VENUE: Agape Family Center
DATE: November 27, 2018
HOSTESSES: Shelby Drinkard, Jo Phelps, Harden Powell, Nancy Powell
WELCOME & CALL TO ORDER: (Lindsey Sones, 2018-2019 President):
Lindsey welcomed Mimosa members and called the meeting to order after Nell Ben, CEO of the Agape Family Center, presented the history and mission of Agape and her staff provided a tour of the facilities nearing their 11th month in service. Of special note on the tour was the Julie Harlan room in Memoriam.
ANNOUNCEMENTS & UPDATES: (Lindsey Sones)
Lindsey sincerely thanked November hostesses, Shelby Drinkard, Jo Phelps, Harden Powell and Nancy Powell then gave the floor to Tee Davis to share detail about Julie’s Dream.
Julie’s Dream (Tee Davis)
Tee’s daughter and Mimosa member, Julie Muir Harlan, was a dedicated steward of the Agape Family Center. Her personal mission was serving disadvantaged youth, specifically through Agape and programs like those of Wilderness Works, which deliver camps for youth to experience the wilderness in meaningful, life impacting ways. Tee shared that Julie’s husband, Chad, their families and both organizations are fundraising for Julie’s Dream in 2019 and that Garden Club members would receive invitation to support through an event to be held in the new year on January 19th.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES: (Lindsey Sones):
Minutes from the October meeting were outstanding. They will be posted to the website and a motion to approve will be made in the January meeting.
COMMITTEE REPORTS:
Quarry Garden (Louise Moore & Mildred Spalding)
Thank you to members who supported the Quarry workday. It was very successful and especially notable given our 90th birthday. In honor of Mimosa, Sarah Roberts with the History Center chose 90 perennial bulbs to plant on a hill in the Quarry Garden. Mildred also shared that all parts of the Tully Smith Garden will be open two Fridays in December (12/14 and 12/21) for Christmas events to members interested in attending.
Flower Show: There is no flower show this year but there are still a very few slots available for Amaryllis Workshop. Sandy Jones, Esther Garges and Jinny Keough are leading this on December 4th at the Swan Coach House. Cost is $50 for materials and lunch will be served.
Treasurer (Jo Phelps): Nothing new to report.
Membership and Dues (Leslie Morgan)
Hostess chart is almost full for 2019. Approximately 80% of members have paid dues which are $50 and due by 12/1. Dues increase to $75 after this date.
State Garden Club Liaison (Mary Huntz): Nothing new to report.
Website (Margaret Glenn): Nothing new to report.
New Member Mentors (Esther Garges, Lois Yates & Shayla Rumely)
Lois urged everyone to support our new members, Liles Thompson, Kyle Garges and Elkin Taylor at the Cathedral Antiques Show January 23rd through 27th. They will be entering for Mimosa two wreaths under the theme of English Garden. Proceeds support Wilderness Works which is also the local non-profit aligned with Julie’s Dream.
Kyle Garges submitted the month’s New Member trivia question: “What was adopted as Mimosa’s first Civic project?” Jean Glenn correctly answers the Grounds of Scottish Rite.
Speech School (Caroline Davis / Maggie Fisher)
Our January meeting will be at the Atlanta Speech school and they are hosting a birthday party for us at this meeting. Additionally, the Speech School needs help with plans to build a new playground. Be on the lookout for a work-day sign-up sheet to
NEW BUSINESS:
In honor of the end of Mimosa’s 90th year, Guerry Redmond will be taking a group photo of all members at the January meeting. The photo is our first agenda item of the new year.
January’s is also our annual business meeting. Please plan to arrive on time.
PROGRAM:
Nell Ben, CEO of the Agape Family Center since 2005, opened the program acknowledging Mimosa members Marianne Craft and Shayla Rumely who are currently on their board. Mimosa members were presented a slideshow presentation of the history and recent undertakings of the Agape Family Center and their new facilities. Impressively, their four-year capital campaign goal of $1.8 MM was exceeded in just two and half enabling them to extend day programming for seniors and school year and summer programs for disadvantaged youth.
Agape was founded in 1997 through Trinity Presbyterian and was a vision of Rev. Joanna Adams for place-based services where focus is needed within a 2 mile radius of where the center is located. The average tenure of a child participant is 8.5 years and Agape serves four schools within the Grady cluster: North Atlanta, Bolton, Sutton and E. Rivers.
Additional to successes, including a 100% graduate rate of Agape student participants since 2009, we heard many dire statistics around income, parent employment and the day-to-day details of both seniors and students involved with Agape. There exist many opportunities throughout the year and summer for volunteers to support, including:
- Julie’s Dream where lower income kids visit Camp Twin Lakes in Rutledge to experience the outdoors and do activities like horseback riding
- Homework and Reading buddies on a typical school day
- Posse Foundation: Full leadership scholarships awarded to approximately 10 students who go through the program together
- Thanksgiving Basket Giveaway: 500 Turkeys and 800 baskets of food distributed to families in need
- Great Backpack Givewaway: 2500 supplies distributed to hundreds of school aged families at the beginning of each school year
- Extreme Bedroom Makeover: Recent winner of the Presidents Award from Georgia state where 165 total bedrooms were established for children, some of whom have never owned a personal pillow
Almost every kid in Agape After School programs eats dinner at the facility ahead of being driven home via buss. 65% of the food provided to Agape is donated by volunteers. Interested individuals can sign up on the website. While Agape is not looking to become an events facility, they are looking for four to five solid partners with whom to partner and potentially raise money in this manner.
ADJOURN:
The door prize was won by Kyle Garges. The meeting adjourned at 12:10 pm.
Respectfully Submitted,
Jennifer Hill