Email: Joshua Peck

Howdy folks!

I hope that this letter finds you well and that you had a great holiday. It was great for me to be back in town for Thanksgiving. And as much as I love Atlanta, I do wish I could have stayed up north for a few more days. This month has been a busy one at the Outreach and Advocacy Center (OAC). Unfortunately, business is booming as foundations are cutting back on funding. With the economic downturn, which has hit boomtowns like Atlanta hard, we’re seeing more people than ever before. In 2007, the OAC served 7,000 guests; this year we’ll have served over 10,000. That’s a twofold increase since 2006!

Needless to say, November has been a busy month, but for me it has been a great one. Through an exciting new partnership between the OAC and Georgia Avenue Community Ministries (GACM), spearheaded by yours truly, the OAC has successfully helped six Exodus Journey (TEJ) participants and graduates in joining the Georgia Avenue Food Co-op.

On Veteran’s Day I had the pleasure of accompanying some of our guests on an outing to the Old Georgia Avenue Church for the first time. The morning seemed like it was getting off to a rocky start when we discovered that a movie was being filmed in the parking lot where the Central bus is kept. It was all but blocked in by movie stars’ trailers and several security guards insisted that by moving it we’d be wrecking a shot. But after Denise, the church secretary, a.k.a. “The Terminator,” raised some holy hell and Adam, last year’s YAV, directed some tricky turns we were on our way with a minute or two to spare.

We were headed to my neighborhood, Grant Park, to attend an orientation for the newest members of the co-op and subsequently begin a new chapter in the story of OAC. Last month while I was at a little neighborhood gathering, I found myself talking with the Reverend Chad Hale, GACM’s director. As we talked about our churches’ different ministries, we realized that the work of of the food co-op might dovetail seamlessly with the needs of our TEJ participants. Membership requires that one have permanent housing and steady income, but it is meant for those on a tight budget who often face the hard choice of having to pay one bill instead of another. By either chance or grace, Chad then mentioned that they were adding 50 new families to the roles. After a couple weeks of follow-up talks (i.e., I relentlessly but politely nagged this poor man) the OAC was able to work with the co-op to secure spots for six of our guests.

The co-op provides regular access to affordable food for people who need it badly. At bi-weekly meetings, members distribute food shipments (which include fresh produce, meat, and dairy items), and receive a box of food worth $70-$100 for an amazingly low fee of only three dollars! This creates “food security” for those who otherwise might not have it. This way, folks don’t have to worry about having enough food, and they become less reliant on food pantries (such as the OAC’s) and have more money to help keep them in their homes. With a membership of over 200 families (and a waiting list of over 100 others) the co-op also creates community. At each gathering members meet new neighbors, work, eat, and pray together.

Fittingly, this new partnership brings together two programs with a common philosophy. Just as TEJ is called to be the type of charity that the philosopher Maimonides considered most noble (that which helps others to become self-sufficient rather than that which merely enables dependency), the co-op is about helping people become empowered rather than simply reliant on handouts. While it does receive outside support, the co-op is run from the bottom up by its members who regularly contribute their time, talent, and treasure.

Happily, I can report that as of last Tuesday TEJ graduates Keith and Teresa, Alonzie, James, and current TEJ participants, Demilo and Carl, are members of the co-op! The OAC assisted with the initial membership fee, individual MARTA directions, and the canvas shopping bags necessary for those who rely on public transportation. Getting to know these guests more and going to the first two co-op meetings with them was one of the most personally rewarding experiences of my service so far.

There have been lots of other activities this month, including a spontaneous trip I took with two of my housemates to visit Blair and Katie, the Nashville YAVs. It was a fun weekend adventure that we could have planned better (had we actually planned)! My housemates and I have also been getting seriously good at Balderdash and Taboo, and I’m starting to get them hooked on giant double-deck hearts games! And of course there was my quick trip back to the Steel City for Thanksgiving.

Thanks again for all of your pledges and prayers of support; they have meant the world to me.

Wishing you a wonderful and joyful Advent season,

Josh Peck