Rainbow Village Finds Record-Smashing Support in a Ballroom

DULUTH, Ga. - Oct. 12, 2023 - PRLog -- On October 7, in a space the Atlanta Athletic Club often devotes to wedding receptions and company banquets, Rainbow Village played host to its annual "We Are Family" Benefit Gala. The event included a seated dinner, silent and live auction, a "Golden Ticket" raffle, the Joel P. Hudson Humanitarian Award presentation, and a heartwarming testimonial from Rainbow Village graduates. By the end of the evening, the nonprofit with a mission to bring Help, Hope, Housing, and Healing to families experiencing homelessness had raised a record-breaking $505,000 in support of its unique blend of transitional housing and life-transforming programming for families in need.

"What we do requires a lot of dedication and collaboration," said Rainbow Village CEO Melanie Conner. "We are based in the heart of Duluth on a campus that houses 30 families at a time for up to two years. A network of staff members, board members, community partners, corporate partners, faith partners, volunteers, donors, and faithful prayer warriors make up the 'village' that surrounds our Village – and many of them were present the night of the Gala. It's so incredible to me that they are not only there to share in the tragedies that lead families in need to our door, but they are also there to share in triumphs like this. In addition to funding the maintenance of our facilities and continued provision of life-altering programs to support both kids and parents in their journey to self-sufficiency, these funds will go a long way in subsidizing our growth and outreach efforts so we can aid even more families than ever before."

There was not a dry eye in the room when Rainbow Village alumni, Adrian and Mary, shared what it means to them to transition from homelessness to homeownership.  While these two friends have always dreamed of being homeowners, they had no idea how or when that would happen. They shared that the dream may never have become reality without Rainbow Village.

Ali Floyd was declared the winner of the Golden Ticket – granting her the choice of one of three exotic beach locations. Another major highlight of the evening was the presentation of the 2023 Joel P. Hudson Humanitarian Award – named after the late Reverend Hudson, founding rector of Christ Episcopal Church, which served as the birthplace of Rainbow Village. Rainbow Village was honored to present this year's award to Subaru of Gwinnett for the way they Share The Love with the community.

To learn more about volunteer opportunities and/or make an online donation, please visit https://rainbowvillage.org/.