Community
PCBA Announces Its Focus Charities for 2023
Published
10 months agoon
Scholarship applications are available through March 8.
The Peachtree Corners Business Association (PCBA) kicked off the new year by awarding its final donation of 2022 to the Norcross High School Foundation for Excellence (NHSFE). At the January Business After Hours event, the nonprofit received a $500 check to help it further its mission of supporting students by bridging the gap between state and county funding.
NHSFE plays a pivotal role in generating the funds and resources necessary to cultivate the level of excellence and education desired for all students at Norcross High School (NHS) in the areas of academics, arts, and athletics. Established in 2001, the foundation has helped more than 2,700 students and raised more than $2.6 million.
Co-presidents Tiffany Ellner and Erin Griffin accepted the funds on behalf of the foundation.
“We are so thankful for the Peachtree Corners Business Association. One of the very special things about Norcross High School is the community, and the support that we have from our business association is a huge part of that,” said Ellner. “We have really benefited from the partnership.”
She added that the opportunities that exist right in Peachtree Corners with Technology Park and other economic drivers are the perfect incentives to keep the talent of local students at home.
“I think about myself and my neighbor two doors down who are Norcross High School graduates who chose to stay here. We chose to have our children in this community and be involved and to see the continued support. And we know that there are opportunities for my children and the students around them to come in and stay here as well,” she said.
2023 PCBA charities
PCBA President Lisa Proctor also announced the charities it will be contributing to this year.
- Rainbow Village has a mission to transform the lives of families experiencing homelessness by providing help, hope, housing, and healing in order to instill initiative, self-development, and accountability to foster meaningful growth in all who enter.
- Good Samaritan Health Centers of Gwinnett is a nonprofit committed to caring for the uninsured and underinsured working poor in the community. Its mission is to demonstrate the love of Christ by providing quality, affordable, and accessible health and dental services to the poor and uninsured.
- Corners Outreach equips metro Atlanta’s underserved students of color and their families to lead full lives through educational development and economic opportunities.
“We’re really excited about the three charities that we’re raising money for this year,” said Proctor as she encouraged members to renew memberships, register for events and invite others to join.
“You’re gonna hear me begging a lot for that this year,” she said. “For those of you who’ve never been here before, one of the things we have is the privilege …as business owners and business leaders in the community, to give back and participate in the community in a meaningful way. One of the things that I applaud the Business Association for doing is, 10 years ago, they created an Outreach Committee.”
PCBA raises funds to donate to nonprofits through memberships and sponsorships, Proctor added.
“We take a portion of those dollars, and we take the dollars from our annual charity event and donate those back to the community,” she said. “We’ve been able to fund 15 scholarships over the last 10 years. …We’ve donated $128,600 to our community, and we’re very proud. It’s not because any one person did it, but it’s what we’ve done as a community.”
The PCBA scholarship program is now open and accepting applications through March 8. The application and details are online at peachtreecornersba.com/community-outreach.
Peachtree Corners Business Association
peachtreecornersba.com
678-969-3385
Photos by Richard Phillips
Related
Arlinda Smith Broady is part of the Boomerang Generation of Blacks that moved back to the South after their ancestors moved North. With approximately three decades of journalism experience (she doesn't look it), she's worked in tiny, minority-based newsrooms to major metropolitans. At every endeavor she brings professionalism, passion, pluck, and the desire to spread the news to the people.
Community
Gwinnett Co. Commissioner Spreads Holiday Cheer with Toy Drive
Published
2 days agoon
December 4, 2023As the holiday season approaches, times can be challenging for those less fortunate. With this in mind, Gwinnett County Commissioner District 1 Kirkland Carden continues to find opportunities to give back to the community.
Join Team Kirkland for a special holiday toy drive for the Norcross Neighborhood Cooperative Ministries on Saturday, Dec. 16, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Peachy Corners Cafe off Spalding Dr in Peachtree Corners.
