Throughout metro Atlanta, many organizations offer all kinds of help to those in need. Here are just four of those nonprofits, assisting mainly the homeless with job training and seeking.
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Based in Peachtree City, A Better Way Ministries, Inc. is "a place of refuge for men struggling with life-controlling issues such as drug and alcohol addictions." To help them financially, the men are involved in the for-profit services of the ministry. They include A Better Way Movers, A Better Way Antiques and Home Decor, A Better Way Signs and More Than a Table, which create custom-made tables from salvaged materials that are featured in Chick-fil-A restaurants.
The Elizabeth Inn Emergency Shelter sleeps 64 people - 40 beds for men and 24 beds for women and children. Since the shelter is a work recovery program, participants will need to have a job within 10 days. The maximum stay is six weeks, but MUST helps clients find permanent housing following the job recovery program. Families can stay up to eight weeks. The Elizabeth Inn has its own Employment Services program to help people look for jobs.
For veterans, MUST offers the Veteran's Supportive Housing Program, a HUD-funded program that serves male and female veterans who have experienced chronic homelessness and also live with disabilities. The program has 18 beds for veterans.
Based in Atlanta, Seven Bridges to Recovery goes under the bridges of Atlanta and into an area called the Bluff (Atlanta's largest crack cocaine and prostitution district) where they feed and meet physical needs with the goal of sharing Christ and eventually getting the homeless off the streets.
With mandatory Bible study, the ministry has a home for 105 women and children and a program for 25 men who all have been rescued from the streets. Men participate in a free year-long program, teaching them structure, discipline, service and leadership. The men are not able to work during their year of commitment since they are serving in the ministry full-time.
Additional programs
The Rescue Repurpose Redeem Program employs disabled veterans who have experienced homelessness and other individuals in similar circumstances. Employees work in every aspect of the business and acquire the skills necessary to become more self-sufficient. They rescue materials that others no longer want or need, repurpose those items into "beautiful and unique" items and redeem their employees confidence and self-esteem.
The HOPE Program offers work readiness training to help participants get a job but also to help them become retainable, promotable employees.
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