FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Council Communications
Atlanta City Hall
55 Trinity Ave. SW
Atlanta, GA 30303

August 26, 2026

Atlanta City Council President Marci Collier Overstreet Praises 40 Years of Atlanta Children’s Day Shelter Supporting Homeless Families   

ATLANTA — On Aug. 25, Atlanta City Council President Marci Collier Overstreet delivered the keynote address at the Atlanta Children’s Day Shelter’s Founders’ Luncheon, marking the organization’s 40th anniversary and celebrating four decades of community partnership and service to Atlanta families experiencing homelessness.

Emphasizing the shelter’s collaborative, community-centered approach, President Overstreet highlighted the Atlanta City Council’s longstanding partnership with the organization, particularly its support of Holiday House, which empowers parents to select free holiday gifts for their children. Over the years, Councilmembers and staff have contributed thousands of dollars and volunteered countless hours to support the program.

“I have heard so many stories of women, women who look like me, who have said how much it means for them to have a moment of peace, a place to call their own, even for a day, to know where they can bring their babies to be safe, and that they feel empowered to build the life they want for themselves and their family,” said Overstreet.

“The Atlanta Children’s Day Shelter is one of those places. It is filled with caring people offering assistance, guidance and resources. There is a sincere willingness to listen, to encourage and to connect that parent with tools and opportunities necessary to take the next step.”

 Founded by The Junior League of Atlanta in partnership with North Avenue Presbyterian Church, Atlanta Children’s Day Shelter began with a powerful community response to families experiencing homelessness. Junior League members recognized that parents working to secure employment and housing needed a safe, nurturing place for their children during the day. Together with North Avenue Presbyterian Church, they turned that need into action.

Today, that founding vision has evolved into a comprehensive two-generation approach that serves children and parents together.

“For 40 years, the Atlanta Children’s Day Shelter has walked alongside families experiencing homelessness, helping thousands of children and parents build brighter, more stable futures. Our two-generation approach recognizes that when we support the whole family, we create lasting change for children and their parents,” said Cameron Turner, Atlanta Children’s Day Shelter Executive Director.

“We are deeply grateful for the City of Atlanta’s partnership and commitment to our community throughout our 40-year history. Together, we remain dedicated to ensuring that every child and family experiencing homelessness has the opportunity to thrive”

Atlanta City Council President Marci Collier Overstreet keynote remarks as prepared for delivery are below:

“Good afternoon, everyone.

We’re here to celebrate a remarkable milestone in the history of Atlanta Children’s Day shelter. We gather to honor four decades of compassion and community! That’s right! This deserves a hearty round of applause!!!

40 years of children experiencing homelessness, walking through the doors of the shelter and finding a safe space, 40 years of parents discovering a place they could trust. And 40 years of volunteers, faith leaders, donors and friends choosing to stand with families during some of the most challenging times of their lives.

That’s what we’re celebrating today!!! A legacy that lifted up one family, one child, one moment at a time.

As a mother, I’m deeply touched by the work of this organization. There is something instinctive within us that just wants to protect our children, provide for them and make their world feels safe, even when our own world may be falling apart.

For a moment, I want us to look at that experience through another set of eyes. I want you to imagine being a child whose world has suddenly become uncertain. The adults you love are carrying burdens that are much too heavy for one family to endure. And you’ve changed homes more times than you can count.

Now imagine walking through the doors of the Atlanta Children’s Day Shelter. Someone greets you by name. There is a safe place to sit. There’s a plate of food to eat. A place to learn. There are caring adults who are not asking you to explain why life has been difficult. They just want to help you feel safe enough to be a child again.

This has now become a place where fear has no choice but to loosen its grip.  Now, a routine has replaced that original uncertainty. Now, a child can begin to believe, perhaps for the first time in a while, that tomorrow might look different and better than today.

Now, imagine being a parent trying to hold a family together while navigating instability, employment challenges, transportation, rising expenses and all the other pressures that come with poverty and homelessness. Imagine waking up every morning knowing that you have to try and solve today’s problems while maintaining a positive outlook for the future. I have heard so many stories of women, women who look like me, who have said how much it means for them to have a moment of peace, a place to call their own, even for a day, to know where they can bring their babies to be safe, and that they feel empowered to build the life they want for themselves and their family. The Atlanta Children’s Day Shelter is one of those places.

It is filled with caring people offering assistance, guidance and resources. There is a sincere willingness to listen, to encourage and to connect that parent with tools and opportunities necessary to take the next step.

That is what makes the work of Atlanta Children’s Day Shelter so powerful. It does not simply respond to a crisis. It provides the type of help that allows parents to see light at the end of the tunnel. They know that when you strengthen a parent, you strengthen a child. When you can stabilize the family, it reinforces a neighborhood, which contributes to a better Atlanta. This is the beautiful ripple effect of this work!

