After a successful summer of Freedom School, we’re excited to offer fall programs to Emmaus House community members of all ages. We will continue to support our Freedom School scholars and other elementary school students at the Barack and Michelle Obama Academy (BAMO) with in-school tutoring. We learned this summer that many students are struggling with basic reading skills after being at home during the pandemic. Emmaus House volunteers will give them extra academic help at BAMO in the Supports for Success program.

Our afterschool program for middle and high school students, Youth on the Move (YOTM), met online last year because of Covid-19 restrictions. This year, YOTM will resume in-person at Emmaus House, and in addition to homework help, we will have classes in art, pottery, woodturning, boxing, college preparation, and dance. Justin Rothrauff, the Director of Community Engagement for Impactful Brush in Atlanta, will teach art classes. He’s a former art teacher for schools in Philadelphia and Chile and a favorite teacher of our Freedom School scholars!

Emmaus House will provide art instruction to the neighborhood “555” senior citizens group this fall. The “555” men and women meet at Four Corners Park for meals, devotions, programming, and lively conversations. We look forward to many rewarding and creative experiences together! If you would like to volunteer to help with Supports for Students or Youth on the Move or assist with Arts for Seniors, please contact Ann Fowler at annfowler@emmaushouse.org or 404-525-5948.

Justin Rothrauff and YOTM manager Rakia Reeves, help Freedom School children in art class last summer.

“555” seniors talk to Freedom School children about their experiences during the National Day of Social Action in July.

Since its founding in 1967, Emmaus House children have visited Camp Mikell, the Camp and Conference Center of the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta, for a week at the end of the summer. Generations of campers remember this experience fondly; many Freedom Schools© grandparents and parents tell their children how much they loved attending Camp Mikell when they were young.

Unfortunately, this year, because of the pandemic, we didn’t have enough scholars to go to North Georgia to make it economically possible for Camp Mikell to host us. However, the Church of the Epiphany parishioner, Joy Boyden, came to the rescue when she heard that we would need to cancel the trip. Joy’s donation of $10,000 ensured that Camp Mikell could provide a week of outdoor adventures to 20 Emmaus House children.

Learning of her generous contribution, Camp Mikell Executive Director Ken Struble said Joy qualified as one of the saints among us. We totally agree!

After many months of working with clients remotely, the Lokey Help Center at Emmaus House is happy to announce that we are back to seeing clients in person, Monday through Friday, from 9 am – 3 pm. Our mission is to treat each client with dignity and respect, so we provide a hospitable environment where we listen to the individual needs of the people we serve.

We schedule appointments for our food pantry on Tuesdays and Thursdays. An Atlanta Community Food Bank representative is on-site on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for food stamp applications and renewals. We welcome residents to call our office and inquire about emergency rent, utility, and mortgage assistance daily. Medical prescriptions and co-pay help are available every day, as are general referrals and mail checks.

Requests for help with Social Security Disability Insurance applications are processed over the phone and starting in August, Emmaus House will resume helping people get GA State IDs. In a time where communal support is needed, we look forward to serving our neighbors again.

Learn more about Lokey Center services.

It truly takes a village to make Emmaus House run. In addition to our hundreds of individual donors, we thank the many organizations that provide funding for our social service and education programs. In the first half of this year, the following organizations made generous contributions to help us support our mission:

• Foundations:

  • Annie E. Casey Foundation

  • The Scott Hudgens Family Foundation

• Government:

  • The Stadium Neighborhood Community Trust Fund

  • Fulton Country - Community Service Project

  • Georgia Department of Education - 21st Century Community Learning Centers

• Corporate:

  • H. J. Russel & Company

• Churches:

  • Central Presbyterian Church

  • Holy Innocents Episcopal Church

  • St. Dunstan's Episcopal Church

  • St. Martin in the Fields Episcopal Church

  • St. Luke's Episcopal Church

  • All Saints' Episcopal Church

  • St. Veronica's Guild at the Cathedral of St. Philip

  • Church of the Epiphany

• Other:

  • A Million Matters

  • Georgia Family Connection

  • The Atlanta Community Food Bank

Your support means the world to us!

This summer and fall, Emmaus House is excited to participate in an innovative program called Project Catapult, designed by CEO of My Life and sponsored by The Arthur M. Blank and Annie E. Casey Foundations. The goal of Project Catapult is to propel youth into economic pathways to sustain families and cultivate individual talent. Annie E. Casey’s Changing the Odds report reveals that 76% of Black youth live in high poverty areas and economic activity centers are predominantly white. Atlanta’s entrepreneurship ecosystem offers limited programming designed exclusively for youth entrepreneurship within the Black community.

Official Press Release

Evidence of this lack of opportunity became clear when young boys and men entered the City’s highways and byways to sell water with proceeds supplying basic needs and financial support to families. This simple act is a testament to the entrepreneurial spirit of Atlanta’s youth. Moreover, it amplifies the need to offer culturally relevant, innovative solutions that tap into young people’s aspirations versus a punitive approach that continues to mischaracterize the issues and opportunities at hand.

Each year, CEO of My Life, a black-female-led youth entrepreneurship and leadership program provider, offers a 4-week summer and 8-week fall program for 30 high-schoolers. This program immerses students in entrepreneurial courses that will accelerate them into their futures. Students work with a cohort of peers in an agile, fast-paced, experiential environment representing the types of work culture, personal life challenges, and business environments they will soon encounter.

Focusing on the entire family is vital to student success. Therefore, Emmaus House and Helping Empower Youth (HEY!) provide case management, wraparound services, transportation, and meals during the daily convenings. Both organizations also offer two-generation support, including familial access to basic needs, workforce, and adult entrepreneurship classes.

