NEWS & OPINIONS
What Does The 2020 Stimulus Package Mean? | VIDEO
What's in the coronavirus stimulus bill and what does it mean for Georgia families and small businesses? GCO's Vice President of Public Policy, Buzz Brockway, went live on Facebook to answer that question and talk about what is next.
Community Is Happening Despite Social Distancing
As our communities, state, country, and even the world face unprecedented times because of the COVID-19 virus, one thing remains constant: community. It's true that because of mandates on social distancing, physical gatherings are being discouraged. This may make some...
Strengthening Family – Making The Most Of This Time Together
It’s an unprecedented time across Georgia, America, and the world as we all grapple with Coronavirus. As schools and daycare centers shut their doors to prevent further spread, millions of parents are faced with a new way of life, alone at home with the kids all day....
Property Confiscation And The Risk Of Discrimination
We need to discuss an underlying issue around the topic of civil asset forfeiture and why there is need for strong oversight and transparency. We have discussed what civil asset forfeiture is in a previous blog post but here is a reminder: Civil asset forfeiture is a...
Did You Know Your Property Can Be Taken Without A Conviction?
Knowing what civil asset forfeiture is and what you can do if you are a victim of it Let’s talk about a topic that doesn’t roll off the tongue or come up in casual conversation - civil asset forfeiture. We here at the Georgia Center for Opportunity (GCO) just...
The Value of Sung and Unsung Heroes
As we celebrate, Black History Month, I’m reminded of the 1993 song written by Mariah Carey and Walter Afanasieff entitled “Hero”. The words to the chorus went like this: “And then a hero comes along With the strength to carry on And you cast your fears aside And you...
You Don’t Have To Be African American In Order To Appreciate Black History Month!
As I reflect on Black History Month, I remember when I first started working at the Georgia Center for Opportunity (GCO). Randy Hicks, GCO President and CEO, and I entered into a discussion about African American families. In reality, it should be called more of an...
Recognizing Black History Month Is About Recalling Where We Came From
Seeing Black History Month through the eyes of 114-year-old Gertrude Baines To celebrate Black History Month, let me take you back to November 2008. The morning of the election—an election that would make history with the victory of Barack Obama, first...
Let’s make Georgia the best state to be a foster child
We can’t create flourishing communities without flourishing families—and foster care and adoption are crucial parts of achieving that goal. An alarming 97 percent of kids who age out of the foster care system without a stable connection to a family end up in chronic...
Paid Family Leave Discussion – Establishing Healthy Lifelong Attachments
We know that healthy relationships and successful family formation are crucial to walking the steps of the Success Sequence. Strong families help individuals and children flourish. And we know that time with children, especially in their early years, is crucial to...
Three ways that Georgia lawmakers can immediately help the impoverished
Georgia lawmakers are back in town, kicking off the 40-day 2020 session on Monday. While the General Assembly is set to consider a range of issues—tax cuts, OK’ing the state’s budget, healthcare, and more—here are some immediate ways that lawmakers can help those in...
Joyce Mayberry Leads In New Role As Vice President of Family Formation
Joyce Mayberry will be moving into a new role as the Vice President of Family Formation. In this position, Joyce will continue to develop new ways to strengthen families in the communities we serve through our many partners. This move in position reinforces three...
MEDIA MENTIONS
GCO honored to be listed on Atlas Network’s top 10 to watch in 2022
The Georgia Center for Opportunity team is honored to be named as one of the Atlas Network’s top 10 nonprofit partners to watch in 2022. Atlas acknowledges GCO as an organization working “to make the world a better place for countless everyday people.” Atlas’...
Basic Income is the Wrong Solution for Atlanta’s Poor
To make a real difference in seeking innovative solutions to providing poverty relief, we must focus on giving those in need opportunity, not simply pity.
The Importance of Building and Measuring Resilience in Our Community | SAPORTA REPORT
As we look back on the last two years, everyone has experienced challenges. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, the negative mental health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic will continue their impact through 2029. Families First knows the families we serve were...
A lighter government touch would have saved more Minnesota jobs during pandemic | Center Square
Less economic interference from Minnesota state government could have saved jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic, new research from the Georgia Center for Opportunity (GCO) suggests. The GCO measured the impact of each state’s actions on its respective economy in a...
Report: Iowa’s limited government interventions during COVID-19 pandemic reduced harm to economy | Longview News-Journal
Iowa’s comparatively limited response to the COVID-19 pandemic limited the blow to its economy, according to a new report from the Georgia Center for Opportunity (GCO). The GCO measured the impact of each state’s actions on its respective economy in a 510-page study,...
Study: Strict COVID measures hurt Washington state’s economy | KPVI
Washington state’s harsh measures to combat the COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact in terms of job losses and recovery from those losses, according to a new report put out by the Georgia Center for Opportunity (GCO), without the hoped-for decline in...
New report details the economic devastation of COVID-19 shutdowns in the 50 states
GCO’s study compares each state’s response to the pandemic and measures the impact it had on local communities and their ability to work.
Can Cash Payments Help Atlanta’s Poor? | AJC
Almost three years ago, a simple yet radical experiment was begun in Stockton, Calif., based on an idea floated by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. more than half a century ago. With no strings attached, 125 low-income residents were given $500 a month for two years....
