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DEL.ICIO.US20 years later, giving goes on
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It started as a call to action from two churches: Norcross First United Methodist and Christ Church Episcopal.
Families were knocking on the church doors looking for help with this, that and the other. The churches were ill-equipped to deal with such matters, so they pulled together a committee made up of several churches to see what could be done.
The answer: the Norcross Cooperative Ministry, which celebrates its 20th anniversary in May.
Shirley Cabe was involved with the nonprofit when it was little more than an idea. She served on the committee that put the wheels in motion. Now she’s the agency’s executive director and probably one of most knowledgeable Gwinnettians when it comes to the poor, working poor and suddenly poor.
When she tells you the needs of people turning to the nonprofit have grown from short-term issues (food) to long-term (medical care), believe it.
When she says the county has a growing homeless community, treat it as gospel. And when she speculates that the ongoing spike in gas and grocery prices will lead to a boom in clients at her nonprofit, bank on it.
“Of course we see hundreds and hundreds of people needing food,” Cabe told me Monday. “But it’s not just the quick fix anymore. Overall, it seems like the needs are more long-term, more critical, than they were in the 1980s.
“We always have a food shortage. We’ve already had some people needing help with gas, but we don’t give out gas vouchers. At one time we did have that program. Of course the other side of all of this is how will it affect our donations.”
As the needs changed, so did the ministry, though it still doles out food and clothes. It also offers language classes and helps unemployed clients find jobs. Classes vary, from résumé writing to interview skills. Only U.S. citizens or immigrants with a legal right to work in the country can take part in the job-services program.
John Byerley, the current president, said people’s mouths drop when they walk in the facility and see the activity.
“We are an active part of the community, just trying to make Norcross a little better,” said Byerley, a business manager for a voice and data applications firm in Norcross.
“Because we are a ministry, we’d like to see people transition from being in a situation where they need a hand-up to making the next step, to becoming self-sufficient. We’re trying to concentrate on that area.”
To commemorate its anniversary, the nonprofit is hosting an open house from 3 to 5 p.m. this Sunday. You’re invited. If you attend, though, please donate something that reflects the agency’s 20-year history - 20 cans of food, 20 clothing items or cash in $20 increments.
“We want to talk about where we’ve been the last 20 years,” Cabe told me, “and where we hope to go the next 20.”
The Norcross Cooperative Ministry is at 2275 Mitchell Road. Contact info: 770-263-8268 (client services) or 770-263-0013 (donations); www.norcrossco-op.org.
Rick Badie’s column appears on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Contact him at 770-263-3875 or e-mail: rbadie@ajc.com.
Permalink | Comments (23) | Post your comment | Categories: Rick Badie
Comments
By LT5000
April 29, 2008 10:00 AM | Link to this
Badie, why don’t you do an act of charity and stop writing these stupid blogs?
Yet another Badie “The economy is crashing, here comes another Depression” story.
When she says the county has a growing homeless community, treat it as gospel. And when she speculates that the ongoing spike in gas and grocery prices will lead to a boom in clients at her nonprofit, bank on it.
Hmmm. Did it ever occur to you that these “homeless” people are really just drug addicted scumbags? Nomoney for food, but always enough for cigarettes, alcohol and dope.
The economy doesn’t affect these people, they will always blow every nickel they ever had on drugs.
The Obama informercial carries on.
LT5000
By Stan
April 29, 2008 10:27 AM | Link to this
Intresting that my comments about Mrs. Cabe have been removed. Must have stuck a cord with someone.
Stan
By LT5000
April 29, 2008 10:56 AM | Link to this
Hey Rick,
I think you wrote this same article about Shirley Cabe back in December.
If you are running out of material can I suggest a Ride along with the Norcross Police again?
How about just Code Enforcement?
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/shared-blogs/ajc/badie/entries/2007/12/06/dayatthe_food.html
LT5000
By LT5000
April 29, 2008 11:56 AM | Link to this
Corrected Link.
Surely there had to be something more interesting happening in Gwinnett that Badie didn’t have to write the same article in the last 5 months.
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/shared-blogs/ajc/badie/entries/2007/12/06/dayatthe_food.html
By Justin
April 29, 2008 4:18 PM | Link to this
WOW, LT5000 I don’t know what to say about your nasty little comments. Guess we can wait on Bruce and Michael to come on and add to the venom. They will just spew the hate with somewhat more intellingent sounding ramblings. It’s great that we have organizations to help those less fortunate, who by the way are not all drug users. Some of these folks have hit bottom with little fault of their own.
By LT5000
April 29, 2008 4:46 PM | Link to this
Justin,
85% of homeless people report having alcohol, drug or mental problems in their lives.
These dregs live on the street by choice. Because then they never have to clean up or take responsibility for themselves.
Besides Badie wrote this article 5 months ago, about the same woman.
http://www.huduser.org/publications/homeless/homelessness/ch_2c.html
By Cindy
April 29, 2008 5:32 PM | Link to this
The people who are “homeless-by-choice” tend to be mostly inner-city. Not all, but most.
This day in age with so many jobs folding and people living paycheck to paycheck, there’s been a higher need for help from people in other walks of life than your career satisfied homeless box dweller.
