Census 2020 is coming up soon! Make sure you, your neighbor, and your community are prepared to fill out your forms come census day on April 1, 2020. The effects from the results of the census will be felt by every person living in the United States for the next 10 years! Your voice needs to be heard to ensure Georgia receives the proper federal funding for programs impacting health care, education, infrastructure, and so much more! The census will also impact your political representation on both the state and federal level for 10 years. Everyone will start receiving information about how to do the census by mail in mid-March. You can complete the census starting immediately by logging online, or by calling the phone line. You must wait until mid-April if you wish to receive a paper form. The Census is available in 13 languages and is safe, secure, and private! Starting in May, if you have not yet completed your form a census worker may come to your home to help you complete your census.
Community Connections
Call for Artists
Design a Local Community Book Exchange and Help Promote Literacy for Gwinnett’s Youngest Readers!
Gwinnett Coalition of Health & Human Services is seeking artists for a new program, G.R.E.A.T. (Gwinnett Reading Exchange & Art Transforms) Little Minds. We need local artists to help design and decorate the small prebuilt structures that will serve as free community book exchanges. These enclosed miniature houses will be installed throughout the community. Community members will then be able to visit the exchange to borrow a book and return it after they’re finished. Books will be targeted towards children eight years old and younger to promote early literacy.
How to Get Involved
You don’t have to be a trained artist to make an impact!
- Submit the Artist Application
- Once approved, you can pick up your book exchange
- Design Your Exchange! Guidelines for designs can be found here.
- Return your completed book exchange to the Hudgens Center by January 21st, 2020
Completed book exchanges will be on exhibit prior to their installation at the Hudgens Center for Art & Learning, located at the Infinite Energy Center.
For more information contact Katie Gill at GREATLittleMinds@gwinnettcoalition.org or (770) 995-3339, ext. 209 at the Gwinnett Coalition of Health & Human Services.
Additional Information
Where Will the Book Exchanges Go After They’re Designed?
Once the public has a chance to view all the book exchanges at the Hudgens Center for Arts & Learning exhibition, the completed designs will be distributed throughout the county in areas of need.
Not an Artist but Still want to Help?
Book Exchanges can be sponsored by local businesses, community groups, or families. For more information on Sponsorship or adopting a community book exchange, head here or fill out our interest form.
Guidelines for Designing your Book Exchange:
Your pre-built book exchange served as its initial canvas. But if you can start from scratch if you prefer, as long as the design follows the size, weatherproofing, and construction standards. You can read more about those standards here.
Most book exchanges will be outdoors. In creating a design, consider the weather and other elements of nature. Designs should be created with durability and public safety in mind. You may modify the original book exchange but objects or additions to alter the book exchange should be attached in such a way that it cannot be easily removed.
Requirements & Resources
Requirements:
- Book exchanges must be primed
- minimum of three coats of varnish (using a two-part, hard gloss) to protect the durability of your design.
Restrictions:
- All designs should be appropriate for public display.
- Designs that are religious, political or sexual in nature will not be accepted.
- Corporate logos and advertising are also not allowed.
Holiday Wish List 2019
The Gwinnett Coalition for Health and Human Services reaches out to local nonprofits this time of the year and asks for a wish list to help their clients. For many, this holiday season is a time for families to fulfill their gift lists and for many local businesses to meet their 2019 profit goals. However, this is also a time to remember not everybody can experience enjoyment during the holiday gift-giving season.
If you would like to give back to our Gwinnett County community, please click on this wish list to see where you can make a difference. Thank you!
Board of Directors Recruitment Announcement
Gwinnett Coalition is seeking proven leaders to serve as members of its Board of Directors.
A burst of population growth in the 1980’s significantly influenced the health and human service provider community in Gwinnett County. As a result, a need to promote collaboration between major public and private health and human service providers to prevent duplication of services and to advocate for the best use of scarce resources was identified. Thus, the Gwinnett Coalition for Health and Human Services (Gwinnett Coalition) was established in 1990 to meet this critical need.
Since its inception, the Gwinnett Coalition has served as a public/private partnership of health and human service providers and organizations, state and county government agencies, members of the business community and civic-engaged citizens that collaborate to identify critical community needs and resources, set priorities, plan solutions, and educate and motivate the community into action.
Given the changing community dynamics and the ever-evolving health and human service needs of Gwinnett County residents, the Gwinnett Coalition has recently completed a robust strategic planning process to help guide the organization’s future growth and development. The Strategic Plan provides a roadmap for evolving the organization into a more strategic-oriented organization that prioritizes and focuses its efforts on driving impact in critical and complex issues that result in systemic change.
