Volunteer, Contribute, Pray, Promote | This special bonus edition of the Grace Church newsletter highlights several of our Outreach Community Partners, and offers information about how you can volunteer your time and talent, contribute financially, pray for intentionally, and promote culturally. |
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Gainesville/Hall Alliance for Literacy | |
To increase literacy rates in our area by promoting education for adults, and promoting community efforts to raise literacy levels among families. They are committed to breaking the cycle of illiteracy and to help each individual reach his or her potential. They believe the greatest gift we can give children is parents who can read. | |
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770-531-3358 2535 Lanier Tech Drive, Riley Hall Room 3105; Gainesville, GA 30507 | |
A representative from Alliance for Literacy will visit Grace Church on August 20 as part of the special Summer Sunday Forum series! Join us in the parish hall from 9:30-10:30 AM. | |
Children's Center for Hope & Healing | |
Restoring dignity, trust, and hope to individuals and families traumatized by child sexual abuse through accessible and effective therapy, advocacy, and education. | |
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Involvement Opportunity
Paint, paper, pencils, markers - anything that kids can use to create are all used daily by the staff and clients at CCHH. CCHH has a detailed wish list for both art supplies and therapy tools that our therapist use with our kiddos every day. Donations can be dropped off in person, or can be shipped to our Gainesville office Monday through Thursday at 226 Main Street SW, Gainesville, GA 30501. Please find the wish lists for bibliotherapy books and therapy supplies below; items do not have to come from Amazon, but feel free to use the list as a general guide for our current agency needs!
Art Supplies Amazon Wishlist
Bibliotherapy Books Amazon Wishlist
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A representative from Children's Center for Hope and Healing will visit Grace Church August 13 as part of a special Summer Sunday Forum series! Join us in the parish hall from 9:30 - 10:30 AM. | |
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Assisting families with support to meet basic needs through Early Learning Centers and financial assistance through daycares. The YMCA programs are targeted on early learning as critical to success in later grades and in adult life.
770-297-9622 2455 YMCA Dr. Gainesville, GA 30506
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A YMCA representative will visit Grace August 13 as part of a special Summer Sunday Forum series! Join us in the parish hall from 9:30 - 10:30 AM. | | |
Don’t forget to do good and to share what you have because God is pleased with these kinds of sacrifices. Hebrews 13:16 |
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Gateway Domestic Violence Refuge | |
A representative from Gateway will visit Grace August 27 as part of a special Summer Sunday Forum series! Join us in the parish hall from 9:30 - 10:30 AM. | |
Center Point GA. Inc. & Teen Pregnancy Prevention Programs | |
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Enhances, strengthens, and changes lives by promoting the successful completion of school for pregnant or parenting teenagers. Provides teaching on pregnancy prevention.
770-535-1050 1050 Elephant Trail Gainesville, GA 30501
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A Center Point representative will visit Grace August 20 as part of our special Summer Sunday Forum series! Join us in the parish hall from 9:30 - 10:30 AM. | |
CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) | |
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Providing immediate and urgently needed temporary foster care for children; accompanying children to court and advocating for their interests in domestic legal actions; offering a stable, safe, encouraging and loving environment to children who have been forcibly removed from their residence and family members for reasons of safety and welfare.
770-531-1964 603 Washington St. SW Gainesville, GA 30501
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Family Promise of Hall County | |
Empowering low-income families and individuals experiencing homelessness to achieve sustainable independence by providing wrap-around services across eight programs: Empowerment Program (Shelter); Next Step Affordable Housing; L.I.F.E. Program; Little Steps Community Daycare; Diaper Bank of North Georgia; Family Food Market; Eviction Prevention; and Christmas Promise Store. | |
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Involvement Opportunity
For the past 11 years host congregations have prepared and served meals and visited with our families – we could not have done it without you! Church volunteers are still important to FPHC as we transition to a plan for cooking and serving meals and cleaning up.
We are seeking cooking teams to prepare dinner on Monday, Wednesday and Friday night of one week, once a quarter. Menu, groceries and recipes will be provided. The meals will be simple, easy to prepare in our commercial size kitchen. There will be a staff member available for questions. "Meal Prep Teams" will essentially show up, use the Family Promise kitchen/cookware, prepare the meal with provided groceries and recipes from 4:30 - 6:00 PM. Another team of volunteers will arrive at 5:30 PM to set up the service line/tables, serve the meal and clean up. If this sounds interesting to you please email Deatra, volunteer volunteer coordinator.
Not interested in food preparation? We have other volunteer opportunities opening up as we get closer to serving 11 families at one time.
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A representative from Family Promise will visit Grace Church on August 6 as part of a special Summer Sunday Forum series! Join us in the parish hall from 9:30 - 10:30 AM to learn more. | |
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Building homes, communities, and hope and also providing construction of aging in place options that allow senior citizens to remain in the comfort and safety of their homes for as long as possible.