Neighborhood Cooperative Ministries (NCM) is a faith-based, non-profit, ecumenical ministry dedicated to providing emergency assistance to families in Norcross, Peachtree Corners, Doraville and Tucker, Georgia, since 1988.
NCM is supported by 23 local churches, numerous businesses, civic and social organizations, foundations and individuals.
For this toy drive, Team Kirkland and the Norcross NCM are looking for new, unwrapped toys for local children in the Gwinnett community. Hear from your Commissioner and donate a toy to a family in need.
To attend, RSVP here. For more information, reach out to Landen at 256-624-0669 or email landen@landenwatson.com.
Related
Community
Local Indie Author Day is Coming Back to Gwinnett County Public Library Branches
Published
1 month agoon
October 27, 2023Gwinnett County Public Library looks forward to celebrating Local Indie Author Day on Saturday, November 4, 2023.
The library invites independent local authors to showcase their works with author talks, readings, book sales and signings each year. This event aims to unite libraries, indie authors and readers throughout our community.
Multiple library branches are hosting author talks or author panels. Participating branches include:
- Buford-Sugar Hill,
- Centerville,
- Dacula,
- Duluth,
- Five Forks,
- Grayson,
- Norcross and
- Suwanee.
Local Indie Author Day will begin at the Duluth Library branch at 2:30 p.m. and features authors Stella Beaver, Chere’ Coen, Tamara Anderson and Cassandra Kempe-Ho.
The Norcross Library branch will host its showcase at 3:30 p.m. with authors Linda Sands and M.W. McKinley.
Check the library’s event calendar for author information and times. All events are free and open to the public. For questions or comments, contact Duffie Dixon, Director of Marketing and Communications for Gwinnett County Public Library at ddixon@gwinnettpl.org.
Click here to explore more public library events happening in November.
Related
Losing Our Furry Friends
The conclusion of my “Good Grief” series seemed ideal in this issue featuring pets and their people. Paris Hilton lost her beloved chihuahua this year. In a farewell tribute on Instagram, the socialite wrote, “In 23 amazing years, she brought endless love, loyalty, and unforgettable moments to my life.”
Some may not understand — eye rolls may ensue — but fellow pet people know all too well that losing a companion animal is just as heartbreaking as losing a human loved one.
“The pain I feel right now is indescribable,” Hilton posted.
Yet our cultural playbook is devoid of any protocols for those mourning pets. There are no pet obituaries, no official rituals or religious ceremonies to support us through the loss of a fur baby. When such perfectly normal and deep emotions can be considered a mere overreaction by some people in our own tribe, one could argue that losing a pet is even more difficult.
The ultimate interspecies bond
Though domestic companions can be scale or feather-covered too, I spoke to the bereaved owners of the furry variety.
Thousands of years of evolution have led to dogs morphing from the wild wolves they once were into man’s best friend, able to read our emotions and willing to sit, bark, roll over and play dead on command – all to please us. If you’re not a pet owner yourself, you’re sure to have friends with pets.
Max, tennis ball chaser extraordinaire
Long before Matt and Faith Harding had children, they had their dogs, Jazzy and Max, who were part of their lives for over 11 years. Losing them was hard.
“We lost Max and Jazzy within a year of each other. We had to put Jazzy down because she was older and suffering. It was the right thing to do. What made it more difficult with Max was that it was so unexpected,” Matt said.
The Hardings had been treating Max, who suffered from seizures common to Belgian Malinois. They were able to keep the seizures under control for years.
What makes a grown man cry
It was a week like any other. Faith had gone out of town. The kids and Max were left in Matt’s care. Max chased tennis balls in the backyard. There were no warning signs that something was about to go terribly wrong.
Matt found Max in his kennel when he came home one evening. It looked as though he’d had a seizure — like those he’d recovered from many times before. Matt rinsed him off and brought him back inside.
When Matt came downstairs after putting his daughter down for a nap, Max drew his last couple of breaths and passed away. “He waited for me to come back,” Matt said.
