Category: Making a Difference
Builder changes landscapes and lives, with lessons learned in childhood
When Millard Choate started his company in the basement of his home in 1989, he simultaneously launched its outreach work to help end cystic fibrosis. Both life missions have achieved remarkable success. Choate Construction now has six regional offices scattered from Raleigh, N.C. to Savannah, Ga.
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Out of the Blue: Blue Heron Nature Preserve
Blue Heron Nature Preserve has plenty to celebrate in April. Not only will the North Buckhead environmental center mark its 20th anniversary on Earth Day, but it’s also honoring the arrival of a new executive director and the opening of phase one of the Blueway Trail.
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Celebrating the Great Outdoors: Trees Atlanta’s Mission
During April, Trees Atlanta plans to take part in the 50th observance of Earth Day on April 22 by doing a tree planting project and educational programs. But understandably, the group’s bigger push has historically come on Arbor Day. In addition to that, a much bigger and decade-long offensive has just launched.
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Two Million Served: Midtown church’s food ministry
Every weekday morning, a line of people forms outside the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in Midtown. They are there for the lunch of soup, bread and dessert that has been provided by the Lutheran Community Food Ministry since 1982. On Oct. 23, 2019, the food ministry celebrated a monumental milestone – its two millionth meal served to the hungry.
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Backpack Buddies: ‘Hunger doesn’t take the weekend off’
Thanks to their determination and to an anonymous donor, Backpack Buddies has spawned 15 affiliate programs in synagogues, churches and other locations in just a little more than a year. “The best part about this to me is that without a huge amount of effort, there are a huge amount of children being fed,” Samra Robbins said.
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Common Sense Collaboration: Fred Glassman offers legal mediation class
“I thought there must be a better way.” Turns out there was. The concept of mediation emerged, with a neutral person representing both parties. Glassman saw that some cases were ripe for mediation and he tried to get his clients to travel that route whenever appropriate. Then along came collaborative law. It’s a legal framework in which both parties in a dispute hire attorneys, but the lawyers formally agree not to go to court.
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OLLI Instructor Crusades Against ‘Aging in Place’
The 82-year-old retired CEO, volunteer history teacher and folk musician became a super advocate of senior residences after his 2014 move to one of them with his wife, Ginny. “It’s like a cruise ship that never leaves the dock,” he says, of their current home. The couple downsized from a 2,800-square-foot, three-story condo to a 1,200-square-foot Buckhead apartment featuring a wide range of activities, excursions, a restaurant-style dining room and a happy hour area.
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Hospital’s Volunteer Corps Celebrates a Half-Century
Patients and visitors at the hospital would be surprised at how often the person greeting them in the lobby, pushing their wheelchair, delivering flowers, staffing the gift shops, bringing in therapy dogs, taking baby pictures, driving courtesy carts and offering information and comfort to patients and their families is a retired corporate executive. Others are teachers, artists, veterans, homemakers, high-school students and more.
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Flying Together in Retirement: Delta Clipped Wings
When Bettie Wooten Asip retired from Delta Air Lines, she wanted to stay in touch with her traveling pals. She joined Delta Clipped Wings, an organization formed in the 1950s to bring together former flight attendants for social events and to raise money for charity.
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I CARE Offers Free Rides to Seniors
Over the past 20 years, I CARE Inc. — the Interfaith Companion and Ride Express, a 501c3 non-profit organization — has provided thousands of rides to medical appointments for thousands of low- and fixed-income seniors of DeKalb County.
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Land and water shaped local nature-protector Alan Toney
Alan Toney’s love of nature and work to protect the environment began with saving box turtles.
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One Man’s Devotion to Educational Causes
Steve Wadley has helped several local groups raise funds. He thinks is new group, called Think Local Atlanta, will broaden and stabilize fundraising for such small, local groups.
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