678-450-5998 2285 Browns Bridge Rd., Gainesville, GA 30501
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The Hispanic Alliance of Hall County | |
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Works to improve the lives of our Latino Community in health, education, well being, and stability and immigration services as they adapt and thrive.
678-779-9997 2490 Hilton Dr. #A; Gainesville, GA 30501
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Carry each other’s burdens and so you will fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2 |
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Good News at Noon (Cook & Serve) | |
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Prepare, transport, and serve hot meals once a week at Grace Episcopal Church’s kitchen to be transported and served to the clients at the Good News at Noon location.
770-815-8721 422 Brenau Ave., Gainesville, GA 30501
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Gainesville-Hall Community Food Pantry | |
Providing free bags of groceries since 1973 to those in need through partnering with other food pantries; the United Way; the Georgia Mountain Food Pantry; and others. Volunteers work to stock the pantry, prepare the grocery bags, distribute them to customers who come to the pantry, and maintain data on the computer. (Government established eligibility requirements must be met and tracked.) | |
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In 1973 Grace Episcopal Church along with First United Methodist Church, St. Paul United Methodist Church, First Presbyterian Church, and First Baptist Church recognized there was a need to provide food assistance to the community. From these efforts, the Gainesville Hall Community Food Pantry was established. Now, 50 years later we have continued to operate with the support of the five churches, their parishioners, and wonderful community volunteers. Our mission is to serve individuals in need of food. We coordinate volunteer efforts among all five churches to offer food to families in need twice a week. Each month we serve approximately 120 clients, and the need is growing. | |
Food Insecurity in Georgia
Food insecurity is a public health issue when individuals experience a consistent lack of food to have a healthy life. In Georgia, we are not immune from this issue and its devastating impact on individuals and families. 11% of Georgians are food insecure meaning that they do not always know when they will find their next meal. 14% of children in Georgia live in food-insecure homes, and 11% of our older adults aged 65+ live in poverty. Not having enough nutritious food leads to serious mental and physical issues. Food-insecure adults are more likely to have chronic health illnesses like diabetes and heart disease. Children’s mental health and academic achievement are negatively impacted when they are food insecure. Seniors who are food insecure are likely to suffer from insufficient nutrient intake leading to malnourishment and depression (Feeding America, 2022; National Council on Aging, 2022).
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Involvement Opportunities
You can help volunteer with us at the Gainesville Hall Community Food Pantry in several ways.
Intermittent Volunteers
Volunteers to serve clients. In a Client Service role, this means your name is placed on a list and we contact you about once every 5 weeks to see if you can help us distribute food to clients. This time commitment is Tuesday or Thursday from 11:45 am to 1:45 pm.
Another intermittent volunteer effort involves helping with Truck Deliveries. In this role, you would help unload deliveries of food inventory approximately 4-6 times a year and the time commitment would be on a Thursday morning from 8:30 to 9:45 am. Your name would go on a list, and we would call you to check availability to help us.
We need assistance shopping for and bagging food. In the Shopper role about 5 times a year you generate a grocery list of the food needed to supplement our pantry; shop for the food with funds allocated by the church; and fill the bags to be distributed to clients. This position requires some heavy lifting, it is ideal for a two-person team.
Monthly Volunteers
We also need someone to help with administrative help. This position would require approximately 2-3 hours each month and is related to operational aspects that keep our pantry up and running. We need a Community Liaison who will be the pantry's main point of contact with other community organizations, such as the United Way, other food pantries in Gainesville, and the Georgia Mountain Food Pantry. They will promote our pantry services and understand what services these agencies provide. They will identify partners in the fight against food insecurity.
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Who is perfect for these roles?
If you like hands-on serving opportunities and don’t have time each month for service – Client Service, Truck Delivery, and Shopper roles should be considered. With these roles, your name will be placed on a list, and we will call you to see if you can help. Training will be provided. Grace serves at the pantry in intervals of two weeks in a row approximately every 10 weeks. Food deliveries come even less frequently.
If you have steadier time to devote to service and like to help with the operational functions of an organization, the administrative roles might be right for you. Maybe you have been in education, human resources, or marketing in the past. The Community Liaison is up your alley if you like to network, gather resources, and connect with others.
By helping us at the Gainesville-Hall Community Food Pantry, you will be making our community stronger. By serving clients, packing food, unloading trucks, and identifying resources, you will be playing a vital role in helping neighbors manage the devastating reality of food insecurity. In these volunteer roles, you are making a difference and ensuring we stay running for another 50 years!
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How do you get in touch with us?
