By Judy Bellinger
When Big Canoe Chapel’s Benevolence Committee issued a plea in April for help to Restock
the Shelves of several local non-profit organizations, the Big Canoe community stepped up in a
very big way.
2021 continues to be a tough year for the local non-profits, who have been hit especially hard as they continue to serve an ever-growing number of people in need. A holiday Drive has been scheduled through Nov. 21. Collection bins/boxes for needed material items will be at the Chapel in Cousins Hall (on the main floor across from the chapel offices). Hours for drop-off: 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday.
The Restock the Shelves drive benefits the following organizations with current urgent needs:
Appalachian Children’s Center is a child advocacy center, working with children who have
been abused, maltreated, or are at risk. They support the judicial circuit that includes three North
Georgia counties. Urgent needs: Individually wrapped snacks, juice boxes, canned foods
(soups, vegies, mac and cheese), family-sized foods to send home, Kleenex, toilet paper, gas cards
(Walmart $10 each) and small fleece blankets.
Boys & Girls Clubs of North Georgia is part of a national organization providing a safe
environment for after-school activities for children of all ages. Urgent needs: Paper towels,
toilet paper, wipes, pool chalk, paper plates and napkins.
Joy House offers Christ-centered restorative care for struggling teens, families, and individuals.
Their residential program for teens provides a home for teens in crisis while partnering with their
families to pursue family restoration. Urgent needs: Individually wrapped peanut butter
crackers and chips, fruit roll-ups and fruit cups; cereal, pop tarts, syrup, tall kitchen 30-gal. trash
bags; sandwich, quart and gallon zip-lock bags, laundry soap pods, Clorox wipes, Windex, 409,
dust spray, dishwasher detergent, dish soap and hand soap.
North Georgia Family Partners works closely with Division of Family & Children Services,
providing home visitation services to Pickens County’s most at-risk families with children who are
4 and under. Parent educators provide training in child development, discipline, health,
nutrition, safety, sleep, and parent/child interaction. Urgent needs: Individually wrapped snacks,
juice boxes, and bottled water; art supplies, games and children’s puzzles, Clorox wipes, Lysol
spray, Kleenex, kids’ toothbrushes and toothpaste, books for infants and toddlers, diapers (all sizes)
wipes, baby supplies (lotion, bath supplies) and general hygiene products (deodorant, shampoo,
etc.)
No One Alone provides emergency shelter and support services, including trauma counseling,
legal advocacy, financial services, and life skills training to victims of domestic violence in
Dawson and Lumpkin counties. Urgent needs: Paper towels, toilet paper, Kleenex, cleaning
supplies and non-perishable food items.
The Pregnancy Center is a faith-based ministry in Pickens and neighboring counties providing
pregnancy services (testing, childbirth classes, prenatal nutrition), classes in parenting, family
and life skills, and fatherhood classes. Urgent needs: Boys clothes (6 mos.- 5T), girls’ clothes
(2T – 5T), diapers (sizes 2 – 6), wipes, highchairs, Pack-N-Plays, strollers, children’s books, and
toys.
Ruth House provides a 6 to 24-month residential program for women with addiction, offering
counseling, healing, life skills, job search and placement, and support to their families. Urgent
needs: Toilet paper, cleaning supplies, paper towels, 13- and 30-gallon garbage bags, LED 60W
light bulbs, letter-size envelopes, Avery #5162 labels, Home Depot and Walmart gift cards;
non-perishable food items (cream of mushroom and other soups, whole kernel corn, canned
peaches, chili with/without beans, boxed pasta salad, Hamburger Helper, Uncle Ben’s rice),
shampoo, conditioner, hairbrushes, writing journals, Bible highlighters, spiral notebooks, laundry
baskets, laundry soap, dryer sheets and dish detergent.
Timothy House is a residential drug and alcohol treatment program located in Talking Rock.
Residents are carefully screened, pay tuition, and are required to be involved in community
activities, including volunteering at food banks, thrift stores, and assisting those in need with
moving help and yard work. Developing practical skills in conjunction with treatment helps
individuals overcome addiction and become productive members of their communities. Urgent
needs: Salt and spices including pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, Lawry’s seasoned salt, baking spices, BBQ seasoning or rubs along with flour and sugar; laundry detergent, Lysol spray, Clorox wipes, trash bags, paper towels and toilet paper.
Young Life Pickens County’s mission is to introduce pre-teens and teens to Jesus Christ and
help them grow in their faith. Volunteers walk alongside students as they are faced with broken
homes, divorced parents, the death of a friend, problems at school, families facing severe financial
problems, peer pressure and the struggle of being a teenager in an ever-changing world. Urgent
needs: Snack-size bags of chips, cookies, and/or individually wrapped candy, 12-packs of Coke,
Sprite, and Dr. Pepper; bottled water, printer paper, paper towels and colored markers.
THANK YOU for helping those in need! – Big Canoe Chapel Benevolence Committee
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