Having to call Faith to share the sad news while she was traveling was heartbreaking. “After the initial shock and plenty of tears, you’re stuck with trying to figure out what to do next,” Matt said.
With their baby on one arm and their wailing toddler holding his hand, Matt walked the kids over to the neighbors’ house. The only thing he could utter was, “Please watch them.” Seeing his tear-streaked face, his neighbor took the children without hesitation.
“I had to text her and let her know what was happening. I could not even get words out of my mouth. They were a huge help and very sympathetic to what was happening,” Matt shared.
Maximize the memories
What helped the Hardings most was looking at pictures and reminiscing about their “incredible dog,” Max.
“He loved people. Plenty of people reached out to tell me some of their favorite memories with him and I couldn’t help but smile and laugh at how he left an impression on so many,” Matt said.
Conversely, Matt viewed the act of putting away the dog beds, bowls and toys as an admission that Max was now just a memory. “I couldn’t bring myself to do it,” Matt confided.
“The loss of Max is still hard to think about. Faith and I budget. We have a line item for Max. We were doing the budget a couple of nights ago and couldn’t bring ourselves to remove him as a line item,” Matt said. “Thank you for letting me share our story.”
Triple grief
Before Sandra Hutto and her siblings could spread their parents’ ashes, she was faced with the sudden death of her 11-year-old Doberman, Rio.
Three losses in rapid succession were a hard knock-back for Hutto. She is grateful for supportive friends and being able to process her grief with the help of her husband Mark, a psychiatrist.
According to Hutto, sharing stories about her parents was as helpful in dealing with her loss as it was funny. “There were things I didn’t know. It was fascinating,” she said. “Family stories are important. Apparently, my mother was kind of a floozy,” she laughed.
Her aunt had shared about her mother misleading a boy to spend a day at the lake. When he asked her out, she claimed to have gotten a headache from all the sun. But later, she called another boy about going to a movie.
Hutto advised, “You have shared stories and individual stories. You can let that isolate you or bring you closer. You could say, “That wasn’t my experience, I’m shutting it out,” but it lets you know more about your parents. They have stories from before you were born.”
Dad and the Doberman Pinscher
Before her father’s passing, Hutto and her husband took her dad on a road trip to Wyoming, along with Rio, in their 1993 Bluebird Wanderlodge to visit her sister. Unsure how her father would take to such a big dog, she was pleased when they bonded.
“He fell in love with her. Rio would get up in the middle of the night to lay down next to him. I joked with dad, “You know daddy, we do keep the dog.””
After he died, people said, “That trip was great for him. He never stopped talking about how much fun he had.” That was heartwarming,” Hutto said.
She danced on the sand
An American Kennel Club purebred dog, Rio’s registered name is, She Dances on the Sand, after the Duran Duran song.
Bred in Germany to be the intimidating protectors of tax collectors, Dobermans are strong, intelligent dogs, able to attack on command. Rio didn’t exactly fit the bill. Terrified of a neighborhood Yorkie, she’d watch him as she cowered behind Hutto.
Her tail was docked but she had natural, floppy ears. She wasn’t steely-looking, but she did have a big bark. “Mostly she would try to convince people that she was neglected. She was a drama queen; such a good, funny dog,” Hutto said.
Déjà vu
Rio passed almost exactly the same way their previous Doberman, Jet had. (Jet was named after the Paul McCartney and Wings song.) Though Rio had a longer life, Hutto expressed the common sentiment among pet-owners: it’s never long enough.
Rio had received a clean bill of health and a rabies shot that day. By the evening, she was restless and wouldn’t settle in her bed. Mark had gone out.
“She got up and started walking around. She walked into our dining room, went around the table, her back feet collapsed from under her. She struggled to get up. She howled a couple of times and she was gone,” Hutto said.
Hutto believes cardiac arrhythmia killed both Jet and Rio. Heart issues are common in Dobermans, partly because of breeding and because they’re deep-chested dogs.
“Not again!” Hutto remembers shrieking as she witnessed Rio’s passing. Jet had passed away in the same manner, but she was with Mark. The swift but horrible departure allows for the only consolation, “at least she didn’t suffer.”