Contact any one of the four Grace members to find out more about any of the roles:
- Darlene Hauserman, Executive Director, 440-903-6570, dlhauserman@gmail.com
- Mary Lynn Coyle, Grace Food Pantry Co-Chairman, 770-561-9007, marylynncoyle@gmail.com
- Daphne David, Grace Food Pantry Co-Chairman, 678-316-050, dcdavid1@bellsouth.net
- Carla Kantola 678-616-3144, ckantola@me.com
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615 Oak St. Gainesville, GA 30501 | |
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Provides a full Thanksgiving meal for Gainesville Police and Fire Departments; Hall County Fire Department; Salvation Army; Angel House; Good News at Noon; My Sister’s Place; Gateway; Myrtle Terraces; Lighthouse Manor; and, Ninth District Opportunity (who deliver meals to the homeless camps).
678-969-5970 996 Athens Hwy, Gainesville, GA 30501
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Don’t withhold good from someone who deserves it, when it is in your power to do so. Prov. 3:27 |
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Providing education to families to help prevent and break the cycle of child abuse and neglect. The programs offer prenatal education to parents and to parents with children up to age 18. They serve families who wish to improve parenting skills as well as families who are incarcerated or mandated by DFCS or the court system.
770-287-3071 615 Oak Street Suite 700, Gainesville 30501
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Provides home delivery of nutritional meals for frail elderly adults in Hall County. Deliveries Monday through Friday, weekly. Approximately 500 seniors receive hot lunches delivered by friendly volunteers each Monday through Friday. For some seniors, this daily visit may be the only social interaction they have during the day. | |
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Involvement Opportunity
Volunteers are needed to deliver meals Monday through Friday. Meal routes take approximately 1 hour or less to deliver. Commitment to delivering meals can be as little as once a month. Meals on Wheels offers a virtual orientation that is open to the public on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays at 2 p.m. each month. Visit their website for information.
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Provides a nurturing safe place for homeless women and children to receive essential needs while acquiring tools to get back on their feet.
770-532-5111 2480 M.L.K. Jr. Blvd. #4; Gainesville, GA 30501
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Provides warm, secure mobile showers for homeless neighbors to help them reclaim their dignity in a safe and compassionate environment.
678-983-3873 6771 H. Abercrombie Rd. Murrayville, GA 30564
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A representative from Overhead Cover will visit Grace August 6 as part of a special Summer Sunday Forum series! Join us in the parish hall from 9:30 - 10:30 AM to learn more. | |
Compass Center (United Way of Hall County) | |
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The Compass Center partners with clients to identify pathways out of poverty and improve access to resources within the community. They financially support clients when necessary to create sustainable solutions and remove financial barriers to stability.
678-989-5336 527 Oak Street, Gainesville, GA 30501
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A Compass Center representative will visit Grace August 6 as part of a special Summer Sunday Forum series! Join us in the parish hall from 9:30 - 10:30 AM. | | |
Then they will reply, Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and didn’t do anything to help you? Then he will answer, I assure you that when you haven’t done it for one of the least of these, you haven’t done it for me. Matthew 25:44-45 |
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Providing a “hand up” to the homeless in Hall County and an opportunity to get off the streets toward self-sufficiency through a transitional resident program; education; transportation; casework; and supporting services.
770-503-1369 884 Dorsey St. Gainesville GA 30501
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Offering human trafficking victims an opportunity to heal and start a new life. Sacred Roots provides a specifically designed home on a working sustainable farm for sexually exploited and trafficked women and their children, so they may discover the trust, the healing, and the hope that God has created for them.
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Involvement Opportunity
Sacred Roots needs prayer partners who will pray for the ministry, as well as ambassadors to help us make connections that could enhance the quality of our service or the support base in order to grow. Learn more on the "take action" tab of our website.
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A representative from Sacred Roots will visit Grace August 27 as part of a special Summer Sunday Forum series! Join us in the parish hall from 9:30 - 10:30 AM. | |
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Serves children through innovative educational, therapeutic, nursing, and family support services in an inclusive environment.
770-535-8372 2630 Murphy Blvd. Gainesville, GA 30504
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A representative from Sisu will visit Grace August 13 as part of a special Summer Sunday Forum series! Please join us in the parish hall from 9:30 - 10:30 AM. | |
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Serves as a system of support, advocacy and education, providing services to the community and to survivors of sexual assault while safeguarding the dignity of each person served.
678-936-4125 615 Oak St. Suite 300; Gainesville, GA 30501
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A representative from Rape Response will visit Grace Church on August 20 as part of a special Summer Sunday Forum series! Please join us in the parish hall from 9:30 - 10:30 AM. | | |
My brothers and sisters, what good is it if people say they have faith but do nothing to show it? Claiming to have faith can’t save anyone, can it? Imagine a brother or sister who is naked and never has enough food to eat. What if one of you said, Go in peace! Stay warm! Have a nice meal!? What good is it if you don’t actually give them what their body needs? In the same way, faith is dead when it doesn’t result in faithful activity. James 2:14-17 |
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