Local Nonprofit with a Mission to Break the Cycles of Homelessness, Poverty and Domestic Violence in Georgia Adds Former Program Director for the Atlanta Children’s Shelter to its Leadership Team
Duluth, GA, February 15, 2018 (Press Release) – A year after being named CEO of Rainbow Village, Melanie Conner continues to watch her team’s vision for the self-described “community of transformation” take shape. After years dedicated to building a campus that includes five apartment buildings, offices and community center that houses facilities for an early childhood development center, after school program, adult counseling and life skills classes, chapel and family event center, the focus had to shift to growth of an entirely different nature. With a mission to transform lives plagued by pitfalls to lives filled with promise, Conner hopes to offer the best programming imaginable for families who recently faced homelessness, poverty or domestic violence. To that end, Rainbow Village is pleased to announce the addition of Alison Morgan, LMSW to its leadership team in the role of Program Director.
In her new role, Morgan will manage the overall coordination, supervision and provision of services to homeless children and their families. These duties include the oversight of Case Management Services, the After-School Program, Early Childhood Development Center and all other programs offered by the Gwinnett County-based nonprofit. Armed with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in social work from the University of Georgia, Morgan is no stranger to this line of work. She boasts 14 years of experience leading programs and providing social services to vulnerable populations. She spent part of that time directing a housing program for chronically homeless and mentally ill individuals in New York City, and the last eight years at the Atlanta Children’s Shelter where she directed all clinical, employment, and aftercare programming for families. It was there that she first learned of Rainbow Village.
“Dr. Jackye Brown, former Executive Director of the Atlanta Children’s Shelter, always spoke highly of Rainbow Village,” recalled Morgan. “Since coming on board, I have been impressed by the strong leadership of Rainbow Village CEO, Melanie Conner and her commitment to developing leading edge programming to help break the cycle of homelessness for families in Gwinnett County. I am truly excited to join the ‘Village!’ This is a place for love and healing. It’s a real community where people care and encourage each other to be their best selves. Whether you are a resident, staff member or volunteer, you cannot help but be impacted by the positive spirit of renewal evident at Rainbow Village.”
As Program Director, Morgan hopes to bring her strong advocacy and community engagement abilities to the team, while sharing innovative ideas for program planning and development. As far as her primary areas of concern, she points to the sad truth that – while Gwinnett County has a thriving business community, great parks, first-class entertainment venues and great schools – there are still families who are struggling to put food on the table and a roof over their heads.
“I believe that community collaboration is the key to ending poverty and homelessness,” added Morgan. “When you work with people in underserved communities like I have for nearly a decade and a half, you witness an unnecessary waste of potential. We need to engage with the community to help us unlock that potential. I am very excited about a new program called Circles Gwinnett that is designed to connect with our neighbors in the community and recruit them as allies to help improve the self-sufficiency of the families we serve. Our role in opening doors to mainstream society and bridging that gap for Rainbow Village families is critical and Circles is the perfect model for doing that.”
In addition to her assistance in implementing the new Circles Gwinnett program for the benefit of Rainbow Village families, Morgan will be examining current programming at the nonprofit and devising ways to make them even better through streamlining and best practices. One of her first missions is to provide greater structure for the After-School Program as it pursues its accreditation.
“It’s truly wonderful when someone joins our team who not only shares our vision but also brings a wealth of exciting and innovative ideas to the table,” said Melanie Conner, CEO of Rainbow Village. “Alison has already hit the ground running, and will no doubt serve as an excellent addition to the Rainbow Village family. We have an amazing team in place with a vital mission to serve and all the passion required to get the job done. I’m excited to see what we will accomplish together in the months to come!”
Allison Morgan lives in Tucker with her husband and cat. When not hard at work as Program Director at Rainbow Village, she can be found cheering on her beloved Bulldogs or listening to her large music collection that includes more than 1,000 vinyl records.
To learn more about Rainbow Village, its programs and opportunities to serve, please visit www.rainbowvillage.org.
About Rainbow Village: Established in 1991 and based in Duluth, Georgia, Rainbow Village is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization devoted to breaking the cycles of homelessness, poverty and domestic violence. Committed to serving as a “community of transformation”, Rainbow Village applies a holistic, two-generational approach to serving homeless families with children. With the goal of helping families achieve emotional stability and financial independence, Rainbow Village provides housing, early childhood education and after-school care, child and youth programming, financial planning, career counseling, workforce readiness, mental health counseling, community events and more. Rainbow Village accepts applications from homeless families with minor children throughout Georgia. To learn more about Rainbow Village, register as a volunteer or make a donation, visit www.rainbowvillage.org.