By Justin
April 29, 2008 5:33 PM | Link to this
You have a good point there LT5000, maybe Rick can get with you, Bruce and Michael and write about the various things you guys are doing to improve our community. Of course participating on the blog won’t count. It needs to be something you are actively giving your time to. Will it be Little League, Boys and Girls Club, Fireman’s Benevolent Assn.? Can’t wait to read about it.
By Cindy
April 29, 2008 5:33 PM | Link to this
The people who are “homeless-by-choice” tend to be mostly inner-city. Not all, but most.
This day in age with so many jobs folding and people living paycheck to paycheck, there’s been a higher need for help from people in other walks of life than your career satisfied homeless box dweller.
By Cindy
April 29, 2008 5:38 PM | Link to this
sorry for the double posting…my cat got on the keyboard
By Justin
April 29, 2008 6:36 PM | Link to this
Eating the fritos I assume? I agree with what you said Cindy. I hope they won’t need help from some of our fellow posters on this site.
By Cindy
April 29, 2008 7:38 PM | Link to this
LT5000,
http://www.godswork.org/encouragement12.htm
By Cindy
April 29, 2008 8:04 PM | Link to this
Cat eating fritos? haha, now THAT would be funny Justin…but I don’t think I won the fritos last week… :(
she put one of her front feet on the keyboard when the screen said “please wait” for my message to be posted…I didn’t think anything about it, then bam a new message I’d never seen before said something to the effect of I couldn’t post another message because I’d posted too many in a row…that’s when I knew the cat had made a mess…I was just relieved to know she didn’t cause it to post like 7 or 8 times…I knew ya’ll would sock it to me ;)
oh yeah…back to the topic at hand. Sometimes it’s just about doing the right thing…”right” could mean so many different things. We do things without knowing who the recipient is who benefits…the really funny thing is I am always the one who benefits.
Ask the shut-ins who my daughter and I do things for. We were there to “do” for them…guess who left a better person?
Ask the person who you know needs food at home. When she hugs you and thanks you with tears in her eyes…it’s not only her and her grandchild that she’s raising, who benefits. It’s my son who carried the box. It’s my daughters who helped gather things. It’s me for remembering…last time I knew I would see her, I had forgotten. I’ll not even kid you and say that each time I ate during the week, I didn’t think of them…because I did.
My husband lost his job a few weeks ago…and I’ll tell ya what…Sunday morning…groceries were getting a little bit slim here at MY house. But I shared what I had,because it was the right thing to do.
A friend of mine told me Friday that they were going to do something I had really, really, really wanted to do…I was spitting mad…unjustly…so to me, doing the right thing… hopefully could right my wrong of being so selfish. Did it? I have no idea…but it was still right…and to know what needs done and not do it…is wrong.
So basically, if we know there’s a need…we gotta step up. Maybe this particular project Badie blogged about doesn’t quite do it for you…the thing about it…there’s hundreds upon hundreds of others…just pick and choose…and right here in our county…there’s no shortage. Meals on wheels (for example)…you won’t find any drug or alcohol abusers there…only people who need help.
I need to get the broom and dustpan now so I can clean up my guts…they’ve spilled everywhere.
By Shirley
April 29, 2008 8:35 PM | Link to this
I really hope that those of you who are so quick to judge others, when you go home to you safe, warm, comforable home, remember to thank God everyday for the incredible blessings He gives you. And by the way, the majority of the homeless in Gwinnett County are children, so remember that when you tuck your kids into bed tonight.
By Katie
April 30, 2008 5:53 AM | Link to this
Shirley, Please ask God to reduce the price of gas..
Oh wait, he can’t. He isn’t real. My bad, I forgot.
Carry on.
By Hans Apology
April 30, 2008 7:52 AM | Link to this
Superdelegate Cynthia McKinney came out for Obama today…….
By Gandalf, the Grey
April 30, 2008 8:57 AM | Link to this
How in the name of Thor did she get a superdelegate vote? The Dem’s are truly insane.
By LT5000
April 30, 2008 10:09 AM | Link to this
For Justin and Shirley:
Oh those poor poor homeless people. Bush and Cheney are a bunch of meanies.
Here is an article from today’s Gwinnett Daily Post about those poor downtrodden urine stained scum.
By the way, I do plenty for the community, it’s called my tax dollars.
NORCROSS - A Norcross man told police a homeless Hispanic man smashed a bottle over his head and ran off with $100.
Police found the victim with a laceration on his head near a restaurant in the 6200 block of South Norcross-Tucker Road.
He told police a homeless man had asked him for a dollar, and when he reached into his pocket to grab the cash, the man struck him in the head with a bottle. The two struggled, and the assailant wrangled $100 from him and ran off.
Police were unable to locate the suspect in the area
By Cindy
April 30, 2008 11:02 AM | Link to this
hey…what about me?
;)
By Paul
April 30, 2008 1:50 PM | Link to this
Justin, Shirley AND Cindy - great to see that there are still a few human beings among us. I’ll be dropping some food and a check off at the Co-op this weekend.
By Cindy
April 30, 2008 7:15 PM | Link to this
I saw it though…
By Hans Apology
April 30, 2008 8:49 PM | Link to this
Um, that was a joke, sir. Cynthia McKinney is not a superdelegate. I was just doing a bit about “it could be worse” for Obama.
Pardon moi.
By Michael H. Smith
May 1, 2008 2:00 AM | Link to this
The nice thing about giving and getting involved with a charity is you don’t need to play a violin or a blow trumpet to do it.
Good Day All.