Nancy Friauf has been named executive director of Genesis Shelter -- A New Life, one of the few shelters in metro Atlanta that accept families with newborns.
Friauf comes to Genesis from the Gwinnett Children's Shelter, where she was executive director for more than 16 years.
"Her experience in counseling, administration, operations and fundraising will be invaluable as we continue to transform our organization to meet the increased challenges of a tough economic time where we are seeing more families with a wider variety of needs," Dorothy Franzoni, chairman of the board of directors, said in a release announcing Friauf''s appointment.
Friauf replaces long-time executive director BreNita J. McCord, who left Genesis last year to pursue other options. McCord is now the executive director of the Odyssey Family Counseling Center in Hapeville.
Genesis, which is located on Boulevard, can house up to 18 families and includes day care.
Friauf said there is a "clear need" for places like Genesis that can lead to "long-term, generational changes."
On goal of the shelter is to build self-reliance among residents. The average stay is four to six months. Programs are available to help residents find work. When they do, 80 percent of their income goes into a savings account for each working resident.
Friauf said she wants to continue to build and strengthen the nonprofit's relationship with the faith community and donors. "One challenge for nonprofits is how can they grow their funding base," she said. Her message to donors is simple: "You're not giving fish, you're teaching people how to fish."
Genesis recently received a grant from Atlanta's Zeist Foundation to provide executive coaching and senior team development.
In addition to Friauf, other recent hires include Mary Kyle, development director; Marla Poe, volunteer coordinator; and Lee Jones, controller.
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