Your monthly newsletter about The Place and how serving with purpose helps change lives. | |
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November 2022
Dear Cristy,
This time of year always reminds me of my childhood and of special memories of family when my adult children were younger. Memories of playing in the leaves, watching college football, the family coming together at Thanksgiving and, of course, Christmas celebrations.
The Place is also focused on our youth and family this season. From our upcoming Thanksgiving dinner boxes for food pantry clients to our Holiday House event that will provide gifts for over 2,000 children, it’s a busy time for our team, including our wonderful volunteers.
We started working on this years’ Holiday House several months ago, but most of the critical prep work happens this month. We are qualifying parents who meet poverty guidelines and reaching out to our wonderful community to sponsor, host gift drives, and volunteer. We anticipate, based on the current trend of client requests, that this will be our biggest Holiday House ever.
Last year at Holiday House, I met a mom who shared she never imagined she would need help buying gifts for her two little girls. She was a young stay-at-home mom who had suddenly lost her husband. The family had limited savings and now they had no income. Holding back tears, she told me she was so thankful for The Place’s Holiday House so her daughters could still have a Christmas morning.
In this season of gratitude, gift giving, and celebrations, please remember those who need a little help with your donations and prayers.
Serving with Purpose,
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President & CEO
The Place of Forsyth County
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Calling All Turkeys!
Thanksgiving is our nation’s day of gratitude and, of course, the day we stuff ourselves with our favorite dish. For our clients, a Thanksgiving feast is a luxury. Because of you, our generous supporters, we are distributing Thanksgiving meals to our clients in Forsyth and Dawson Counties again this year.
We are collecting turkeys for our clients November 7 through 11. Please bring them to the Forsyth County office during regular business hours. We're located at 2550 The Place Circle, Cumming, GA 30040. We're open Mondays through Thursdays, 8 am to 5 pm, and Fridays, 8 am to 12 noon.
A special thanks to Tam’s Backstage restaurant, who is generously providing a refrigerated truck to store turkeys until we distribute them. Boxes filled with a complete Thanksgiving meal will be distributed to clients the following week.
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The Central Place Serves a Dual Purpose
The Central Place at Forsyth Central High School opened to staff and students on Monday, October 17. Like The Place’s endeavor at East Forsyth High School (The Broncos’ Place), the room serves a dual purpose. It is a way to connect with students as much as it is a place to meet their basic needs. The Central Place provides free snacks for the students, hygiene products, and school supplies. We provide donations from Publix for students to enjoy at no cost.
Our hope is to identify the greater needs the students and their families may have and to connect them with the proper resources.
Read More...
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Stay Warm This Winter
When we see leaves falling and feel temperatures dropping, we know it’s time for our annual Coat Drive. Please bring your gently-used coats, all sizes (infant to adults), to our offices anytime during our operating hours.
When our clients come to our offices, we give them the opportunity to take the coats they need for their household.
Thank you!
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Forsyth County - 2550 The Place Circle, Cumming, GA 30040. Mondays through Thursdays, 8 am to 5 pm and Fridays 8 am to 12 noon.
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Dawson County – 517 Allen Street, Dawsonville, GA 30534. Mondays and Wednesdays, 10:00 am to 2:00 pm and Thursdays 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. Dawson Thrift Store (RIC-Rack), 829 GA 9 North, Dawsonville, GA 30534, Tuesdays though Saturdays, 10 am to 4 pm.
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Low on Donated Kids Clothing
With cold weather coming, our thrift stores are low on fall/winter kid’s clothing, sizes 6 through 18. Please donate your gently used clothing for school-aged kids!
Donate your items at The Place of Forsyth, 2550 The Place Circle Cumming, GA 30040 or at RIC Rack, 829 Hwy 9 Dawsonville, GA 30534. You can drop off donations at both locations Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.
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Make The Place Your Favorite Charity
Did you know that Kroger and Amazon Smile will contribute a percentage of your purchases to your favorite charity? With your combined efforts, these contributions mean a lot to help support The Place’s programs and services. Thank you!
To make The Place your favorite charity at Kroger or Amazon Smile:
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Click here and follow the instructions to link your Kroger card to The Place of Forsyth.
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Click here, click Get Started, and login to Amazon Smile. Click Accounts & Lists > AmazonSmile > Add The Place as your favorite charity.
