The Gwinnett Cares Podcast: Recent Episodes
Joel Beck
The Gwinnett Cares Podcast aims to shine a spotlight on organizations and people doing good works in Gwinnett County. In each episode, we'll interview someone to learn about what they, or their organization, are doing to make Gwinnett better, and to help others in our community, and also learn how people can get involved to help. The Gwinnett Cares podcast is hosted by Joel Beck and is presented by The Beck Law Firm, LLC, an estate planning and business law firm located in Lawrenceville, Georgia (www.thebeckfirm.com).
In this episode, host Joel Beck Interviews Jen Young, the Director of Impact 46 and Rev. Dr. Adam Hilderbrandt, the Senior Pastor at First United Methodist Church of Lawrenceville, to hear how Impact 46, in partnership with community organizations, volunteers, and other agencies, has formed the Lawrenceville Response Center to create an intake center to help those in need due to COVID-19. The LRC Is focusing on three areas: homelessness prevention, Income loss recovery, and food distribution.
Those looking to help, or those In need of help, can learn more by going to www.lawrencevilleresponsecenter.com.
For more Information on Impact 46, visit https://www.impact46.org.
For more Information on FIrst UMC of Lawrenceville, visit https://www.fumclv.org/
In this special episode of the Gwinnett Cares Podcast, host Joel Beck speaks with Randy Redner from the Community Foundation for Northeast Georgia. Randy shares how the foundation Is helping spearhead a community response to the COVID19 pandemic here In Gwinnett County, working with numerous organizations In our community to help ensure essential needs are met for those Impacted by the COVID19 situation. He also shares how people can get Involved to help others In their community In this crisis.
For those needing help or wanting to volunteer or donate, Randy suggests that you visit the landing page set up for this at GwinnettCares.ORG where you can get connected with resources to either seek help, or get Involved by donating financially, with supplies, or to volunteer.
In this episode, host Joel Beck Interviews Carol Love, the Executive Director of Family Promise of Gwinnett County. Family Promise Is a unique organization that mobilizes the community, and specially some church congregations In the community, to work to end homelessness, one family at a time. The Family Promise program Includes a moving shelter where families In the program reside In churches for a week at a time, using existing resources Including space that Is not normally used overnight. Carol discusses how that program works, along with other things that Family Promise Is doing to bring about a positive Impact In our community.
In this episode, host Joel Beck Interviews Andrea Barclay with Because One Matters. Because One Matters Is a nonprofit organization focused on positively Impacting the lives of foster children In Georgia. They do this through special ways to help create positive memories and support for children In the foster care system, and then also help those children transition Into adulthood and Independent living.
In today's episode, host Joel Beck Interviews Bobby Howard from Snellville, about a creative project he undertook this past Christmas season to positively Impact the lives of our neighbors, by collecting food for the Southeast Gwinnett Co-Op.
Listen in as Bobby, a former Snellville city councilman and small business owner, tells of how he created wood masterpieces from used pallets In his woodshop, and then gave those away to folks In exchange for food donations to the Co-Op.
Bobby didn't do this to seek fame for himself, but to help out his community, and he Invited others to join him In that too. And, his story demonstrates that one person really can make a difference. Bobby explains his motivation for helping, and also reveals that he's going to do this again this coming Christmas season.
Find pictures of some of Bobby's creations at GwinnettCares.com.
The Gwinnett Cares Podcast Is presented by The Beck Law Firm, LLC In Lawrenceville, Georgia. For Information about how the firm's practice In estate planning and business law needs, visit thebeckfirm.com.
In this episode of the podcast, host Joel Beck discusses how you can "check out" a charity before you consider donating your time, energy, money or some combination of those.
Sadly, the reality Is that not all charitable organizations manage their resources wisely or utilize most of their resources In furtherance of their stated goal and mission. But the good news Is that there are some easy, practical steps you can take to learn about the organization you are considering supporting, so that you will know, before you allocate your hard-earned dollars or your time.
You can find more from The Gwinnett Cares Podcast online at gwinnettcares.com, and listen to other episodes there, or from wherever you download podcasts.
