When asked his favorite things to do, Austin Dennard is quick to answer with basketball, gaming, and praying for others. A freshman at McDonough High School, he is a leader both on the basketball court and off. Austin spends much of his time reaching out to the youth in the community and encouraging them to...
After a quarter-century, A Friend’s House remains a mainstay on the front lines in the battle to protect children at risk in Henry County and throughout Georgia. “A Friend’s House is here to provide a home or an emergency shelter placement for kids that have been neglected, abused, or who are homeless,” said development director...
Haven House has been a vital resource in Henry County for nearly four decades, and it is as busy as ever. It was founded to help women going through domestic violence situations who needed support when going to court. A shelter was opened in 1999 as the organization recognized the need for more services, which...
“No man, woman or child should go without basic human needs. It takes an Army of Angels to meet the greater need,” says Rhonda Miller. Born in Alabama, raised by a single mother, in a house with seven siblings, Miller experienced all too well the pangs of hunger. One of her most impactful childhood memories...
![Connecting Henry excited for growth and [positive] change](https://wearehenry.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Connecting-Henry-1-360x360.jpeg "Connecting Henry")
Heading into its 28th anniversary in 2024, Connecting Henry is “readjusting and refocusing” to allow for new opportunities to support the Henry County community. Connecting Henry has undergone some recent changes, including becoming the Health and Human Services Department for the City of McDonough and moving to a new address, 162 Keys Ferry Street in...
“Never underestimate the power of a woman!” This quote by Archie Andrews actually applies to not one, but two local women who founded a nonprofit philanthropic company from a desire to fulfill community needs through their logistics company. Victoria Sparks and Michele Wilson envisioned a charity which focused on children and women issues in Henry...
Deborah Eskridge knows firsthand how illnesses can impact day-to-day life. Diagnosed with lupus in 2016 at the age of 19, she spent much of her time adjusting to her “new normal” rather than attending her second year of college as planned. Recognizing that many children and young adults impacted by illnesses may not be able...
In 2006, at eight months pregnant, Lori Beth Blaney was in a head-on automobile accident resulting in the loss of her daughter Rachel. In the aftermath, Blaney began to look for others online who experienced loss and researched how to begin to heal. During her search, a few similarities stood out to her from those...
Contrary to popular belief, there is a real and ongoing challenge to meet the needs of our disabled military veterans. A growing number of these veterans and their families are struggling to remain independent, and many have already fallen into our homeless population. No one is more aware of this critical issue than Master Sergeant...
Who would do this? Who, on a fixed income themselves, would spend their own money and spend considerable time providing food for thousands of people every year? Fret over meeting nutritional needs, freshness and quality? Organize the volunteers, meet their spiritual needs, and ask for zero in return? Pastor Gussie Norwood Coley, that’s who. The founder and leader...