Sponsorship opportunities remain for individuals and corporations interested in supporting Rainbow Village, a transitional housing community for homeless families with children in North Metro Atlanta. The non-profit organization will hold its annual 2015 We Are Family Benefit Gala at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10 at the Atlanta Athletic Club. The deadline for sponsorships is Sunday, Sept. 20.
Because women and children comprise 58 percent of the homeless population, and the average age of a homeless person in Gwinnett is 9 years old, Rainbow Village targets their efforts to families headed by single mothers. In many of these cases, the women are victims of domestic violence, abandonment and poverty who lack the stability, skills and opportunity to compete successfully in the workplace because of the trauma they've suffered.
Upon acceptance into the program, families make a commitment to work hard and make the necessary changes to create a new way of life for their families. Instead of a quick fix in times of crisis, Rainbow Village's program offers a long-term solution through support services for the whole family.
Each family invited to participate in the program moves into a fully furnished home where they may live for one to two years (most complete the program in one). The furnishings in their homes are theirs to take with them when they move to provide a sense of continuity in the transition.
Upon entry into the Rainbow Village program, families are assessed in terms of financial status and available resources, career development, education attainment, life skills, available support systems and mental/physical health, all of which are used to establish a baseline from which to create a realistic and individualized plan for achieving self-sufficiency.
Staff members meet regularly with heads-of-household to discuss their progress, address program compliance issues and to overcome obstacles.
School-aged children attend a mandatory After School Program, in which professional tutoring, preparation for standardized tests and enrichment activities in support of academic remediation and achievement are provided on a daily basis. During the summer the children attend summer camp. In addition, while their parents attend Life Skills classes in the evenings, the children and youth engage in scheduled recreational activities and/or classes focused on character building and age-appropriate life skills.
All classes are facilitated by staff or volunteers with expertise in the scheduled topic areas, e.g. banking representatives, counselors, credit counselors, staffing and recruiting professionals. Meals before evening classes are provided and served by local community groups, volunteer organizations, civic clubs and/or local businesses.
To sponsor or attend this event and general information: www.rainbowvillage.org.
About the Author
