VOLUME # 33

Dear Hall County Providers,

We hope you find valuable information in this newsletter. If you have anything you would like to post in the newsletter, please contact Teigha Snowden at tsnowden@unitedwayhallcounty.org.

Happy Holidays!

Teigha Snowden
Director of Advocacy
United Way of Hall County
United Way of Hall County is proud to be a Non-Profit Sponsor for the Northeast Georgia History Center’s Third Annual 24 Hour Telethon!
This virtual fundraiser will support the History Center’s reading program, Gainesville Reads, which provides local children with free one-on-one tutoring in literacy skills. The telethon begins Friday, December 2nd at 9 AM and features 24 hours of digital programs for all ages including story hours, trivia games, raffles, and more! Details at www.negahc.org.
Family Food Market & Diaper Bank

Who: for residents of Hall County
 
What: client-choice food pantry; please bring ID
 
 
Where: Family Promise of Hall County (3606 McEver Rd, Oakwood, GA 30566)
 
How: Due to food supply shortage only the first 60 clients to check-in can shop in the pantry. The last client check-in is taken no later than 11:50am.
Lanier Tech Adult Education is gearing up for the new semester. If you have anyone who is interested in starting up after the holidays, there will be a formal testing and orientation period in early January. 

Potential students can get a head start now by contacting Terri Greene at (770) 531-3354 for basic literacy and GED preparation classes. 

For English as a Second Language and U.S. Citizenship classes, they should contact Tina Schnepper at (770) 531-3370. Spanish is spoken at both locations. 

Or students may pre-apply online any time of the day at www.laniertech.edu/adult-education and click on the “Get Started Now” and “I’m Ready” buttons. A staff member will contact them to follow-up with next steps. 

Some short-term training opportunities are available to students while studying in our Adult Education program.

We are seeking volunteer tutors and a 6 hour/week daytime instructor at one of our off-site locations in Hall County. Interested parties should contact Shannon Cole (scole@laniertech.edu ) (770) 531-3367).
Hello Hall County Community Partners,
Healthy Families Gainesville is accepting referrals to our Home Visiting and First Steps Program! Refer any mom/ caregiver in need of support services. You can refer a mother by clicking on the following link https://wellroot.org/our-programs/hfa/  



 
First Steps Georgia!  First Steps is open to all expectant parents and parents with children birth to five years old, in Hall County. First Steps is a universal, free parenting support and education service, to help improve outcomes for families. 
First Steps ensures that the important early years are rich with opportunities for children to be educated, safe, and healthy. Our Goal with First Steps is to: 
  1. Provide current information on topics of interest and relevance to expectant parents and parents of children birth to five.  
  2. Provide information on community resources relevant to expectant parents and parents of children birth to five.  
  3. Strengthen the protective factor of concrete connections to promote maternal and infant health for expectant parents and parents of children birth to five. 
 
 
Healthy Families Gainesville is an evidence-based home visiting program that empowers families and communities. The mission of Healthy Families is to promote child well-being and prevent the abuse and neglect of children through the delivery of quality, long-term, intensive home visitation services. 
The program is designed to help build on a family’s strengths by: strengthen nurturing parent-child relationships, promoting healthy childhood growth and development and enhancing family functioning. 
Well trained, Family Support Workers provide valuable education, community resources, and tangible support that all children and families need to thrive. Family Support Specialists visit the home once a week during infancy and the families phase up to monthly visits where they focus on attachment, developmental milestones, and family support.  
 
We are thrilled to be able to help moms in our community and ask that you send us any mom's that are in need of extra supports! 
Every Child should have a MENTOR 

All youth need caring adults to support, guide, offer accountability and encouragement. Young people who have a mentor are more likely to succeed. Successful mentors are trustworthy adults, compassionate, and truly care about young people and their future. This is where you can help. Through a partnership between Center Point and the local school systems, you have an opportunity to mentor a student once a week at their school. Center Point provides training and ongoing support to guide mentors every step of the way. 
Sign up today at Center Point mentoring@centerpointga.org or call direct (678) 997-1990 
  • Free Elachee Family Memberships (2 adults and up to 4 children, includes free programming) for families who qualify, now through end of April 2023
  • Qualifications for at least ONE of the children in family: U.S. Citizen, Citizen of Ga, between ages of 5-17. Must receive benefits in ONE of the following categories: TANF, SNAP, SSI, free/reduced lunch, Peachcare
  • Please contact maranda@elachee.org for more information and applications.
There are quite a few kiddos that still need to be sponsored this holiday season. If you are interested in assisting a family in need by providing gifts for our Angels this year, please return all gifts to the J.A. Walters Family YMCA facility by December 9th and include the Angels alphanumeric code (i.e. 1A) so that we can easily identify the recipient. If you have any questions regarding your part in the Angel Tree process, please contact either Alletta Morris or Giselly Maldonado: Phone: (770)297-9622 Email: amorris@gamountainsymca.org giselly.maldonado@gamountainsymca.org
As always, thank you for your continued support and generosity for our organization and community!
Contact YMCA for a Financial Assistance form for parents who need a little extra support with childcare this Holiday Season. 
Georgia Mountain YMCA New Year Join incentives start Dec. 15th 
For families that are interested in a membership with us, our financial assistance program would also help cover those costs for families in need. Our memberships include access to our aquatics deck, the basketball gym, group exercise classes, our wellness floor, and childcare for families while they use the facility. Members also get a reduced rate on personal fitness, swim lessons, esports, and most of our other sports and childcare programs. Families can inquire at the front desk about the financial assistance form. Information is available in Spanish and English.
Youth mental health is more important now than ever. We at NAMI believe in the power of young people to inform and lead our programs, resources, and to break the stigma on mental health! That’s why we started NAMI Next Gen, our youth and young adult advisory committee made up of a diverse group of ten young adults aged 18-25 to bring valuable youth perspectives to NAMI’s organizational work.  

