HomeFirst Gwinnett Initiative Takes Aim at Homelessness

Streamlining the process by which a homeless family can receive help in a county with one of the highest homeless populations in the state of Georgia is no easy task.

You can ask any one of the leaders who met at the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce this week with Milton Little, President and CEO of United Way of Greater Atlanta. Board Members from The Primerica Foundation participated in this “round table” style meeting as well as other community, business and civic leaders.

Moderated by Milton Little, much of the conversation was directed to Matt Elder, director of HomeFirst Gwinnett, one of the nonprofits selected to receive grant funding from The Primerica Foundation in 2018 through the Neighbors in Need funding.

The meeting was the beginning of what will be a comprehensive campaign aimed at combatting homelessness in Gwinnett County.

HomeFirst Gwinnett is an initiative formed this year between the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners, the United Way of Greater Atlanta and The Primerica Foundation.

Over the course of the next six months, Elder will develop and execute a strategic plan for mapping out the county’s existing resources, coordinate efforts among those resources, oversee the construction and opening of a new shelter, work with police and hospitals to survey existing homeless populations and identify the newly homeless, and advocate for affordable housing.

The Primerica Foundation has donated a total of $149,000 to HomeFirst Gwinnett.

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