Charitable Gift Annuities How many prospective donors have I talked with who desired to contribute to their charity of choice, but were reluctant to make that commitment because they didn’t want to expose themselves financially during their retirement years? Well, … Continue Reading →
News
Social Justice and Human Trafficking
The Reality of Human Trafficking As with any societal issue, widespread knowledge about human trafficking is a vital asset in the efforts to attenuate it. This means having the appropriate language, facts, and stories accessible in a way that we … Continue Reading →
Gut Feelings and Sinews of Compassion
Compassion from the Gut The Samaritan’s compassion came from his gut. It’s interesting that when the text says he was “moved with compassion,” it means that he was “moved in his bowels” (for the bowels were thought to be the … Continue Reading →
Importance of Having a Will
My mother gave me so much, but one of her kindest gifts was preparing well for her death. When she died, I was devastated; I cried, wailed, and felt lost. However, she learned from the bad experiences she had with … Continue Reading →
Homelessness Reduced in City of Atlanta in 2022
The City of Atlanta’s most recent Point-in-Time (PIT) Count has been compiled, and the results paint an optimistic picture. For those unfamiliar, the PIT Count is a count of sheltered and unsheltered people experiencing homelessness in Atlanta on a single … Continue Reading →
ECF Grants $67,100 to Fight Poverty
Today ECF announces four grants to St. Clare’s Episcopal Church (Blairsville), Clubhouse Atlanta (Dunwoody), Emmaus House (Atlanta), and Family Promise of Hall County (Gainesville). “We are thrilled to support such impactful partnerships with these churches and nonprofit organizations,” said Mary-Kay … Continue Reading →
Lament
Every Wednesday, my parish offers a healing Eucharistic service. Compared to the Sunday assembly, this one is intimate and sober, nestled into the right transept of the nave. The “usuals” show up week after week. They pray for loved ones … Continue Reading →
The Intersection of Pandemics: How COVID-19 Exacerbated Homelessness
On March 13, 2020, the U.S. declared a national state of emergency. The COVID-19 virus was ramping up across the country, hitting some of our most vulnerable citizens the hardest. The contagion exacerbated conditions for all types of disparities—including homelessness. … Continue Reading →
The Sacramentality of a Home
Canadian artist, Timothy Schmalz, created a bronze statue named the “Homeless Jesus.” It’s a life-size sculpture of what appears to be a man without a home, wrapped in a blanket and lying on a park bench. The exposed feet carrying … Continue Reading →
ECF Grants $85,000 to Fight Poverty and Oppression Locally
Today the Episcopal Community Foundation for Middle and North Georgia (ECF) announces three grants to organizations that are working to end poverty and oppression in the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta. The grant recipients are The Friendship Center (Atlanta), MUST Ministries … Continue Reading →