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John Wieland and Atlanta Union Mission Open Transitional Housing Campus for Women and Children

Atlanta Union Mission’s Village Atlanta Campus reopened yesterday providing transitional housing for up to 60 women and children, twice its former capacity.

John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods constructed a new 11-unit apartment building named The Second Mile Home, in honor of the 20th Anniversary of Second Mile, the giving arm of the company.

It is an addition to the Wieland House constructed by the company nearly a decade ago at the Mission’s Village Atlanta Campus. Located in South Fulton County, Village Atlanta became a part of Atlanta Union Mission in 1992 and has been the center for the Women’s and Children’s Services, providing recovery programs, transitional housing, child care and counseling for both women and their children.

Hundreds of trade partners, dozens of suppliers, and HomeAid Atlanta contributed to the 9,000 square foot facility valued at more than $1 million. Each of the new apartments (three two-bedroom and eight one-bedroom apartments) includes its own kitchen, dining area and private bath. The Second Mile Home also includes common gathering areas for residents, laundry facilities and is fully handicapped accessible.

In honor of the 20th anniversary of Second Mile, Wieland and his company members wanted to create an opportunity to voluntarily participate in the construction of a significant community service project with their skills and time. Hence, the idea for The Second Mile Home was born.

In addition, The Second Mile Home presented the company the opportunity to extend a hand beyond monetary support by also utilizing the company's specialized construction skills.

More than 250 volunteers, company members and trade partners participated.

The Village Atlanta Campus completes Atlanta Union Mission’s continuum of care for women and children. The new residents will live in a supportive, drug-free environment while working or furthering their education to make the transition from homelessness to independent living. They will have access to counselors and support groups to aid them in their transition.

David Coleman, president and CEO of the Mission, said, “Women have been able to complete the transitional housing program without a dedicated campus, but we can now focus the staff support and resources at Village Atlanta solely on supporting their transition from recovery to independent living.”

Atlanta Union Mission can now house 1,160 men, women and children at its six campuses. The Mission was established in 1938 as a shelter for hungry and homeless individuals displaced by the Great Depression. Over the years, the Mission has grown from a single shelter in downtown Atlanta to become one of the largest homeless and recovery services providers in the Southeast, providing emergency food and shelter, residential recovery programs and transitional housing.

HomeAid Atlanta, the local chapter of HomeAid America, a non-profit organization formed in 1989 by a group of builders to address the critical need for transitional housing for the temporarily homeless public. HomeAid Atlanta operates under the auspices of the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association, focusing on the needs of homelessness in Atlanta. HomeAid enlists the help of builders, developers and trade partners nationwide to donate talent, resources and materials to the building of shelter for the homeless. Its mission is to build and renovate transitional housing for temporarily homeless children, women and men. This mission is accomplished through the donation of construction services and materials to local care providers, thus expanding the capacity of the care provider.

Founded in 1970, John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods is currently building in 25 neighborhoods across Atlanta. Named “National Builder of the Year” and “National Housing Quality Award Winner”, the company is the Southeast’s leading builder of move-up homes. While having a long-standing commitment to community development and involvement in the Atlanta Metro area, John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods company members donate not only money and gifts, but also their personal time and energy by building homes for Habitat for Humanity, participating in fund-raising events, tutoring children and much more through the Second Mile program.

To learn more about community outreach at John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods, please call the office of Community Outreach at 770-7013-2152 or visit www.jwhomes.com.

For additional information on HomeAid Atlanta, please call Ann Carey at 678-775-1408.