A Dobie’s departure
After the ordeal of burying 70-pound Jet in the rain, the Huttos decided to have Rio cremated. They were pleased with Deceased Pet Care, Inc. in Chamblee.
“They were kind, empathetic and respectful. They knew we were in pain. They took good care of her, made a point to tell us that they cremate each dog individually, and gave us her paw print in clay,” Hutto recounted.
Walk alone
“Peachtree Forest is the neighborhood to live in if you want to come back as a dog. People here love their dogs. They’ll greet your dog — and then they’ll say hi to you,” Hutto chuckled. When neighbors learned about Rio’s passing, some sent sympathy cards.
Hutto was almost thankful for a sprained knee shielding her for a while from the inevitable moment she takes her first walk alone and people will ask, “Where’s Rio?”
“I’ll probably bawl in the street,” she predicted.
Able to better prepare for losing her parents, Hutto remarked that her grief journey is different for Rio because it was so sudden. “It was a shock and harder in some ways. It’s important to talk about it so people see you can get through it,” she said.
When they’re ready, the Huttos plan to get another Doberman. “I’m going to name her Roxanne. You’re not going to be able to help yourself when you call her. You’re going to have to do the song,” she said.
Paw prints on our hearts
Pets are not “just animals,” as some may be tempted to say when we lose them. For those who form strong bonds with our four-legged friends, they become part of our favorite routines, our protégés, our sweetest companions, delighting us daily with joy and unconditional affection; they become family.
If the emotional connections we can form with pets are virtually indistinguishable from those we form with people, it stands to reason that pet bereavement can be on par with the grief we experience for our cherished, human loved ones. Let’s remember to be kind to those grieving the loss of their pets.
Related
Read the Digital Edition
Subscribe
Newsletter Signup
Don't miss out on news and events in Peachtree Corners.
You have Successfully Subscribed!
Peachtree Corners Welcomes Solis Apartment Development with Groundbreaking Ceremony
Embracing Winter Wellness with MAGISNAT: Fortifying Your Immune System and Veins
Read the Digitial Edition of Peachtree Corners Magazine Dec/January 2024
MAGISNAT: Bridging the Gap Between Science and Personalized Wellness
Gwinnett Co. Commissioner Spreads Holiday Cheer with Toy Drive
Read the Digitial Edition of Peachtree Corners Magazine Dec/January 2024
Gwinnett Co. Commissioner Spreads Holiday Cheer with Toy Drive
MAGISNAT: Bridging the Gap Between Science and Personalized Wellness
Embracing Winter Wellness with MAGISNAT: Fortifying Your Immune System and Veins
Peachtree Corners Welcomes Solis Apartment Development with Groundbreaking Ceremony
Petfolk Veterinary & Urgent Care: Committed to Your Pet’s Health
Norcross Women’s Water Polo Claims State Championship Title for the First Time
Is a Pickleball Complex on the Horizon for Peachtree Corners?
Light up the Corners [Video]
Capitalist Sage: Business Leadership in Your Community [Podcast]
Cliff Bramble: A Culinary Adventure through Italy
Top 10 Brunch Places in Gwinnett County
A Hunger for Hospitality
THE CORNERS EPISODE 3 – BLAXICAN PART 1
Top 10 Indoor Things To Do This Winter
The ED Hour: What it takes to Remove Barriers from Education
Peachtree Corners Life
Topics and Categories
Trending
-
SPONSORED CONTENT2 days ago
Embracing Winter Wellness with MAGISNAT: Fortifying Your Immune System and Veins
-
Digital Edition2 days ago
Read the Digitial Edition of Peachtree Corners Magazine Dec/January 2024
-
SPONSORED CONTENT2 days ago
MAGISNAT: Bridging the Gap Between Science and Personalized Wellness
-
Community2 days ago
Gwinnett Co. Commissioner Spreads Holiday Cheer with Toy Drive