October 2009 Promising News
| ...from the President & CEO "It's About Time" there's an event unique to Atlanta |
 The Atlanta arts community was abuzz the evening of October 7 at the second annual G-CAPP-IKEA "It's About Time" event where nearly 100 clocks, donated by IKEA, were transformed into spectacular works of arts by celebrities and local artists. Held at IKEA, this event not only showcases unique works of art but it's an event that's unique to Atlanta, and, from my biased opinion, it's one of the best around. We are grateful to all the artists and celebrities for transforming the clocks into such amazing art work. Judging from the comments and feedback from our guests, the clocks were stunning examples of thoughtfulness, creativity and time devoted to help G-CAPP sustain its work with young mothers and their babies who live in our Second Chance Homes.  While each clock is the work of a wonderfully talented individual, we're always grateful to our celebrity friends who take time out of their busy schedules to support G-CAPP's work. I join Jane Fonda in thanking our live auction artists including Big Boi, Bo Jackson, Brian Patrick Flynn, Hildi Santo-Tomas, Ludacris, Mats Wilander, NeYo, Paula Deen, Sally Field, Ted Turner, Vern Yip, and Wanda Sykes. Many thanks to Frank Ski, morning show host on Atlanta's V-103 FM, who did a wonderful job as our emcee and auctioneer. A special thanks to Frank for supporting our youngest artist, 13 year old Dorie Taylor, whose clock now adorns his studio at the radio station. I offer my heartfelt thanks to Jim Anastos, general manager of IKEA Atlantic Station, and his entire team. Transforming a huge part of the store into an art gallery to accommodate an exciting, live and silent auction for hundreds of guests is an awesome undertaking. G-CAPP is especially grateful for all their hard work and enthusiasm and we couldn't ask for a better corporate sponsor and friend. Other sponsors whose support contributed to the event's success include T  otal Wine, WSB-TV, and Custom Assembly & Installation. We are appreciative of the generosity of our in-kind donors, the Atlantan, Idealand, Pennhouse Productions, Peroni, American Building Maintenance Industries and all the Atlanta radio and television stations that promoted the event throughout the week leading up to the event. Many thanks to all the G-CAPP donors, friends and board members , the steering committee, host committee, and, of course, the hardworking G-CAPP staff. If you weren't able to make it to the event, you missed a good one! You will, however, will be able to take in some of the experience online. Our "It's About Time" photo gallery will debut Friday, October 23 at www.gcapp.org. Please visit. Michele Ozumba |
| G-CAPP's youth advocates are front and center |
From rallies at the sta te capitol in Atlanta to meetings with members of Congress in Washington, DC, September was a busy month forour youth advocates. Ten youth advocates from Dalton, Savannah, and Atlanta participated last month in a four-day advocacy training workshop hosted by Advocates for Youth in Washington DC. The group had the opportunity to train and network with other youth leaders from Ohio, Illinois, Texas and North Carolina on the latest strategies for supporting comprehensive sex education in local public schools. "With the federal government prioritizing teen pregnancy both in the Administration and within Congress, the state of Georgia needs young people who have the skills, leadership and passion necessary to ensure comprehensive sex education is available to all our children," said Joel Alvarado, G-CAPP policy director, who accompanied the youth leaders. The group also met with members of Congress to gain support for the Responsible Education About Life (REAL) Act, which provides eligible states federal funding, from FY 2010 through 2014, to implement and evaluate comprehensive sexuality education programs both within schools and community based organizations. On a local level, youth advocates joined supporters in Atlanta and Savannah to rally for better sex education in Georgia public schools. Our youth are leading the way for other young people by serving on local sex education curriculum committees in their schools, meeting with local elected officials to discuss the importance of teen pregnancy prevention, and engaging their peers in becoming informed and active in getting effective sexual health education implemented in their schools. |
| G-CAPP Partnering in Start Strong Atlanta |
 Jane Fonda was there to officially launch the Start Strong Atlanta campaign which aims to stop teen dating violence, an issue that the Centers for Diseases Control has identified as a public health issue. The Fonda Center was one of 11 organizations nationwide chosen to receive $1 million in funding through the Robert Woodruff Johnson Foundation's national Start Strong initiative. G-CAPP joins a host of Start Strong Atlanta community partners that will rally teens, parents, educators, and other community leaders to ensure that the message gets across to teens that violence and abuse are never tolerated. "We know that there's a clear link between teen pregnancy and teens experiencing sexual abuse and physical abuse," said Michele Ozumba, president and CEO of G-CAPP. G-CAPP will help expand awareness of the teen dating violence issue by integrating it into its training and advocacy programs. |
| Annual Report Now Available Online |
| In an expansion of our efforts to "go green," supporters and friends of ours can now go online to |
This Month's Success StoryWe all know the dire statistics that are associated with teen mothers and their children. And Christy Ware, who became a mother at 14, knows them too. In fact, one could say, it's because of the unsettling statistics that she is a success today.
"My first experience with G-CAPP was a training class and it resonated with me. I remember the speaker being very specific about the dim futures teen mothers and their children face. I sat in that training class thinking: ' I'm not going to let this happen to me and my son.' But I didn't know what I was doing and I was so scared that I was going to mess him up," said Ware. "At 13 I didn't even know I could get pregnant," says Ware, who was a foster child. She became a mother at the very young age of 14.
At 17 she, and her then 3 year old son, became one of the first residents of Oak Haven, G-CAPP's Second Chance Home in Dalton. "It was a beautiful home and the nicest home I had ever lived in. It set the standard for me.' said Ware. Christy's situation was not unlike most teen mothers who Second Chance Homes works with--a distressed childhood lacking home stability, no family support, and no place to call home. "I was completely on my own. It was the hardest time I ever had, ever. I was working, trying to finish high school, trying to take care of my son... I am so grateful for Second Chance Homes. I stayed a year and I learned so much in that year about myself, how to be a good parent, how to run a house, how to manage a checking account, and how to manage on my own." The goal of Second Chance Homes is to help the teens get to long term self-sufficiency and avoid a repeat teen pregnancy. Georgia ranks second in the nation in repeat teen pregnancies.
After high school Christy enrolled at Dalton State College. And after seven years of flipping full-time work with part- time school, and part-time work with full-time school, she graduated in May with a bachelor's degree in Social Work. The 27-year old has since become a homeowner (she and her now teenage son helped build their Habitat for Humanity home), secured a job in social work in the areas of mental health and substance abuse where she works exclusively with teens, and she has been accepted into graduate school and will begin pursuing her master's in Social Work in December. The dire statistics are in the past.
"If it hadn't been for G-CAPP I don't know if I would be where I am today. I wouldn't have known about the risks associated with being a teen mother. They taught me so much and they taught me what a family should be. They helped me to find my way."
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