Community

Decades of Doing Good at Annandale Village Celebrated with Golf Fundraiser

Published

1 year ago

March 31, 2024

Arlinda Smith Broady

Annandale Village began in 1969 as the dream of Dr. and Mrs. Maxwell Berry, parents of a young woman with developmental disabilities.

Adam Pomeranz at a 5K race // Photos courtesy of Annandale Village

Peachtree Corners resident Adam Pomeranz will celebrate 20 years at a place of hope where hundreds of adults are served each day. That place is Annandale Village, a residential community for adults with developmental disabilities or brain injury. At least, that’s how it began.

Adam Pomeranz

Today, it’s not solely a residential community because it now serves people who don’t live on the campus in Suwanee. A newer, smaller program now offers options for a wide range of needs.

Annandale Village began in 1969 as the dream of Dr. and Mrs. Maxwell Berry, parents of a young woman with developmental disabilities.

“They did not like the very limited options that they saw in the country and the local community and beyond for their daughter,” he said. “She was entering adulthood, so after seeing a similar model, but not the exact model, on a vacation to Europe, they decided to try and do something on their own here.”

Annandale’s mission

The 55-acre campus in Suwanee serves individuals in the facility and outside of it.

“One of the things that truly differentiated Annandale was that, a little over 20 years ago, it decided to embrace a new phenomenon in the world of working with people with intellectual disabilities: the aging person with developmental disabilities,” said Pomeranz.

For many years, people with developmental disabilities had shorter life spans than folks without those challenges for many reasons. Now, advances in medicine and other factors help people with developmental disabilities live much longer lives, some very close to the lifespan of people without disabilities, said Pomeranz.

“Shortly before I came, Annandale decided to embrace that aspect of the population. And we opened up a 16-bed skilled nursing facility solely for that population to complement the cottages and apartments that we had spread out through the campus at the time, said Pomeranz. “And so, the nursing home filled up very quickly and it became apparent that this was a huge need.”

Expanding services

Over the next several years, Annandale opened an assisted living building and also expanded the nursing home. Although the facility is aimed at ages 18 and up, some are younger and some are considerably older.

“The idea is that Annandale provides progressive life assistance. As the individual’s needs change, the services we offer can change with them. So someone could come to Annandale at 22 or 23 years old and conceivably live here the rest of their lives, and we can meet their needs as they change throughout that adult lifespan.”

A few years ago, Annandale added and new service to its continuum of care.

“On occasion, some folks gain skills when they’re here and then leave to be more independent elsewhere, either in our independent living program or some other option,” said Pomeranz.

The All In program has about 16 people who need about 10 to 12 hours of support a week. They live in apartments in Suwanee or other parts of metro Atlanta. They’re required to work or volunteer to be eligible for the program.

Keeping Annandale affordable

Annandale’s founders wanted an affordable private pay model. Their philosophy was to charge families about 75% of what it costs to care for their loved ones, and the philanthropic community would take care of the other 25%.

With rising health care costs, that 25% is getting harder to come by, but Pomeranz and his staff are making it work.

“Now, almost 55 years later, when you look at our bottom line at the end of the year, you will see that about 75% of our revenue is fee-for-service revenue, and about 25% is philanthropy,” he said.

“At the same time, we are still mostly a private-pay organization, and it’s become very expensive to provide the care. But we have wait lists, so clearly there’s a market for what we do,” he explained.

Annandale does take Medicare and Medicaid in the nursing home. It also has a relatively small day program for which it takes Medicaid waiver funds. But everything is supplemented with fundraising.

Annandale’s fourth annual golf tournament

Before COVID, Annandale threw charity events with dinner and dancing like many other nonprofits. For about 26 years, the annual fundraiser was called The Jazzy Thing, which then became shortened to Jazzy. It took place on the last weekend of April. In March 2020, the pandemic struck, and everything was canceled.

The staff had to pivot and find something to take the place of Jazzy.

“Our chief development and marketing officer had done golf tournaments [for a] previous employer and felt like we could do one and that it would be successful,” said Pomeranz.

To make it a little different, the tournament honored a long-time board member. The tournament was very successful, so the tradition continued. This year, however, Pomeranz is the one being honored.

“I was out on a brief medical leave when there was a board meeting; first board meeting I missed in 19 years,” he said. “They voted to make me the honoree of this year’s tournament to celebrate and honor my 20 years here at Annandale Village.”

Sponsorships are pouring in with congratulatory praise for Pomeranz.

“Some of these folks I’ve known for 20 years,” he said. “Their sister or brother has been in our care that long or maybe even a parent has had their child in our care.”

Annandale’s fourth Annual Golf Tournament is on May 6 at The Country Club of the South. Registration is open for foursomes. More information can be found at annandale.org/event/golf.

What folks have to say about Annandale Village:

“Congratulations on 20 years!! I am so proud of all you have accomplished.” — Ina Enoch

“Congratulations! Please give us 20 more!” — Jody Hoffman

“Have a great game!!! Hope the weather is great!” — Denise Fitzpatrick

“Thank you for all you do, Adam.” — Maureen Doran

“In memory of Eric Pomeranz”— Felice Catalano

“Wow! 20 years! Amazing achievement!”— Honey Strauss

“Congrats on 20 years of devoted service!!”— Seena Axel

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Arlinda Smith Broady

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.

