Matthew Holtkamp/Candidate for Gwinnett County Commissioner District 4
Having moved from an Iowa farm at the age of 19, Matthew Holtkamp arrived in Gwinnett County in 1985. Now 37 years later, with his family grown and his business thriving, he stands ready to work for residents to ensure the same amazing opportunities for those ready to do the same.
CASE IN POINT is presented by:
Kelly Kautz/Gwinnett County School Board Candidate
Kelly Kautz is a Gwinnett County native who is seeking to become the next member of the Gwinnett County School Board for District 4. She is a product of GCPS having graduated from Brookwood High School and now has a son who attends Gwin Oaks where Kelly serves as the Vice President of the PTA.
Kelly is a proven servant leader dedicated to doing what is best for the community. She is also a proven advocate for children. She is a licensed attorney in Georgia and has been practicing law in Gwinnett County for 20 years. As a former prosecutor, she made sure that children are safe in schools. Currently, as an attorney/Guardian ad Litem for Gwinnett County Juvenile Court, Kelly advocates for abused and neglected children. She is the voice for children in the courtroom, and now is asking you to allow her to be their voice in the classroom.
CASE IN POINT is presented by:
Jill Edwards/Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce
The mission of the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce is to “champion business” and their vision is to be the leading advocate and innovative resource for businesses to connect and thrive.
Established in 1947 as a rural chamber of commerce serving farmers and banks, the Gwinnett Chamber grew and changed alongside Gwinnett County. Today, they serve more than 2,200 members throughout metro Atlanta by delivering programs that strengthen and connect businesses locally, regionally and globally.
At the Gwinnett Chamber, there is strength in numbers. Since they represent more than 2,200 companies, they can offer significant member discounts and present a unified voice in matters of public policy that affect the business community. In addition, the Chamber provides opportunities for like-minded business people to connect with one another and expand their business network and increase the exposure of their business. They also offer opportunities to learn about issues and best practices related to running a successful business.
The Chamber’s economic development team, Partnership Gwinnett, is a public-private initiative dedicated to bringing new jobs and capital investment to Gwinnett County. Since 2007, Partnership Gwinnett has worked with its local partners to attract and retain jobs, cultivate capital investment, support educational institutions, foster workforce development, and contribute to the exceptional quality of life found in Gwinnett and the Atlanta region.
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Did you know that every nine seconds a woman is beaten in the United States? Or that people between the ages of 12 and 24 are at higher risk for sexual assault and rape? Do you know how to recognize the signs of domestic violence? And what do to help someone who’s been a victim of sexual assault or domestic violence?
Katha Blackwell/CEO, Partnership Against Domestic Violence
The mission of Partnership Against Domestic Violence is to end the crime of intimate partner violence and empower its survivors. Their vision is a community free of domestic violence.
To that end, they work to educate the public on the dynamics of intimate partner violence; promote healthy dating relationships among adolescents and teens to prevent future violence; offer safety and shelter for battered women and their children; restore power, self-sufficiency, and control to survivors; and create an effective and coordinated community response to intimate partner violence.
Lindsay Ferreira/Managing Director, Mosaic Georgia
Founded in 1986 as the Gwinnett Rape Crisis to provide support to victims through a crisis line and accompaniment through forensic medical exams (aka, “rape kit” exam), Mosaic Georgia is a “dual services” center with specialized services for children, teens, and adults. They provide free, confidential support and services to victims and survivors of rape, sexual assault, and child sexual molestation and abuse. They work with survivors of all genders regardless of when the violence occurred and whether they choose to report. Support to children and their non-offending caregivers are offered with care.
Host: Heather Loveridge/Magnolia Media Group
At the heart of marketing is great storytelling – and that’s what they do at Magnolia Media Group. Whether it’s through social media, e-newsletters, websites, brochures or complete marketing services, they help organizations tell their story.
Giving Back to Gwinnett is presented by:
For the last episode of 2022, the Community Foundation for Northeast Georgia will take you behind the scenes and talk with some of the “givers” – those helping make their nonprofits’ work possible – and share some stories of how lives are being changed through that giving. This episode includes inspiring stories from Good Samaritan Health Centers of Gwinnett, the Neighborhood Co-op, and Rainbow Village.
Ryan Jones/Neighborhood Cooperative Ministries
Neighborhood Cooperative Ministries (NCM) is a faith-based, non-profit, ecumenical ministry dedicated to providing emergency assistance to families in Norcross, Peachtree Corners, Doraville and Tucker, Georgia of Gwinnett County. NCM is supported by twenty three local churches and numerous businesses, civic and social organizations, foundations, and individuals.
Greg Lang/Good Samaritan Health Centers of Gwinnett
The Good Samaritan Health Center of Gwinnett is a non-profit medical clinic that provides low-cost primary care and disease management services across the life span for uninsured residents of Gwinnett County and surrounding areas. Their goals are to provide quality low cost primary healthcare services to the uninsured, decrease the demand of the uninsured for non-emergency medical services on the local hospital emergency rooms, and provide a venue for medical professionals and laymen of the Christian community to serve a marginalized population.
Justice French/Rainbow Village
The mission of Rainbow Village is to transform the lives of homeless families with children by providing a stable community and services that instill initiative, self-development, and accountability for future generations. Rainbow Village has realized for over 29 years that it is this holistic approach to serving all family members in a safe community that allows their residents to truly break generational cycles of poverty, homelessness, and domestic violence. As their mission is fulfilled, they work towards their vision to be a national model of an educational and holistic approach to breaking the cycles of homelessness, poverty, and domestic violence.
Host: Heather Loveridge/Magnolia Media Group
At the heart of marketing is great storytelling – and that’s what they do at Magnolia Media Group. Whether it’s through social media, e-newsletters, websites, brochures or complete marketing services, they help organizations tell their story.
