Georgia groups push Kemp for virtual-learning microgrants | MDJ ONLINE

by Corey Burres | Sep 16, 2020

Georgia groups push Kemp for virtual-learning microgrants | MDJ ONLINE

ATLANTA – Several groups are pressing Gov. Brian Kemp to start divvying out small federal grant funds aimed at helping families pay for school supplies, child care and other expenses while their children are taking online classes amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a letter sent Tuesday, Sept. 15, groups including the American Federation for Children, the Down Syndrome Association of Atlanta and GeorgiaCAN urged Kemp to reserve more than $20 million in federal COVID-19 funds for microgrants, which cover small one-time expenses.

Along with several educational and disability-advocacy groups, the letter was also signed by a handful of conservative-leaning organizations including the Americans for Prosperity’s Georgia chapter and the Faith and Freedom Coalition of Georgia.

The Georgia Public Policy Foundation and the Georgia Center for Opportunity also signed the letter.

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Lawrenceville creates a center to help vulnerable residents during COVID-19 | 11 ALIVE

by Corey Burres | May 8, 2020

Lawrenceville creates a center to help vulnerable residents during COVID-19 | 11 ALIVE

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. — Lawrenceville’s response to the coronavirus is now up and running, offering short-term emergency assistance to residents.

City council members, alongside Lawrenceville Mayor David Still, approved an agreement with Impact46, Inc. to create the Lawrenceville Response Center (LRC) at the April 27th meeting…

The center is a partnership between the city, Impact46, the Lawrenceville Housing Authority, the Georgia Center for Opportunity, the Lawrenceville Co-Operative Ministry, HomeFirst Gwinnett and other non-profits.

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THE CENTER SQUARE – SNAP applications in Georgia jump sharply during COVID-19 crisis

by Corey Burres | Mar 27, 2020

Applications to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) have increased by 79 percent in less than a week in Georgia amid the COVID-19 outbreak, state officials said.

The health crisis, which has led to the social distancing requirements and shelter-in-place orders in places around the state, also has caused a spike in unemployment claims and fears over food security…

Representatives for the Georgia Center for Opportunity (GCO), a solutions-based think tank focused on community building through public policy, said they expect the number of Georgians who depend on government assistance to continue to grow in the coming months.

“The health toll is the most severe, but the economic consequences are also deeply felt,” GCO president and CEO Randy Hicks said.

GCO spokesman Corey Burres said long-term reforms need to be set in place to drive faster recovery.

“Obviously the longer our communities face financial hardship, the less money will be available for government interventions,” he said.

Hicks said the most impact could come from community support.

“We believe that the most good will happen through our local communities, where neighbors help neighbors,” he said.

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AJC – Parental paid leave makes inroads in Georgia after years of resistance

by Corey Burres | Jan 25, 2020

Three months of paid leave, maid service and a year of free diapers.

Those are among the parental perks the Midtown software firm SalesLoft is using to lure top talent through its doors — and keep them there.

SalesLoft is an outlier among companies in Georgia, which has long ranked among the bottom of states requiring paid leave benefits.

But that’s beginning to change amid record-low unemployment as businesses court workers, particularly in highly paid, white-collar fields such as tech and consulting…

“Our birthrates are the lowest ever,” the Pennsylvania Republican said at a Georgia Center for Opportunity event at Georgia Tech earlier this month. Moderate and lower-income workers, he added, “are having the hardest time figuring out how they’re going to raise a family.”

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Georgia earns high marks for career development, but workforce lags, labor commish says

by Corey Burres | Jan 24, 2020

Georgia’s workforce development program has been selected as the best in the South Atlantic Region by business publication, Site Selection Magazine.

Gov. Brian Kemp made the announcement a day after Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said workforce numbers are lagging…

Georgia spends about $23 billion in welfare costs annually, according to the Georgia Center for Opportunity. About 20 percent of the state’s population receives one or more benefits.

The Georgia Center for Opportunity also found that nearly 250,000 of Georgia’s male population between 25 to 54 years old are no longer counted in the labor force because they have “dropped out.”

Lawmakers need to ensure the job opportunities are being presented in the impoverished areas of our state, Corey Burres, spokesperson for the nonprofit, told The Center Square in an earlier interview.

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Why should you care about the ex-offender in your community?

by Corey Burres | Jan 24, 2020

Local coalition works to reduce recidivism rates and replace stigmas with compassion

When it comes to tackling deep-rooted social issues, no single organization can do it alone. The Greater Gwinnett Reentry Alliance (GGRA) is a coalition of service providers in Gwinnett County that works to mobilize community resources — human, financial, and material — all with the purpose of reducing recidivism rates in the county and beyond…

Other partners in GGRA include GRIP, Hearts to Nourish Hope, Navigate Recovery, United Way of Greater Atlanta, Georgia Center for Opportunity, Judy House Ministry, Obria Medical Clinics and others.

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