What a joy it was to have children on the Emmaus House campus again this summer. The sounds of our scholars gave us signs of new hope as they chanted, sang, played, and read books! 

Take a look at the joyous moments captured throughout the program.

A small group of Freedom School scholars created thank you cards together.

Fridays at Freedom School are fun days with afternoon swimming!

During Harambee, we honored Herman Shackleford, “Shack,” our building and grounds coordinator. He keeps the grounds beautiful, ensures the classrooms are free of trash, and performs countless other maintenance duties at Emmaus House. It’s no wonder every Freedom School child and staff member signed his thank you card!

Our on-site healthcare assistant, Akeisha Moseley, treats a Freedom School scholar with tender loving care and attention.

We were so excited to have the principal of the Barack and Michelle Obama Academy, Robin Christian, as our read aloud guest for Harambee this morning!

We are blessed to have dedicated community volunteers who have served with us for several summers. One of them is Marni Davis, an associate professor of history at Georgia State University.

On Fridays at Freedom School, children receive books to keep. Because of tremendous book donations from the Cathedral's St. Veronica's Guild and members of the Church of the Epiphany, we are able to give even more books to scholars each week this summer!

Ms. Bridget leads an Integrated Reading Curriculum class for the K-2nd graders.

Photos from Harambee, when Bishop Wright read “Naturally Me!”, a book designed to boost self-esteem and build confidence in children.

Scholars work on a lettering project in the afternoon art class.

Scholars created images using abstract shapes during the first week of Freedom School. (Art Class 1 & 5)

Ms. Mimi's afternoon yoga and meditation class is the most relaxing time of the day!

After reading "Tashi and the Tibetan Flower Cure" the 3rd-5th graders planned a tea ceremony in the Emmaus House Easter garden. During the ceremony they honored their Junior Servant Leaders, Margalit and Joseph.

During our six-week summer Freedom Schools© program, scholars’ reading and social skills improved dramatically. Due to months of COVID restrictions, some kindergarteners and first-graders had their first experience with a structured in-person learning program. As a result, students learned how to interact with other children—and adults—outside of their family units. In addition, scholars attended a social-emotional learning (SEL) class every afternoon, taught by two professional school counselors.

Because our site was smaller this summer, staff and volunteers gave extra academic and emotional help to students who needed it; this attention resulted in measurable academic growth. Initial program assessments show that every scholar maintained or increased their reading levels, with many increasing two and three grade levels!

Today is the last day of our 2021 CDF Freedom School program. These past six weeks have provided our children with enriching and empowering experiences.

We are grateful to everyone who has made our Freedom School program possible, from our generous donors and partners to our volunteers and staff. Your support means the word to us. Learn more about the wonderful people who make the program a reality.

We are blessed to have dedicated community volunteers who have served with us for several summers. One of them is Marni Davis, an associate professor of history at Georgia State University.

Servant Leader Interns (SLIs) are college students who lead each class of Freedom School students to success. They train with Children’s Defense Fund as well as with Emmaus House staff. We support our strategic priority of leadership development through the training and employment of our SLIs. Rayshaud Goolsby, an SLI, loves helping our Freedom School scholars.

One of the highlights of Harambee is the Read-Aloud, where community leaders and role models read to our Freedom School scholars. Bishop Rob Wright visits often. He recently read “Naturally Me!”, a book designed to boost self-esteem and build confidence in children.

During Harambee, we honored Herman Shackleford, “Shack,” our building and grounds coordinator. He keeps the grounds beautiful, ensures the classrooms are free of trash, and performs countless other maintenance duties at Emmaus House. It’s no wonder every Freedom School child and staff member signed his thank you card!

Our on-site healthcare assistant, Akeisha Moseley, treats our Freedom School scholars with loving care and attention.

We also want to thank the Emmaus House staff, especially Ann Fowler, our Director of Education Services. Ann oversees programs that are focused on eliminating poverty through education in the Peoplestown neighborhood and beyond. She has helped develop two-generational programs that engage children and parents through academic and personal support, cultural enrichment, and leadership development.

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Stay tuned for more Freedom School photos from this summer in the July newsletter.

Emmaus House is excited to partner with the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Arthur M. Blank Foundation, Partnership for Southern Equity, HEY! and CEO of My Life to offer a 12-week youth entrepreneurship program beginning this summer. The program will engage high school students interested in STEAM and entrepreneurship. The four-week intensive summer program will take place in July, with eight bi-weekly work sessions in the fall. Students will receive meals, a stipend, and help with transportation. Emmaus House will provide wrap-around services to the students and their families (i.e., financial assistance, work clothes, food access, case management, etc.).

The first week of Freedom School was a huge success. From the morning Harambee to the Integrated Reading Curriculum, our students are able to explore, read, connect and grow together. The week ended off in traditional Freedom School fashion. On Fridays at Freedom School, children receive books to keep. Because of tremendous book donations from the Cathedral's St. Veronica's Guild and members of the Church of the Epiphany, we are able to give even more books to scholars each week this summer!

The Children's Defense Fund Freedom Schools® program at Emmaus House is a summer program serving students from kindergarten through fifth grade. Its aim is to motivate young scholars to read, build positive attitudes towards learning, and empower them to make a difference in themselves, their families, their communities, and their world.

On average, over 90% of scholars who were evaluated maintained or gained in their instructional reading level over the six-week program as measured by pre- and post-program standardized testing.

For more information about the CDF Freedom Schools® program at Emmaus House, please contact Ann Fowler at (404) 525-5948, ext. 27 or annfowler@emmaushouse.org.