Join us Thursday, December 6th to hear from NAMI Next Gen on best practices, projects and accomplishments, and ways to engage youth and young adults in your state. The event will be recorded and sent to participants who register.  
Questions about the event may be directed to: Dominique Freeman, Youth and Young Adult Initiatives Manager at dfreeman@nami.org 
The Partnership for a Drug Free Hall and community partners will host a forum – The Fight Against Fentanyl – on Thursday December 8th. The forum will be presented in two sessions – to Gainesville City and Hall County high school students during the day and to the community in the evening.  Both sessions will be live streamed and recorded (DrugFreeHall.org). The evening session is geared towards adults and parents and is free and open to the public.

Fentanyl is Fatal. Fatal is Forever. Fentanyl played a part in killing 856 Georgians in 2021, compared to 392 in 2019. The December 8th forum is part of The Partnership for a Drug Free Hall’s campaign to create awareness. The focus of the campaign is to share the realities of the fatal drug Fentanyl and how it is affecting our children, our friends, our businesses, and the community.

Student Session
December 8, 2022
9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Gainesville High School Student Activity Center
City of Gainesville Police Chief Jay Parrish and other representatives from law enforcement will share the realities of Fentanyl and how this deadly drug is being marketed. A recent high school graduate will share a personal experience of substance abuse and a message of hope.

Community Session
December 8, 2022
6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
The Hub at Gainesville High School
830 Century Place, Gainesville GA 30501
City of Gainesville Police Chief Jay Parrish will educate attendees on the warning signs of illegal substance use, how to detect it, and how to help someone you care about if you suspect Fentanyl or opioid misuse by a friend or family member. A young adult will share personal stories of how they hid use from parents, how they wished their parents would have talked to them, and other important insights. A local addiction professional will also provide information on how to talk to your child about drug use.

The community forum is presented by the Partnership for a Drug Free Hall and is sponsored by Project Aware Georgia, Gainesville High School, and Avita Community Partners.

Both forum sessions will be live-streamed and recorded for later viewing at DrugFreeHall.org
Hall County Family Connections Network is in search of a new Executive Director. Find out more about this position!
Pathways Transitional Programs, Inc. is hiring full time clinicians!

***Rape Response is hiring for a Bilingual Advocate! **
Hall County Salvation Army is hiring for 2 positions:
 
 

Volunteers are needed for Bell Ringing! registertoring.com
Gateway Domestic Violence Center is hiring:
Full time Domestic Violence Advocates (case managers)
to work with adult survivors of domestic violence.
  • Boys & Girls Club of Lanier is hiring part time positions (22) hours per week- $12: and up to $15.00 per hour depending on experience and education (Monday through Friday)
  • Looking for enrichment instructors for the after school program two days per week and up to 4 to 6 hours weekly ($30.00 and up to $45.00 per hour)
  • Summer Camp registration begins March 20, 2023. Find out more at www.boysgirlsclubs.com
Call 770-536-1121 for a Compass Center appointment!
Compass Center Director: Abby Turner, aturner@unitedwayhallcounty.org
Compass Center Case Manager: Parhis Howard, phoward@unitedwayhallcounty.org
One Hall United Against Poverty
Please contact Teigha Snowden to get involved.


One Hall Education:
2nd Thursday at 9 am
Next meeting: December 8, 2022
In person at United Way of Hall County


One Hall Health & Mental & Behavioral Health:
3rd Wed at 8:30 am
Next meeting: January 18, 2023
In person at United Way of Hall County


One Hall Financial Stability:
3rd Wednesday at 2 pm
Next meeting: January 18, 2023
In person at United Way of Hall County


Is your agency part of the new Volunteer Database? With this new database, we can populate the volunteer portal with ample volunteer opportunities, and your agency can connect with more volunteers who support your cause and have the skills and interests you're looking for. Contact United Way of Hall County to find out how to get started.
770-536-1121
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