A New Shelter is on the Horizon

Dear fellow NOA supporter,

NOA is very excited to announce that land has been purchased and we have officially begun the New Shelter Building Captial Campaign.

NOA has been fortunate in that our current shelter is graciously donated by the Lumpkin County Board of Commissioners and while we are very thankful to have had this facility to call our shelter for over 20 years, we are bursting at the seams as this shelter is a very small house with three bedrooms and two bathrooms to share between 12 women and children.

NOA served 2,086 clients in 2021 and sheltered 107 women, men, and children (men are sheltered in nearby motels). Our shelter remained full the majority of the year and it became very overwhelming to try and allow for social distancing when families oftentimes share rooms. During the beginning months of 2021 when we were having both clients and staff sick with COVID, we decided to only have 1 family per room and we noticed a drastic difference in the healing process. Clients were able to focus on their trauma and relayed that they felt safe and we also noticed the conflict that usually occurred between the residents was virtually eliminated. Community living is very difficult, especially given that these women and children are very vulnerable and are in crisis mode.

With this knowledge in hand, we have a vision to build an inviting shelter with individual spaces for both single women as well as rooms dedicated for women with children, allowing them the space they need to heal and overcome the trauma that they have experienced. We will also have several spaces dedicated for counseling, children’s programs as well as life skills and parenting classes. We are focusing on building a shelter with a holistic mindset, but to make our vision a reality, we need the help of our long-time supporters and our Dawson & Lumpkin county community members.

Sincerely,
Cara Ledford, NOA Executive Director

 

Call 706-867-0618 for more information
Checks can be mailed to NOA – PO Box 684 – Dahlonega, GA 30533

A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove… but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child

Forest E. Witcraft – Teacher, Scholar

Leaving Your Legacy

Our Goal is to Raise $2,000,000