The Gwinnett Cares Podcast Is presented by The Beck Law Firm, LLC In Lawrenceville, Georgia. The firm provides legal services In the areas of estate planning and business law. To learn more as well to to request free Information on topics In these practice areas, simply visit www.thebeckfirm.com.
In this episode, host Joel Beck sits down with Kayce Pearce and Shanna Fogleman from Annandale Village. Annandale Village, which last year celebrated 50 years of service in our community, has had an immeasurable impact on adults with developmental disabilities and acquired brain injuries. Kayce and Shanna explain how Annandale serves its villagers, and how they in turn also serve our community. They also discuss how individuals and organizations can get involved with Annandale and its mission.
For more Information about Annandale Village, visit annandale.org.
The Gwinnett Cares Podcast Is presented by The Beck Law Firm, LLC, a Lawrenceville, Georgia law firm serving clients with estate planning and business law needs. For more Information about the firm, visit thebeckfirm.com.
In this episode, host Joel Beck Interviews Claire Dees, the Executive Director of the SPECTRUM Autism Support Group. Much more than a support group, SPECTRUM provides valuable resources, programming and education, among other things, to help support those with autism, as well as their families. Claire discusses how the group was formed, the wide variety of programming and services offered, and ways that others In the community can get plugged In to help support their mission.
To learn more about SPECTRUM, visit atl-spectrum.com.
The Gwinnett Cares Podcast Is presented by The Beck Law Firm, LLC. The Beck Law Firm provides estate planning and business law services to those In Gwinnett County, Georgia and beyond. For more Information, visit thebeckfirm.com.
Does volunteering extend our life, make us happier or offer any other benefit to us? Sure, when we volunteer to help serve organizations or other Individuals, we know they are helped, but what good does It do for us?
In this episode to kick off 2020, host Joel Beck shares some findings from studies on the benefits of volunteering. And he also discusses how we can Identify places to get Involved, or maybe even start our own group to support a cause we believe In.
Listen In and find out how volunteering can actually benefit you, as well as others. Then check back every two weeks for new episodes of The Gwinnett Cares Podcast.
Heard of a church that closes the doors one Sunday a month? That's just one thing that The Nett Church does - taking a Sunday a month away from meeting at church, to instead be out and about serving the community and helping others. This kind of out of the box approach was just one reason I wanted to sit down and speak with Rev. Dr. Rodrigo Cruz, the church's senior pastor.
In this episode, Rodrigo talks about this concept of "Mission Sundays" where the congregation serves the community (locally and globally) in different ways each month, as well as about The Nett's recent acquisition of a campus on Jimmy Carter Blvd. in Norcross that it is using to help meet the needs of the community, including turning a portion of that into a homeless shelter in cooperation with HomeFirst Gwinnett as well as an assessment center, so that people in need can find access to numerous resources to get help.
In this interview, we talked about how The Nett is helping impact the lives of people here in Gwinnett and also learned ways that we can get involved as well.
For more information about The Nett's programs, including mission Sundays and events at their new Nettwork Campus in Norcross, visit them online at TheNettChurch.com.
The Gwinnett Cares Podcast Is presented by The Beck Law Firm, LLC. The Beck Law Firm provides business law and estate planning services for clients throughout Gwinnett and Georgia. For more Information on the firm, or to request your copy of their recent report, Ten Estate Planning Mistakes to Avoid, visit thebeckfirm.com.
Recent studies reveal some pretty staggering statistics about the growth of dementia and other memory impairment issues. A 2016 study reported that the number of persons in Georgia with Alzheimer's was expected to increase by about 46% over the period of 2016 to 2025. In 2015, caregivers for persons with dementia provided 584 million hours of unpaid care - the price tag for that would exceed $7 Billion. A 2018 study reported that by 2050, the cost of care for persons with Alzheimer's would increase more than $1.1 trillion. When we consider these findings and the growing number of persons with memory impairment issues, it is easy to see that there is a growing need to help care for these persons, and to help care for their caregivers.
