Count April Collins among entertainer Lil Jon's growing fan base at the United Methodist Children's Home in Decatur.
The 33-year-old mother of four lives with two of her children at the facility. The charity recently received a check for $80,000 from the Atlanta rapper, DJ and producer from his stint on the popular reality show, "The Celebrity Apprentice."
The charity, which helps families and youth in crisis, was selected by Lil Jon, aka Jonathan 'Lil Jon' Smith, as his charity of choice.
"I'm proud of him," said Collins, who was homeless before coming to UMCH. A native of Albany, Collins is working on her GED.
It wasn't until a friend told her about the UMCH, which sits on a sprawling 99-acre campus off South Columbia Drive, that she found security.
"It's wonderful," said Collins, who lives in a small two-bedroom cottage on the property. "A lot of doors have opened for me." She's learning about managing her money, how to apply for jobs and to be responsible.
She watched every episode of "The Celebrity Apprentice" since she found out Lil Jon was playing for the charity.
"It was a good thing for him to do," she said. "Because he showed that a rap star can still have some sense. He showed he still has a heart." He was her favorite to win, but she also liked NeNe Leakes of "The Real Housewives of Atlanta." That is until Leakes abruptly quit the show. "You don't give up, you work 'til the end," she said.
That's one lesson Collins' learned at the UMCH, which is an agency of the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church.
The UMCH was opened in 1871, originally founded as an orphanage for children who lost parents during the Civil War. The agency is a multi-service agency that provides such programs as family housing, independent living, counseling, foster care services, parenting skills classes and financial assistance.
Terence Johnson, director of programs, said the show raised the agency's profile. The day before the show started, the UMCH's website received 35 hits, he said. During the first night, that skyrocketed to 1,500 hits. Johnson said Lil Jon visited the campus for several hours before he went on the show.
Lil Jon's winnings couldn't have come at a better time. Johnson said the agency, which has an annual budget of $5.5 million, has operated in the red for the past few years because of a decrease in giving and the operation of programs that receive partial or no reimbursement from the government. Those services include the financial aid ministry, independent living, the family housing program and the diaper ministry.
And while interest has peaked because of the show, Johnson said, the money has not.
"What is needed is for that [interest] to translate into dollars," Johnson said. "I hope people challenge themselves to beat Lil Jon in giving. Our needs are great here." He also said the agency is looking for volunteers to tutor and to help clients develop trade and job skills.
He said they plan to use the money raised on "Celebrity Apprentice" to open new housing units for families, open a music studio named after Lil Jon and start a music and performing arts scholarship program also bearing his name.
Lil Jon said he was searching for a charity to represent and his wife found the UMCH.
"The day I toured the facility with Terence, it was amazing to be there on that day because it was alumni day," he said. "I met guys who had gone through the home in the 1950s and I was listening to them tell stories about sitting in a pew in the church and stuff from back then. Seeing them as grown-ups, it shows everyone can make it if you get opportunities. All of that made me want to fight harder."
Will he take a more active role once the show ends? He thinks so.
"It made me want to help people more and get the hip-hop community involved more," he said. "I look at it like, if you can spend $10,000 at a strip club, you can spend $10,000 to help some people out, you hear me? But someone has to show people what to do. I haven’t reached out [to any of his friends], but it’ll happen."
People interested in donating or volunteering can go to the agency's website at www.umchildrenshome.org.
Melissa Ruggieri contributed to this report.
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