The Atlanta Children's Shelter has named Christie Smith as its new development director.

Smith has experience working on gubernatorial and presidential campaigns and has volunteered at the shelter. She assumes that post at a time of change for the organization. The downtown shelter is about to undergo a major renovation and the nonprofit plans to open a new shelter in Gwinnett County.

The  Atlanta Children's Shelter, which provides day care, support and an education curriculum for homeless children and social services for their families, will hold its annual Holiday House event from Dec. 12 through Dec. 16 at North Avenue Presbyterian Church, 607 Peachtree St. N.E.  At the event, parents can shop for warm clothing and gifts. SHELIA POOLE

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

More than 76,000 Georgians with Medicare coverage saved $39.7 million this year on prescription drugs and nearly 683,000 took advantage of free preventive coverage under the federal health care law, a new report shows.

Nationwide, 2.65 million seniors and disabled people with Medicare coverage saved more than $1.5 billion on prescriptions – averaging $569 per person – through discounts on brand-name drugs in the Medicare Part D donut hole coverage gap, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. MISTY WILLIAMS

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Georgia Department of Driver Services visitors can donate toys for the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation during customer service center hours through Dec. 16.

This marks the third year that the Department of Driver Services (DDS) has served as a Toys for Tots drop-off site. Most of the DDS centers operate from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Friday, and several centers also offer Saturday hours. For information: www.dds.ga.gov, or www.toysfortots.org. LAURIE HOFFMAN

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

County by county

Take to Task

What's wrong in your neighborhood and who's in charge of getting it fixed? B4

Restaurant Inspections

Find out how your favorite restaurant rates with the county health inspector. B4

About the Author

Featured

In this file photo from October 2024, Atlanta Braves outfielder Jorge Soler and teammates react after losing to the San Diego Padres 5-4 in San Diego. The Braves and Soler, who now plays for the Los Angeles Angels, face a lawsuit by a fan injured at a 2021 World Series game at Truist Park in Atlanta. (Jason Getz/AJC)

Credit: Jason.Getz@ajc.com