In this episode, host Joel Beck sits down with Lisa Hale, Director of the Grace Arbor respite program at First UMC of Lawrenceville, Georgia. As Lisa explains, Grace Arbor provides care four days a week to persons with memory impairment issues, which allows their caregivers to do other tasks, or take a break. The program also provides support for caregivers. Run by a small staff and bolstered with numerous volunteers, Grace Arbor allows its participants to have fellowship with one another, share a daily meal, spend time in music, arts and crafts projects (including decorating birdhouses which are sold by Grace Arbor who then gives the proceeds to two local community charities to help provide medical care for those in need), spend time exercising and generally having fun.
During the interview, Lisa provides a brief history of how the program was started and what it is doing to help persons with memory impairment issues, and their caregivers, today. As Lisa says, "Life does not stop with a diagnosis," and the work being done by staff and numerous volunteers at Grace Arbor Is certainly Important, and shows that Gwinnett cares.
For more information about the Grace Arbor program, or to volunteer, contact Lisa Hale at (770) 963-0386, ext. 126.
The Gwinnett Cares Podcast is presented by The Beck Law Firm, LLC. Visit thebeckfirm.com anytime and download free guides to estate planning in Georgia, you can download at any time, no strings attached.
Village of Hope Lawrenceville, Inc., a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, began In 2015. Though relatively new, Village of Hope has wasted no time making a real Impact In Lawrenceville and serving those In need. Through a variety of programs, Village of Hope works to help ensure that people are fed and sheltered and basic needs met, as the organization's mission Is, "Restoring HOPE for the homeless and those In need In Lawrenceville, GA."
In this episode, Joel Beck sits down with Jan Jones and Toni Callahan from Village of Hope Lawrenceville to hear about what has been happening In 2019, and what's coming up on the horizon.
Notably, through Its 2019 Summer Lunch Program, Village of Hope delivered 14,238 lunches during this summer program (an average of 256 per day!), with over 250 volunteers helping to make this program a success. Coming up on December 21, 2019, Village of Hope, in partnership with the First United Methodist Church of Lawrenceville, will host its annual Christmas Extravaganza, where It expects to serve approximately 200 children In need and their families.
For more Information on Village of Hope Lawrenceville, or to get Involved, visit villageofhopelawrenceville.org or find them on Facebook.
The Gwinnett Cares Podcast Is presented by The Beck Law Firm, LLC. The Beck Law Firm provides business law and estate planning services for clients throughout Gwinnett and Georgia. For more Information on the firm, or to request your copy of their recent report, Ten Estate Planning Mistakes to Avoid, visit www.thebeckfirm.com.
Very soon we'll be hearing the bells ring and seeing the red kettles of The Salvation Army In front of stores all around Gwinnett County. Have you ever wondered what happens to those coins or bills you drop In the kettle, and what those funds are used for? In today's episode, host Joel Beck Interviews Captain Jeremy Mockabee, the Corps Officer and Commanding Officer of The Salvation Army of Gwinnett County. Jeremy explains what good works the Salvation Army has been going In our community this year, and what's coming up soon. And, he provides a great overview of what happens to those dollars that will be dropped Into the red kettles this Christmas season.
In this episode, host Joel Beck Interviews Brent Bohanan, the Executive Director for Gwinnett County Habitat for Humanity and learns what Gwinnett Habitat has been doing In 2019 to serve and help others in the community. Through their homebuilding and ownership programs, Gwinnett Habitat has completed five homes In 2019, and through their "A Brush With Kindness" home preservation and maintenance program, they have served more than 25 other homes In Gwinnett. In short, a lot has been going on, and there Is still more to do according to Bohanan. He explains how people and organizations can get Involved, by volunteering or through financial support, to help Gwinnett Habitat with all that It Is Is doing In 2019 and beyond.
The Gwinnett Cares Podcast Is presented by The Beck Law Firm, LLC In Lawrenceville, Georgia. In Its estate planning practice, The Beck Law Firm helps Individuals and small businesses prepare for the "what If?" situations In life. For a free guide to estate planning In Georgia, no strings attached, visit www.GwinnettWillsAndTrusts.com.
In this first episode of The Gwinnett Cares Podcast, host Joel Beck explains why he wanted to start the podcast, namely, to bring awareness of a lot of good work and good news that Is going on around us In Gwinnett County. And, he puts out the call for people to share what organizations or people they'd like to hear from on future episodes of the podcast. The first "full" episode of The Gwinnett Cares Podcast will be released later In October 2019.