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Publix Charities Donates to The Place
Publix Super Markets Charities has donated $4,000 to The Place for its Client Choice Food Program. The program allows our clients to select the items they want each week using the Smart Choice web interface.
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Ready for the smell of pine, elves perched on shelves, delicious cookies, and twinkling lights? The Place’s 8th Annual Holiday House is almost here!
Donor Opportunities
If you or your organization would like to get involved with our Holiday House, there are plenty of opportunities. You can:
- Become a sponsor
- Coordinate a toy drive
- Be a gift drop-off site
- Help purchase items on our Amazon Smile wish list
- Make a donation
Click here for additional information. We look forward to bringing joy to over 2,000 children this holiday season.
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Volunteer Opportunities
Don your favorite Santa or elf hat and join us as a volunteer! If you would like to donate your time to help us with Holiday House, please go to www.theplaceofforsyth.org/holidayhouse to sign up. We are offering numerous opportunities to help spread holiday joy!
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Volunteer for Pre-Event Preparations -- We will be collecting and sorting toys.
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Holiday House Event – December 12 through 19. Volunteer opportunities include helping families shop, stocking rooms, and assisting families with packages. We will be providing holiday gifts to over 2,000 children.
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Kyendal Eaton to Create Case Management Program
Please welcome Kyendal Eaton, The Place’s new Client Services Manager. Her team is comprised of client benefits, financial assistance, and The Cottage and young adult programs. In addition, she will help develop and implement The Place’s case management program.
The primary role of Client Services is to meet the immediate needs of clients while helping them to become self-sustaining.
Kyendal is a licensed Master of Social Work in the state of Georgia. She has a range of experience in behavioral health, community mental health, substance abuse, and youth offenders. She has worked with individuals and families throughout the metro Atlanta area for the past eight years. Prior to social work, she worked as a high school teacher in Jacksonville, Florida.
Read More...
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The Place truly appreciates the ongoing support of those who partner with us to help our neighbors. Everyone who supports us is much appreciated, even if we unintentionally miss including the name of your organization on this list.
To learn how your organization can help support the programs and services at The Place, email us at community@theplaceofforsyth.org.
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Why I Volunteer
Patty Kurtz volunteers at The Place’s Dawson food pantry and at The Broncos’ Place, which is sponsored by The Place at East Forsyth High School. She has volunteered with us for about six months.
What does volunteering mean to you?
”It means spending my time trying to give back and make the world better.”
What do you like about volunteering at The Place?
“I like volunteering at The Place because of all the services they offer. I love getting to know the customers and clients at the RIC-Rack thrift store. The Place is a fun place to work; we have fun.”
“At East Forsyth High School, I love being around the kids and seeing their energy and enthusiasm and how alive they are. It gives me hope for the future. The outreach in the school is really cool and important.”
What would you say to people who are considering volunteering at The Place?
“When do you want to start? There are so many things to do--GED classes, painting wheelchair ramps with the Senior Outreach team. If you're looking to volunteer, The Place has so many options.”
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Become a Volunteer!
The Place was voted the best place to volunteer in Forsyth County in 2021! If you’d like to join our amazing team, please fill out an application and attend a one-hour orientation session at The Place.
To fill out a volunteer application, please click here. You’ll be able to sign up for an upcoming orientation session during the application process. For more information, contact phillip@theplaceofforsyth.org. Thank you!
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Your continued support is needed and appreciated so we can continue to help our neighbors in need.
You can help advance our efforts by:
- Providing monthly financial support
- Making The Place of Forsyth your favorite charity at smile.amazon.com or krogercommunityrewards.com.
- Adding a bequest in your will
- Giving the gift of a percentage of your estate or a specific asset
- Naming The Place as a beneficiary in your life insurance or retirement plan
- Creating a qualified charitable distribution (QCD) to direct your IRA distributions to a qualified 501(c)(3) charity
The Place of Forsyth County, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, EIN 58-2355072.
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The Place of Forsyth County, 2550 The Place Circle, Gumming, GA 30040
The Place of Dawson County, 517 Allen Street Dawsonville, GA 30534 and Dawson Thrift Store (RIC-Rack) at 829 Hwy 9, Dawsonville, GA 30534
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