Volunteers And The Difference They Make

At the Furniture Bank, they asked me to coordinate volunteers on Monday nights and weekends. So far it has been an incredible experience and breaks up the monotony. However, recently I been thinking about the volunteers role in maintaining the Furniture Bank. More importantly, Do volunteers think their making a difference? This question came up when one of my housemates politely turned down my offer for the DOOR house to cleanup the Furniture Bank warehouse in February. In his eyes, he didn't think it was beneficial to the families that came to through the Furniture Bank. His response caught me off guard. I know the volunteers work is essential, but volunteers  it must be hard not to witness the fruits of their labor. They don't get to see how much easier for our clients to locate furniture they need after the warehouse is reorganized. Or the smiles in their faces when they come through the door and see a clean space. Also, the Furniture Bank is a small organization with about 8 people full time. We could not operate efficiently without volunteers. I try to say this the groups that come to the warehouse. Hopefully, they understand they have an essential role in our organization.

This is the inside of the warehouse. At the bottom left are the tables volunteers. Most of the tables will be gone by next week.

This is the mattress section of the warehouse. We currently have a steady stream of mattresses  being donated by original mattress factory. 

This is our workshop. Volunteers come in here and make the tables you see in the picture above.  

Let's Try This Again!

Alright the first time, I tried blogging it didn't work out so well. So this time I'm going to try to blog at least once a week. Instead writing a lot, my post it be pictures I took throughout the week. I believe pictures will tell you guys more about my time in Atlanta than me writing about it. Plus, I like photography!

Here are some pictures of my adventures so far!

Home Sweet Home in Grant Park!!! Grant Park is a transitional/gentrified neighborhood.  Living at Grant Park makes  DOOR Atlanta unique compared to other DOOR sites because our positions are not connected to the local neighborhood. Most of us work  all over Atlanta take a look at me for example, my positions are in Northwest Atlanta. 

First grade took a field trip to the Open Door Community. The Open Door is comprised of devoted  and compassionate individuals who give up their regular jobs to serve the homeless in Atlanta. 

A first grade class conducting a science experiment outside. 

Another class watching a documentary about Arctic wildlife. 

This is Dean Leeper, the principle of Kindezi Charter School. 

We're about a block away from Grant Park. It is really nice to have a big park close by , but if I need get away I go Oakland Cementery. Despite being a big park you feel your out of the city. It's really hard to find peace like at my former residence  

This Oakland Cemetery. Even though some people my find Oakland creepy, it
 has been sorta of a sanctuary for me. When I like to get away I come here and reflect.

This is a picture was taken from Oakland Cemetery. In the distance you can see the tall skyscrapers that makeup Atlanta's midtown. One the things that shock me the most moving to Atlanta is how big it is. I never thought there were large cities in the South. 

This is our local Pizza Place.

This month I'm leading a nature club at Kindezi. Most of the stuff will be doing  will take place here in Anderson Park.

In my next post, I will try to give you guys more of a glimpse of the Furniture Bank and Kindezi.  So Stay Tuned!!!!