Author: On Common Ground News

Every month, Springfield Baptist Church in Conyers opens its food pantry to those who need a helping hand. This month, however, the church is especially reaching out to furloughed federal workers in the community and inviting those impacted by the government’s shut down to come to the church and get food to feed their families. “We want our federal workers to know that we’re there for them—to supplement some of the things that they need,” said Pastor Eric W. Lee, Sr., who serves as senior pastor Springfield. “As a church, we are intentional about giving back to the community,” said…

Helping Hands Outreach Community Health Clinic, 2442 Lake Rockaway Road, Conyers, is offering free primary care to furloughed federal workers and military veterans in the metro-Atlanta area who need health care. Federal workers and vets must show identification. Scheduled appointments as well as walk-ins are welcomed. Monday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tues, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Second and fourth Saturdays, 9 to noon. For more information, visit helpinghandsga.org or call 678-607-0759 or 404-276-7674.

Demonstrators plan to protest the federal government shutdown and economic inequities on Jan. 23, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., outside the MLK Federal Building, 77 Forsyth Street S.W. in downtown Atlanta. Dr. Tarece Johnson, Ed.D., who is organizing the event, is partnering with Alliance for Black Lives, Multicultural Jewish Alliance and the Georgia Alliance for Social Justice to host the rally. Johnson is founder of The Global Purpose Approach and Global Purpose Academy, and a leader in Gwinnett Branch of the NAACP and the Alliance for Black Lives among other organization groups. Johnson said the rally will be a peaceful…

In partnership with Fit for a Queen, the Bello Mo Group and Lynette Clove, an Independent sales director for Mary Kay, DeKalb County Solicitor-General Donna Coleman-Stribling is inviting DeKalb County high school juniors and seniors to enter the 2019 Stop Teen Dating Violence Public Service Announcement(PSA) Contest. With February being recognized as Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, Coleman-Stribling and her team are encouraging DeKalb teens to promote healthy teen dating practices that prevent violence by producing a one-minute PSA. The student who creates the most impactful PSA will win a prom prize package, which includes: • Dinner for two •…

Rockdale County Public Schools (RCPS) fifth graders tackled tough questions about our society, economy, history, and more in the annual RCPS Fifth Grade Social Studies Fair, held January 12, 2019 at Memorial Middle School. Students wrote research papers, created visual presentations, and were interviewed by judges on their research, data, analysis, and conclusions. The top 16 projects (Best In Fair, First Place, Second Place) advance to the East Metro Regional Social Studies Fair on March 2, 2019 at MMS. For more information, visit www.rockdaleschools.org/academiccompetitions.  (Pictured: Some of the Best In Fair, First Place, Second Place winners at the 2019…

                                   Smith’s gift will fund scholarships, new park and outdoor study area Morehouse College has received a $1.5 million donation from Robert F. Smith, a philanthropist and the Founder, Chairman and CEO of Vista Equity Partners. College officials say the donation will fund endowed scholarships and the design and creation of a park that will give students a new outdoor study area. The gift to the Atlanta college will launch the creation of the Robert Frederick Smith Scholars Program, which will be…

Gwinnett County residents will go to the polls on March 19 to vote on a referendum to expand transit services. If the referendum passes, Gwinnett’s transit system and services will expand based on Gwinnett’s plan and its contract with MARTA. The expansion will be funded through a one-cent sales tax for transit. In preparation for the Transit Referendum, the county will host a series of open house education sessions. The sessions will be held on the following dates: Tuesday, Jan. 22 – 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., Bogan Park Community Recreation Center Community Room, 2723 North Bogan Road, Buford Wednesday,…

The National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Decatur- DeKalb Chapter, Inc. will host its ” Healthy Eating and Fitness Day” event on Thursday, Jan. 31, 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m., at the Samson Fitness Center, 6400 Woodrow Road, Stonecrest, Join the organization for exercises, healthy snacks and nutrition education to help prevent adult and child hood obesity. Wear workout gear. The event is free and open to the public.  

LifeLine Animal Project is offering free adoptions of 100 select dog and cat MVPs (Most Valuable Pets) at the DeKalb County Animal Services shelter, now through Super Bowl Sunday to help find homes for the higher-than-usual number of pets in its care.  An MVP is any dog or cat with a football sticker on their cage card.  MVPs are already spayed or neutered, vaccinated, microchipped and can leave the shelter today. All LifeLine Animal Project shelters are participating in the MVP promotion.  To adopt a shelter pet and save a life, drop by DeKalb County Animal Services, 3280 Chamblee Dunwoody Road in Chamblee; Fulton County…

Are you ready to rock? This March, get out and explore Georgia’s granite giants – Arabia Mountain, Panola Mountain and Stone Mountain – during the annual Monadnock Madness. Come celebrate these three major Atlanta-area monadnocks through hikes, workshops, classes and fitness throughout the month. The activities include the ever-popular Triple Hike Challenge, in which hikers summit all three granite mountains in a single day. A celebration of nature, wildlife and some darn big rocks, Monadnock Madness will change how you see Atlanta’s outdoors. Registration for triple hikes, photography workshop and mountaintop yoga opens on Jan. 22. Now in its…