Organization Devoted to Ending Homelessness – One Family at a Time – Welcomes Joy Holmes as Chief Development Officer and Anika Crosby as Success Coach
Duluth, Ga., August 10, 2023 – To scale up and better meet the needs of the families it serves, Metro Atlanta-based Rainbow Village has welcomed two seasoned veterans of the nonprofit sphere to its staff. Joy Holmes joins the 32-year-old nonprofit in the role of Chief Development Officer to aid in the expansion of its reach and scope. At the same time, Anika Crosby will work closely with the families Rainbow Village serves as a Success Coach. While performing very different functions, these two Gwinnett County residents will play an integral role in the nonprofit’s mission to bring Help, Hope, Housing, and Healing to families experiencing homelessness.
“Both Anika and Joy will be tremendous assets to Rainbow Village,” said the nonprofit’s CEO, Melanie Conner. “Joy brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in the area of fundraising and event management. She will be instrumental in helping us achieve our goals for growth and expansion. Anika is equally experienced in the area of case management. Her expertise will help ensure the families we serve are cared for with dignity and respect.”
Holmes brings nearly 20 years of experience as a fundraiser at virtually every level – from Development Director to VP of Development to National Campaign Director. Nonprofits that have benefitted from her expertise in the past include March of Dimes, American Heart Association, Hands On Atlanta, Junior Achievement of Georgia, and Hall County YMCA, among others.
“It’s an exciting time to be a part of Rainbow Village,” said Holmes. “In my new role, I will help diversify our fundraising portfolio, work with executive volunteers to leverage their influence and networks, and grow our base of support. After all, engaging the community will allow for a deeper impact on the families we serve. I’m particularly excited to have a front-row seat to see how the dollars we raise will have an impact on families. I’ll take a strategic and systematic approach to fundraising to maximize every gift we receive at Rainbow Village.”
Holmes further shared that she loves how Rainbow Village takes a holistic approach to serving families. “This organization comes alongside families and partners with them through their trauma, saying, ‘Let’s go on this journey together.’ Ultimately, Rainbow Village residents will have their own address, can provide for their families, and know what actions they need to take to become self-sufficient. I look forward to joining the team in exploring the best ways to partner with the community to make things happen for our families.”
Crosby also boasts an impressive career history in social work and nonprofits. Over the course of the last two decades, she has spent ten years with the Georgia Division of Family and Child Services and the rest with Family Promise of North Fulton and Dekalb, Live Safe Resources of Cobb, Cherokee Family Violence Center, and Project Community Connection. She learned about Rainbow Village many years ago while working with other entities and was impressed with its stellar reputation. Crosby jumped at the chance to bring her social work experience to the Duluth-based nonprofit.
“As a Success Coach, my main focus will be on helping clients become self-sufficient – just as it has been throughout my career,” said Crosby. “Whatever it was that caused the whirlwind in their life to make it difficult to be self-sufficient, I will serve as advisor and mentor, guiding them to develop a strategy, assisting them in making a list of pros and cons to come to the best decision, and helping their vision become a reality through financial and career counseling. Having worked with clients in different programs, I can hit the ground running at Rainbow Village. Their nonprofit is really well organized, and their clients experience success. Everyone on the team knows what their job is and enjoys the work. I feel confident that I can bring something valuable to the job that is recognized by the organization.”
To learn more about the mission at the heart of Rainbow Village, make a tax-deductible donation, or register as a volunteer, visit www.RainbowVillage.org. To stay up-to-date on the latest Rainbow Village news and events, the nonprofit invites you to connect with them on social media, including Facebook @RainbowVillageInc, Instagram @rainbowvillageinc, Twitter @rainbowvillage1, and LinkedIn @rainbow-village-inc.