Giving Back to Gwinnett is presented by:
According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s National Survey of Children’s Health, more than 1 in 4 children have been exposed to at least one adverse event in their lives. In Georgia, 18% of children have experienced at least one adverse event and 10% have experienced two or more. Today’s episode discusses what children and young adults are experiencing and how Georgia and Gwinnett are working to build resilient communities.
Emily Anne Vall/Executive Director of Resilient Georgia
The vision for Resilient Georgia is for every child and young adult in Georgia to have access to high-quality, integrated behavioral health services and support, empowered by a statewide network of trauma-informed organizations working together to prevent and heal childhood adversity.
Dr. Tinisha Parker/Gwinnett County Public Schools Department of Student Services
Gwinnett County Public Schools, located in the metro Atlanta area, is the largest school system in Georgia and continues to grow. As a school system of choice, the finest teachers, involved parents, and a supportive community are key elements in the district’s quest to become a system of world-class schools. In 2021-22, the school district is serving more than 179,000 students. One of every five Gwinnett County residents is a GCPS student.
Jessica Andrews-Wilson/Gwinnett Coalition Board Member & Executive Director of GUIDE
The mission of GUIDE (Gwinnett United In Drug Education) is to improve community conditions by utilizing collaborations, promoting positive youth development, delivering specialized training and resources and preventing substance use and abuse.
Host: Heather Loveridge/Magnolia Media Group
At the heart of marketing is great storytelling – and that’s what they do at Magnolia Media Group. Whether it’s through social media, e-newsletters, websites, brochures or complete marketing services, they help organizations tell their story.
Giving Back to Gwinnett is presented by:
Jace Brooks/Director, Better Work Gwinnett
Better Work Gwinnett began as part of the Gwinnett Cares initiative and the Georgia Center for Opportunity’s Hiring Well, Doing Good initiative. The goal is to foster a local solution that supports business efforts to find workers while doing good in the community.
Brian White/Director of Community Engagement, First Step Staffing
First Step Staffing is committed to providing its employees extensive training, meticulous support, and community reinvestment to provide you with the skilled and qualified employees you need. First Step Staffing strikes an expert balance between business success and giving back. In fact, they leverage their staffing savvy in order to create social change. That’s what earned them a reputation for high-quality service and dedicated, talented employees.
Alicia Battle/Director of Workforce Development, Goodwill of North Georgia
At Goodwill of North Georgia, the mission is a simple one: put people to work. Every day, thousands of men and women face barriers that make it difficult for them to find work and earn a paycheck to support their families. Sometimes it’s lack of training or education, limited job skills, or a disability. But with the support of donors and shoppers like you, Goodwill of North Georgia overcomes those barriers.
Their training programs prepare people for careers in a wide array of fields such as retail, financial services, floor technology, healthcare, traditional and green construction, forklift operations, and more.
Think about Goodwill and the good they do the next time you’re deciding what to do with your gently used goods, or even when you’re about to go treasure hunting for a bargain. If you’d like to help them improve communities, strengthen families, and energize the economy, they welcome your donations and invite you to visit their stores.
Host: Heather Loveridge/Magnolia Media Group
At the heart of marketing is great storytelling – and that’s what they do at Magnolia Media Group. Whether it’s through social media, e-newsletters, websites, brochures or complete marketing services, they help organizations tell their story.
Giving Back to Gwinnett is presented by:
Muriam Nafees/Project Coordinator, Volunteer Gwinnett
Volunteer Gwinnett is a county-wide volunteer program designed to involve residents in volunteer activities. Gwinnett County depends on volunteers to help provide residents with the best services and programs possible. Their volunteers directly contribute to the excellent quality of life residents enjoy in the community.
Ryan Jones/Director of Community Development, Neighborhood Co-operative Ministries
Neighborhood Cooperative Ministries (NCM) is a faith-based, non-profit, ecumenical ministry dedicated to providing emergency assistance to families in Norcross, Peachtree Corners, Doraville and Tucker, Georgia of Gwinnett County. NCM is supported by twenty three local churches and numerous businesses, civic and social organizations, foundations, and individuals.
Fay Josephs/Founder and Executive Director, Mending the Gap
Mending the Gap provides seniors with one-on-one supportive services that will meet their basic needs and alleviate isolation while creating healthy and fulfilling relationships. Their mission is keeping seniors healthy, independent, and connected.
Host: Heather Loveridge/Magnolia Media Group
At the heart of marketing is great storytelling – and that’s what they do at Magnolia Media Group. Whether it’s through social media, e-newsletters, websites, brochures or complete marketing services, they help organizations tell their story.
Giving Back to Gwinnett is presented by:
Kristina Blum/Gwinnett Chief Magistrate Judge
Gwinnett County Magistrate Court‘s jurisdiction encompasses civil claims of $15,000 or less, county ordinance violations, applications for and issuance of arrest and search warrants, preliminary hearings, dispossessory writs, and distress warrants. No jury trials are held in this court. Appeals from decisions in landlord, tenant and civil cases are made to the Superior and State courts.
Matt Elder/Executive Director, HomeFirst Gwinnett
The HomeFirst Gwinnett Initiative is a collaborative partnership formed between the United Way of Greater Atlanta, Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners and The Primerica Foundation, seeking to develop a strategic, coordinated approach to addressing homelessness in Gwinnett County by better connecting services for those who need them most.
Host: Heather Loveridge/Magnolia Media Group
At the heart of marketing is great storytelling – and that’s what they do at Magnolia Media Group. Whether it’s through social media, e-newsletters, websites, brochures or complete marketing services, they help organizations tell their story.
Giving Back to Gwinnett is presented by:
