Basic needs don't feel "basic" when you have nothing.
That truth became clear to Brenda Rhodes, president and founder of Simple Needs GA, while volunteering at a local shelter. She noticed residents lacked essential items and a safe way to store them. While many organizations focus on food, clothing, and shelter, Brenda spotted a critical gap.
"I didn't want to duplicate the efforts of the other nonprofits in our community," says Brenda. "No other organization was providing daily necessities. When people walk into a shelter, they often only have the clothes on their backs. And when they finally move into a home, they have nothing, not even a mattress or a pot."
Brenda founded Simple Needs GA in 2010 to address unmet, yet essential, needs. The organization started by distributing duffel bags filled with toiletries and other items to shelter residents and provided furniture to those moving out of the shelter. It has expanded its reach and now provides Cobb County residents with support that includes:
- Furniture, beds, household items, and cleaning kits for people transitioning out of homelessness
- Birthday gifts for homeless children, based on wish lists gathered by school social workers and shelter staff
- Gift cards provided to school social workers to purchase new shoes for disadvantaged children
- Christmas toys for families unable to register for other local holiday programs or those referred by schools or other agencies
- School uniforms for families struggling to meet required dress codes
Over the past 15 years, Simple Needs GA has helped tens of thousands of Cobb County residents. One 50-year-old woman lived in her car for two years while maintaining a job. When she could finally afford an apartment, she had no household items. Volunteers from Simple Needs GA delivered cookware, utensils, towels, sheets, lamps, and a mattress. That mattress meant everything to her: After sleeping cramped in a small car for years, she could fully stretch out.
"While we can't solve every problem facing Cobb County residents," says Brenda. "we can come together as a community to bring comfort and dignity to our friends and neighbors in need."
Visit Simple Needs GA's website for more information and volunteer opportunities.
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