North Georgia Interfaith Ministries, Inc.
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"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11
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A Message From Our Chairman
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Welcome to the first official Newsletter of North Georgia Interfaith Ministries (NGIM). It is exciting to see the evolution of this ministry and God's hand continue to lead. My name is Bob Andriakos and I am the current Chairman of the Board of NGIM. I have been serving on the board since November of 2015 and was honored to be nominated to this position in the Spring of 2017. My other community involvement includes being a member of the Cooper Green Prayer Group, a Caseworker for St. Vincent de Paul (the benevolence organization of St. Luke's), and the current President of the Men of St. Luke.
This past year has been a great year for Jeremiah's Place. Our units remained full throughout the year as we continued to help the situationally homeless gain independence again. We also refined our policies and procedures and ensured that we were legally compliant in all areas. We revised our informational brochure and distributed our first NGIM Annual Report. In addition, our annual fundraisers, both the Spaghetti Supper and First Night Dahlonega continued to prove to be signature events for us and crucial cornerstones in our overall fundraising plan.
I look forward to see how God will move in 2018. He has been incredibly faithful to this ministry. It is clear that He is at work in mighty ways with NGIM. It is both a privilege and humbling to jump in where He is already working. My prayer is that you will seek to find your place in this ministry as well!
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Finding yourself suddenly homeless can be very traumatizing and scary. When a child has to worry about where he/she is going to lay their head down at night, they can't focus on school, life, or relationships. These are not fears that a child should ever have to bear. Because of our donors, community partners, and sponsoring churches we are able to provide a safe and stable home to homeless families in our community. Knowing they have a safe place to stay, a shower, heating/air conditioning, and food enables them to focus on jobs, pay off old debt, start a savings account or return to school or certificate training.
We were incredibly blessed in 2017 as we were able to provide housing for 27 adults and 28 children. All of the families that completed our program had a place to move into after leaving Jeremiah's Place. While families are with us at Jeremiah's Place they learn how to budget, both financially and with their food stamps in addition to participating in a savings plan. As a result, families were able to save an average of $2,500 while in our program. In addition, they found stable jobs that sustained them.
This success could not happen without YOU...our community support!!
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Fundraising Opportunities
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North Georgia Interfaith Ministries raises financial support in several ways however our two signature events are The Spaghetti Supper in the Spring and First Night Dahlonega on New Years Eve.
This marked the 3
rd
year for First Night Dahlonega and proved to be the most successful thus far. Over 1300 were in attendance and many braved the frigid temperatures to ring in 2018 with the Nuggett Drop in the square. Buttons were sold as “tickets” and allowed patrons to enjoy 16 different performers at 4 different venues. Performers donated their time and generous sponsors culminated in raising over $25,000 for Jeremiah’s Place. In addition, this event could not have happened without countless volunteers and community support. Tom Slavicek and Susan Bridgeforth will be chairing the event once again next year!
Right around the corner is our annual Spaghetti Supper. It will be on Tuesday, April 17
th
. The event will take place at Dahlonega Baptist Church, Dahlonega United Methodist Church, and St. Luke’s Catholic Church. Tickets are $10 per person (children are free) with a $25 cap per family. Volunteers will prepare and serve dinner plus homemade desserts also provided by community members. Sponsorships, ticket sales, and volunteers are all crucial pieces to the success of this event!
Another way to support our ministry and raise funds for Jeremiah’s Place is to stop by McDonald’s on the designated Monday each quarter and purchase a cup of coffee…or two! For every coffee purchased, McDonald’s will donate $1 to NGIM. Board members are also present inside during the morning to answer any questions and take additional donations from patrons. Stay tuned to our website and/or Facebook page to learn about the next Coffee Monday at McDonald’s!
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Jeremiah's Place has been blessed with few issues and capable volunteers to help when problems have surfaced. Some major projects since initial operation have included a complete change out and upgrade of heating and air conditioning, digging a well and disconnecting from city water, and building a storage shed. Some other projects that are on-going include:
- Pressure Washing
- Painting
- Clean up winter debris
- Get rid of dead trees
- Beautify the property by planting flowers and shrubs
- Staining decks
- Winterizing the units to lower energy costs
- Making repairs as needed inside the units
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Jeremiah’s Place provides refuge and restoration to those who are in need of temporary shelter from a variety of circumstances. The following story is a testament to why we are passionate about what we do…
Patsy is raising five of her grandchildren all under the age of six. One night during a severe storm, she awoke abruptly to a tree that had fallen on her and her bed with rain pouring through her roof. After she crawled out from under the branches of the tree to reach her grandchildren, she realized that a second tree had fallen as well. As a result, her roof was completely destroyed. Once she got her grandchildren to safety, she was told about Jeremiah’s Place by a friend. She called to inquire and indeed there was a vacant apartment. After completing the intake process, her family moved to our facility. While at Jeremiah’s Place, her home was able to be repaired, she was able to continue paying her bills, and most importantly her family remained together.
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We are excited to begin expanding our volunteers with our ministry! We have many opportunities for you to help make a difference in the lives of families in Lumpkin and surrounding counties. There are opportunities for individuals, families, churches, and organizations. The needs at Jeremiah's Place are broad and may include facility clean-up, painting, repair, office and technology support, and help with special events/fundraising. In addition, if you have a special skill or ability that you think may be helpful to our program, please contact us at
"How Can I Help"
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Bethlehem Baptist Church
Pastor Michael Rodgers
Dahlonega United Methodist Church
Pastor Stephen Schofield
St. Lukes Catholic Church
Rev. John Matejek
Dahlonega Baptist Church
Interim Pastor Dr. Stuart Lang
Yahoola Baptist Church
Pastor Chris Butler
Ladies Auxiliary
Concord Baptist Church
Mt. Gilead Baptist Church
Pastor Les Fuller
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