Touching Hearts..Serving Atlanta
Buckhead Chapter mothers and daughters served more than 8,500 total volunteer hours at 16 Atlanta area philanthropies between April 2010 and March 2011, working hand-in-hand to better our community.
We delivered dozens of meals through Meals on Wheels to Fulton County senior citizens and, in many cases, were the only smiling faces they saw that day.
We helped children with crafts and games, served as tour guides, and manned evening concerts in support of the Atlanta Botanical Garden.
We sorted, inspected, packed, and donated thousands of cans and boxes of food for those in need at the Product Rescue Center of the Atlanta Community Food Bank.
By bagging diapers, making blankets, donating clothes, and wrapping and distributing Christmas presents, we made life a little easier for the patrons of the Atlanta Day Shelter for Women and Children.
We offered support to older, underprivileged youth by serving hundreds of meals, assisting with the "Go-Girl-Go" summer program, tutoring during the school year, and helping with the butterfly project at AGAPE.
We manned "Mobile Puppet Factories" at local arts festivals to help children make their own puppets and volunteered at Patron Parties at the Center for Puppetry Arts.
We let waiting families in the Pediatric ICU at Egleston Hospital know that others were thinking of them by providing snacks. We made cheerful door signs and IV pole decorations that brightened the days of many sick children. We made or donated more than 250 Halloween costumes and created a Costume Shop so that each patient could pick his or her perfect costume. We also made over 300 valentine boxes and added valentines to show our love for the patients of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta.
We were the life of the party at Northside Sheperd's Senior Center, bringing youth and high spirits to Bingo, bowling, holiday parties and luncheons. Our donations of everyday items as well as special prizes were truly appreciated by those who have so little.
We helped run workshops for youngsters who have never had access to technology at Computers for Youth as we helped them learn how to use their new computers.
Our preparation and delivery of 50 meals at a time lightened the burden on hundreds of families of critically ill children at the Ronald McDonald House. We also spread our hospitality to the families of Hospice Atlanta with countless sandwiches and home-baked sweets.
We built a beautiful children's reading corner in Eden Village with thousands of fantastic books, comfy chairs, and a custom mural and then expanded the project to build a reading area for moms, complete with more books, more comfy chairs, and another amazing mural. We also served meals, played with children, hosted holiday parties, and donated over 250 coats and many holiday gifts for the families of City of Refuge.
Our love of animals showed in two philanthropies. We walked dogs, made fleece blankets, and helped with adoptions at Small Dog Rescue. We also assisted with the Therapeutic Riding Program at Chastain Horse Park, helping disabled children gain strength and confidence through riding.
On a beautiful spring morning, we helped raise awareness of the signs of breast cancer and the importance of early detection by educating hundreds of participants and supporters of the Susan G. Koman Race for the Cure.
In addition, we adopted a new philanthropy, the Buckhead Christian Ministries, where we have begun helping run the food pantry and the thrift shop.
All in all, we donated an estimated $45,000 and thousands of hours of service to our philanthropies during the year ending March 30, 2011. The National Charity League, Buckhead Chapter, is a treasure to the Atlanta community and an example to others of the value of a life of service. Indeed our Chapter was one of just ten local organizations chosen to receive the Gold Presidential Service Award in 2010.