Georgia Works makes its new home in the restored Odd Fellows building

Georgia Works reached a major milestone on April 1 when Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens attended the ribbon-cutting celebration of the nonprofit’s new home in the Odd Fellows building on Auburn Avenue.

Georgia Works is dedicated to breaking the cycle of homelessness and criminal recidivism by offering housing and employment to chronically homeless men as long as they commit to being drug- and alcohol-free.

The nonprofit, founded in 2013 by Bill McGahan, has served more than 1,200 homeless men – providing housing, workforce training, employment and other services to help them transition from homelessness to a stable life.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, First Lady Marty Kemp and Georgia Works founder Bill McGahan. (Photo by Maria Saporta.)

“It’s been such a joyous journey. It’s humbling,” McGahan said at the beginning of the ribbon-cutting ceremony. He said Georgia Works came about because of “the secret sauce” that exists in Atlanta and Georgia, where the governor, the mayor, the business community and the philanthropic community coalesced behind the project.

“The problem we are trying to solve is to get unsheltered men off the streets and into productive lives,” McGahan said. “Success happens when everyone “buys into the vision of how we’re going to help guys lead more productive lives to overcome barriers and become productive citizens.”

Speaker after speaker spoke of the symbolism of restoring a 110-year-old building on Auburn Avenue and helping men turn their lives around.

Gov. Kemp shared the funniest line during the program. “You had me at ‘works,’” Kemp said playing off the line from the movie Jerry Maguire: “You had me at hello.”

Kemp said a restored Odd Fellows building will help ensure the character of the historic Sweet Auburn community. The state is a partner in Georgia Works mission, approving $50 million for homeless in this legislative session as part of the supplemental budget.

Mayor Dickens thanked the governor for his partnership, and he said the state funds will help the city reach its goal of 20,000 affordable housing units by 2030.

Mayor Andre Dickens is introduced by Simon Bloom, chair of Georgia Works. (Photo by Maria Saporta.)

The Odd Fellows building is housing about 160 participants, and it has helped more than 1,200 men since 2013. The men stay at Georgia Works’ residences for six months to a year – until they are able to live and work independently.

Again, Dickens also mentioned the historic significance of the corridor.

“We’re standing on one of the most important streets – Auburn Avenue,” Dickens said. “It’s where ordinary people have done extraordinary things. Today we celebrate its new purpose.”

He also saw many leaders in the room, including Milton Little of Atlanta’s United Way, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney, homeless advocate Jack Hardin, the Woodruff Foundation’s Erik Johnson, Georgia State University President Brian Blake, Georgia Power’s Rita Breen and Georgia First Lady Marty Kemp.

Liliana Bakhtiari, Atlanta City Councilmember, said Auburn Avenue has been part of her whole life because she grew up “working” in her father’s pharmacy in the Sweet Auburn community.

Bakhtiari said Georgia Works initiative is in keeping with the city’s goals in the way it is helping homeless people become productive citizens. “I can’t tell you what it means to be humanizing homelessness,” she said.

Gov. Brian Kemp spends a few minutes speaking with City Councilperson Liliana Bakhtiara at the Georgia Works event. (Photo by Maria Saporta.)

Eloisa Klementich, CEO of Invest Atlanta, said it was important to respect our past.

“The Sweet Auburn neighborhood represents a corridor rich with history,” she said, adding it was important to restore and revitalize the area, adding that every dollar invested in preservation pays for itself in help create a thriving business district.

David Mitchell, executive director of the Atlanta Preservation Center, wrote in a text: “250 Auburn Ave./Odd Fellows (building) is a magnificent example of what we can do, what we should do, and what our society can achieve when we use historic preservation as the asset it is – for everyone, and most of all for Atlanta!”

Darlene Schultz, CEO of Georgia Works, said she “feels giddy” every day she walks through the doors of the building.

McGahan credited Schultz and the community for the success of Georgia Works.

“We’ve made an impact on Atlanta,” McGahan said, remembering there were about 2,500 chronically homeless people when the nonprofit started in 2013. “Today, there are about 1,000 unsheltered folks on any particular night.”