 1885 and throughout its history, its residents have struggled to fight racism and the destructive effects of police brutality, expressways, urban renewal, baseball and Olympic Stadiums, and white flight. Peoplestown has approximately 2,700 residents. 40% live below the poverty level, 80% are Black, and 70% rent their homes. It’s a politically active neighborhood undergoing rapid gentrification

Beneath those statistics and obstacles are the stories of resilient human beings made in God’s image. For a Lenten reflection this year, we recontextualized elements of the traditional Stations service to present the stories and the history of the Peoplestown community. Stories that shed light on the injustices we are fighting to overcome while bringing hope to our community.

Our 3-mile walk began with a devotional on the front steps at Emmaus House (1017 Hank Aaron Drive). We gathered for this pilgrimage centering our baptismal promise to seek and serve Christ in every human being, while reflecting meditatively on the impact white supremacy and systemic racism has had on the lives of Black residents of Peoplestown.

As if serving as the Emmaus House case manager, and newly promoted Director of Community Partnerships & Strategic Initiatives isn’t enough, Tanisha Corporal has found another way to connect with the community. Every Tuesday she leads a “healing circle” at FCS (Focused Community Strategies) in Historic South Atlanta.

Two years ago, with no dream of the pandemic and associated crises to come, Tanisha trained with the non-profit program CHRIS 180 as part of an effort to create “trauma resilient communities.” Tanisha learned to create space where residents could take time for reflection. She guides participants through contemplation, having them think about connecting, communicating, and celebrating. Each neighbor is encouraged to bring an item for a centerpiece that anchors the circle, symbolling the communal ownership of the space and their relationships to each other.

With the trauma of the last year, the circle has become even more significant.

Writing in the Permanente Journal of the Kaiser Permanente health system, Dr. Lewis Mehl-Madrona of Dartmouth explained that the healing circle, also called the peacemaking circle or the talking circle, is rooted in the traditional practices of indigenous people. The shape of the circle, and the relationships around it, ensure that everyone is included, Dr. Mehl-Madrona said.

The circle is considered sacred space.

Tanisha has said that she considers herself an “intentional neighbor.” With the healing circle, she is neighboring in a new and unique way.

When a parishioner at St. Dunstan’s Episcopal Church in North Atlanta became “very concerned” about the impending eviction crisis, the rector, Patricia Templeton, knew just who to call. The result was a “very generous” gift of $50,000 to Emmaus House from the parishioner through St. Dunstan’s to provide rent and mortgage assistance that can help keep some families in their homes.

Working with Emmaus House “brings us satisfaction,” she said. “It’s a way to live out our faith—to put it into action.”

Parishioners believe in providing for the needs of their neighbors, she said, and they believe their “neighbors” include people well beyond the comfortable community that surrounds their church.

The Rev. Templeton said her always caring congregants seem to have stepped up their awareness of the needs of others during the COVID pandemic. “I’ve been delighted and touched to see how much concern there is for people,” she said.

She said that, while she hopes needs will decrease as unemployed people are able to return to work, she hopes the empathy for others will continue to grow. “It’s been wonderful and horrible at the same time,” she said. “The need is horrible. The fact that people are responding to it is wonderful.”

Emmaus House efforts provide a way for the church to channel aid through a program that operates with integrity and compassion.

In the meantime, although a moratorium on evictions has been extended, bills are piling up. “People are still going to owe the money eventually,” she said. “Payments haven’t been forgiven, only delayed.”

She said she often gets requests from people who need the church to pay for a few nights at a hotel to keep them off the streets. “A hotel is just a band-aid,” she said. “We hope to prevent people from being in the position of wondering from night to night where they’re going to stay.”

Last month we welcomed our new intern, Trey Davis, to our Emmaus House team. Originally from Louisiana, Trey is a graduate student at Emory University studying Justice, Peacebuilding, and Conflict Transformation at the Candler School of Theology. During his time at Emmaus House, he will be working with the Youth on the Move program and in our food pantry. While here, he’s looking forward to gaining experience in a setting focused on community building and outreach.

“I’m hoping to walk away [from this program] with a greater understanding of community building. We can’t really affect positive change on a larger scale if we don’t start with the immediate community...Everything starts in your backyard.”

In his spare time, Trey is an avid reader and enjoys traveling (in non-COVID times), hiking, and practicing yoga. He will be with us through the remainder of the school year. If you see him around Emmaus House, make sure to say hello!