As a result, the Gwinnett Coalition is seeking proven leaders to serve as members of its Board of Directors. The role of the Board of Directors is to advance the mission of the Gwinnett Coalition, and contribute directly to the organization’s goals by providing leadership and strategic governance. As ambassadors for the organization, board members work to inform and engage others in the Gwinnett Coalition’s efforts and hold a range of responsibilities, particularly in the areas of planning, policy, and development. While day-to-day operations are led by the Gwinnett Coalition’s Chief Executive Officer/President (CEO), the Board-CEO relationship is a partnership, and the appropriate involvement of the Board is both critical and expected.
An affinity for the work of the organization is paramount, as is a willingness to contribute an average of one hour per week in time, including Board meetings, committee meetings, and individual work in between meetings. Diversity in all its forms (age, ethnicity, race, gender, and geography) is welcomed by the Board and is very important to the organization.
To be considered for a position on the Board of Directors or to nominate a qualified individual, please email Board Chair, Mary Hester, mary@lansystems.com. Nominations close and applications are due by October 18, 2019. After that date, interviews will be scheduled for selected candidates for Board Positions with the Nominating Committee. The selected slate of new members of the Board will be submitted for vote to the existing Board of Directors at the December 3rd, 2019 meeting in accordance with the Bylaws.
Gwinnett Great Days of Service Celebrates 20th Anniversary
Scheduled for October 25-26, Gwinnett Great Days of Service mobilizes thousands of individuals, corporations, churches, schools, civic organizations, and communities in meaningful volunteer service to address some of Gwinnett County’s most critical needs.
Whether you are part of an organization in need of volunteers, a company or group with a passion to create a positive impact, or an individual with a desire to change your community, officials at the Gwinnett Coalition for Health and Human Services invite you to participate in the 20th Anniversary of Gwinnett Great Days of Service.
Scheduled for October 25-26, Gwinnett Great Days of Service mobilizes thousands of individuals, corporations, churches, schools, civic organizations, and communities in meaningful volunteer service to address some of Gwinnett County’s most critical needs.
The Gwinnett Coalition for Health & Human Services envisioned Gwinnett Great Days of Service 20 years ago in the spirit of Gwinnett’s slogan “Success Lives Here”. In 2000, the event started with just 1 day of service + 10 projects + 100 volunteers to create a new era of civic engagement and volunteerism. Today, Gwinnett Great Days of Service is recognized as one of the largest volunteer days of service in the United States.
“Our work is to inspire individuals throughout Gwinnett County to take action to build a stronger, more unified community for all of us,” said Keith Fenton, chief operating officer of the Gwinnett Coalition for Health and Human Services. “Our organization sits at a very unique intersection of corporate, philanthropy, government and community and we are empowering people throughout Gwinnett to raise their hand and be counted among those working for positive change.”
The motivation to serve and volunteer where we live and work is a strong and common ethic – one that is revealed by the thousands of hours volunteers contribute each year to hundreds of projects and organizations including Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful, Annandale Village, Home of Hope, Nothing But the Truth, and many other local organizations and schools.
This year the service projects are as varied as the organizations. Activities that take place during Gwinnett Great Days of Service projects can range from painting to cleaning and organizing, gardening, landscaping, writing notes of encouragement, stocking community kitchens and shelters, and cleaning up nature trails and streams. Because of the wide breadth of projects available, volunteers can chose based on location, an agency they are passionate about, a volunteer activity that they are skilled or interested.
“Our team has been hard at work, experimenting with new ways to make volunteering easier and more accessible than ever before. Anyone from anywhere, can do something good for our community”, Fenton added. The Gwinnett Coalition’s approach not only offers up some much-needed support for our nonprofit community, but it often lights a more permanent passion for service in volunteers, which is a win for groups in need. There are many wonderful domino effects that happen when somebody volunteers with an organization. They learn so much about themselves, they learn about others, they make these connections with people in ways they would not normally.
To learn how you, your company, school or organization can participate, visit www.GwinnettGreatDaysofService.org or call 770-995-3339.
ABOUT THE GWINNETT COALITION FOR HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES: Gwinnett Great Days of Service is a program of the Gwinnett Coalition for Health and Human Services. The Gwinnett Coalition is a nonprofit organization dedicated to addressing the health and human service needs of everyone in Gwinnett County, Georgia. We accomplish this mission by identifying needs and resources, setting priorities, planning solutions, focusing on results, and educating and motivating the community to action.