City Government

The Future of Law Enforcement in Peachtree Corners: Community Meeting

Published

4 days ago

April 14, 2025

Peachtree Corners Magazine staff

Flyer for a community meeting regarding law enforcement in Peachtree Corners.

The City of Peachtree Corners will hold an important public meeting on May 8 to discuss the future of law enforcement in our community — including the potential creation of a city police department.

This meeting will feature a presentation by City Manager Brian Johnson on the findings of a comprehensive Police Analysis & Staffing Study that evaluated the feasibility and projected costs of forming a city police department based on current workload, crime levels and community demographics.

The presentation will also include budgetary considerations, comparative models and the advantages and disadvantages of a county vs. city police department.

Following the presentation, there will be time for a Q&A and open dialogue.

In-person attendance is limited to 300. First come, first served. A livestream option will be available for those who can’t attend in person.

After the meeting, a follow-up survey will be available on the city’s project page.

Meeting details

The Future of Law Enforcement in Peachtree Corners

Date/Time: May 8, 2025 at 7 p.m.

Location: Christ the King Lutheran Church (5775 Peachtree Parkway)

For more information, visit peachtreecornersga.gov.

Community

Registration Now Open for Light Up the Corners 2025

Published

1 week ago

April 9, 2025

Peachtree Corners Magazine staff

The starting line of a community race with green, inflatable start archway and dozens of racers and specators.

It’s time to sign up for the best (and only) Glow Run and Twilight Trot in Peachtree Corners!

Registration is now open to participate in this year’s Light Up the Corners race, scheduled for Saturday, August 16 at The Forum. The 1k Twilight Trot will start at 8 p.m., and the four-mile Glow Run begins at 8:30 p.m. Once the runners have done their thing, a fun post-race party will follow.

This annual event is not only an exciting community tradition, but also a fundraiser for the Why It Matters campaign at the Fowler Family YMCA.

All proceeds from registration goes directly to helping struggling families and children in the community benefit from the life-changing programs and services offered at the YMCA.

Individual registration is $40 through July 31; $45 if you register between August 1–14; and $50 if you wait to sign up on August 15 or 16. Those registering as a team of four or more will save $5–$10 per registration.

Sponsorships available

In addition to individual and team registrations, organizers also rely on the generosity and support of local businesses to make each year’s fundraising event successful. And this year is no different. If you’d like to support their efforts through a sponsorship, information can be found on the Light Up the Corners 2025 website.

T-shirt logo contest

Another way to take part is to enter the t-shirt logo design contest. Artwork and entry forms are due by May 16, and judges will be looking for one dynamic image to represent the Light Up the Corners Glow Run on the race banner, t-shirts and all multi-media.

The winning artist will receive a $1000 check, presented during the event. An entry form and additional details can be found here.

City of Peachtree Corners

Our Growing Deer Population: What to Do?

Published

2 weeks ago

April 2, 2025

Mayor Mike Mason

I want to take a moment to address an issue that has been increasingly affecting our community — the growing deer population.

Over the past few years, we have observed a significant increase in the number of deer within Peachtree Corners, leading to heightened concerns about public safety, property damage and ecological impacts. I want to share what we are doing to address these challenges and how you can be part of the solution.

The surge in the deer population poses several threats to our community:

1. Landscape damage: Deer feeding on ornamental plants, shrubs and trees results in significant property damage and costly repairs for homeowners.

2. Increased risk of deer-vehicle collisions: Frequent road crossings, often under low-visibility conditions, pose serious safety risks to drivers and passengers.

3. Adverse ecological impacts: Excessive browsing by deer diminishes plant diversity, impacting the availability of food for other wildlife.

4. Public health concerns: High deer densities contribute to an increase in ticks, elevating the risk of Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses.

To address these challenges, the City of Peachtree Corners is collaborating with wildlife officials from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (GADNR) Urban Wildlife Program and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Wildlife Services.

These partnerships are vital, as GADNR holds primary authority over wildlife management, and USDA brings extensive experience in urban wildlife management. By working together, we aim to develop a comprehensive approach tailored to our community’s unique needs.

Based on recommendations from our partners, the City is actively developing a comprehensive deer management plan. The plan aims to mitigate the public safety, property damage, ecological and public health impacts caused by the growing deer population.

Here’s what we are doing:

1. Population surveys: Utilizing advanced tools like trail cameras and thermal imaging to accurately assess deer numbers.

2. Habitat assessments: Evaluating the impact of the deer population on local vegetation and biodiversity.

3. Community involvement: Updating the “PTC Report It” app to allow residents to report deer-related concerns and submit photographs.

4. Data analysis: Collaborating with federal and state partners to analyze data and determine a sustainable deer population for our community.

Once the assessment phase is complete, the city will adopt a deer management plan. Since many deer reside on private property, the plan will offer property owners city-supported options for managing deer. This includes educational programs, habitat modification techniques and access to targeted population reduction initiatives.

Our goal is to facilitate relationships between wildlife officials and residents to ensure a balanced approach that protects public safety, preserves property and maintains ecological integrity.

Here are a few ways you can help:

• Complete the Deer Impact Survey: Available online. Your input will help us gather valuable data on deer population densities and their impact.

• Report concerns: Use the “PTC Report It” app or go online to report deer-related issues and share photos.

• Stay informed: Follow our updates and participate in any upcoming GADNR workshops to stay informed about deer management efforts.

I truly appreciate your support and cooperation as we work together to address these challenges and protect the quality of life in Peachtree Corners. Thank you for being engaged and committed to our community.