So, from the bottom of my heart, I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who works at the Atlanta Day Shelter, everyone who helps to keep the lights on and the doors open, while providing hope for some of our most vulnerable Atlantans.

The Atlanta City Council recognizes your impact, and we’re proud to have engaged with Atlanta Children’s Day Shelter’s Holiday House, an amazing program, which empowers parents to shop for free during the winter season. Many councilmembers and staff have had the opportunity to personally donate and to volunteer. I can tell you from witnessing this over the years, the Holiday House stirs so much excitement at city hall. They really enjoy going out, shopping and coming to the shelter to wrap toys and other gifts for the children. Clearly, we believe in the mission and we’re grateful for the work you do.

The story of Atlanta Children’s Day Shelter has always been about people. People who saw a need and refused to turn a blind eye. And people who willingly pledged their faith, service and civil commitment to address an urgent need.

What began as a partnership between the Junior League of Atlanta and North Avenue Presbyterian Church evolved into a place of sanctuary and possibility for countless families. And here you are, 40 years later, serving with the same energy, determination and tenacity you had in the very beginning.

It has always been about creating a place where children can breathe easier and enjoy laughter. A place where parents can determine their next step. When a child has a safe space to learn, eat, rest and be cared for, that child can begin to grow again. And when a parent has support while working toward housing, employment and education or training, the whole family moves forward.

That two-generation approach recognizes something deeply human; children and parents do not walk separate paths. Their futures are tied together. And their healing is tied together.

This is why Atlanta Children’s Day Shelter matters so deeply to the City of Atlanta. We are at our best when we reach for one another, care for our families, and make sure each child has the opportunity to grow, dream and step into a brighter future.

Its impact reaches far beyond these walls. It’s a part of Atlanta’s civic fabric. It’s part of how Atlanta cares for its youngest residents. We know that a city’s future is shaped by what it pours into its children and families.

The Atlanta Children’s Day Shelter has given more than what we can measure with the human eye or collect from statistics. For 40 years, this shelter has filled a critical gap, standing in the space between crisis and calm. Between hardship and a bright future.

How is it possible? Well, it’s founders with vision. A staff with heart. Board members with dedication. Donors with belief. Volunteers with a generous spirit and families who have trusted this place with their children, their dreams and their incredible stories.

We honor you all!

There is a passage of scripture in john 3:18, that says, “let us not love with words or speech, but with actions and in truth.”

That is what Atlanta Children’s Day Shelter has been doing for the last four decades. Putting compassion into action and turning concern into service.

Perhaps the greatest lesson the Atlanta Children’s Day Shelter offers, comes in the form of a reminder. We are not meant to solve the challenges facing our neighbors from a distance. We are meant to notice, to care and to help.

Now imagine…an Atlanta where fewer children have to wonder where they belong, where difficult times don’t have to become destiny. That’s what happens when a city that decides the well-being of its children is everyone’s responsibility.  This work will be ongoing…as it does not have an expiration date.

Groceries and utility costs are not going down. The housing marking is unstable and far from affordable, childcare and early education costs seem insurmountable. But I know the Atlanta children’s day shelter is standing strong, steadfast in its mission to serve all who enter its doors.

Thank you to the phenomenal Executive Director, Cameron Turner, Board Chair Greg Ryan and to all who made the decision to make a real difference! My sincere wish is that you continue to see the person behind the struggle, and the possibility beyond the current circumstances.

Happy 40^th anniversary! 

God bless you! Thank you so much!”

 About Atlanta City Council

The Atlanta City Council is the chief policy-making body for the City of Atlanta. It acts by considering and enacting all laws that govern the city. The Council also approves the operating and capital budgets for the City as recommended by the mayor, and it continually monitors revenues and expenditures for local government operations. The Atlanta City Council reviews and decides on many land-use and zoning matters. Major economic development projects for the City also fall under the Council’s jurisdiction.

The City Council is composed of 12 districts and three at-large posts. Council representatives are Council President: Marci Collier Overstreet; District 1: Jason Winston; District 2: Kelsea Bond; District 3: Byron Amos; District 4: Jason S. Dozier; District 5: Liliana Bakhtiari; District 6: Alex Wan; District 7: Thomas Worthy; District 8: Mary Norwood; District 9: Dustin Hillis; District 10: Andrea L. Boone; District 11: Wayne Martin; District 12: Antonio Lewis; Post 1 At-Large: Michael Julian Bond; Post 2 At-Large: Matt Westmoreland; and Post 3 At-Large: Eshé Collins.

To learn more about the Atlanta City Council, please visit http://citycouncil.atlantaga.gov/. For the latest updates, follow the Atlanta City Council on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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