NorthFultonTimes

ROSWELL, Ga. —  For homeless mothers and children, food and shelter are number one priorities.  A trip to the dentist seems unthinkable.  But for families who live at The Drake House, an emergency residential housing program for single moms in North Fulton, the generosity of an Alpharetta dentist makes the unthinkable a reality.

Becky Drake Carlson, Eleanor Drake and Joy Lackey attended The Drake House’s volunteer dinner March 13 at First Baptist Church Roswell. The Drake House was named after philanthropist Mary Drake. Mary Drake was Ms. Carlson’s aunt, Ms. Drake’s sister, and Ms. Lackey’s lifelong friend.

“Now I can sit in a job interview and hold my head up and talk to someone eye to eye,” said a Drake House mom whose missing front teeth were replaced, free of charge, by Dr. Gary Leonard. 

Dr. Leonard has treated more than a dozen single moms living at The Drake House since the organization began providing homeless mothers and children with temporary housing in June 2006.  In honor of his commitment to his volunteer work, Dr. Leonard received a special Humanitarian Award at The Drake House’s Second Annual Volunteer Appreciation Dinner March 13 at First Baptist Church Roswell. 

Alpharetta dentist Dr. Gary Leonard received the Humanitarian Award March 13 for his volunteer work with The Drake House.

Drake House volunteers have contributed nearly 14,000 hours of work in the past year, and more than 100 of these volunteers attended the event, which featured dinner donated by Outback Steakhouse.  Volunteers contribute in many ways, including mentoring families, maintaining the 16-unit apartment complex where the families live, and working in The Drake Center food pantry, laundry room and office area.
“Our volunteer component is vital to the success of what we do,” said Gayle Kosiba, volunteer coordinator for The Drake House.  “We truly could not function without them.”

And while volunteers have contributed thousands of hours in the past year, new volunteers are always a welcome addition, Kosiba said.  The Drake House particularly needs male mentors to work with children.  With summer approaching, help with landscaping and maintenance is also needed, she added.

The Drake House Board of Directors President Kathy Swahn, right, presents dentist Dr. Gary Leonard with the Humanitarian Award for his volunteer work with the families at The Drake House

Drake House Program Director Christy Merritt sees firsthand the impact that volunteers like Dr. Leonard have on the lives of North Fulton women who live at The Drake House. At the banquet, she introduced three families who reflected on their experiences in the program, which includes housing, mentoring, advocacy, and life skills workshops.

 “We could not begin to meet the needs of our families and provide the level of services we offer without the help of our community,” Merritt said. “From our very first days, the North Fulton community has walked hand in hand with us in offering gifts of time, money and materials. We are incredibly lucky to live in such a generous community full of dedicated volunteers just like Dr. Leonard.”

For more information about The Drake House or how you can help, visit www.thedrakehouse.org or call 770-587-4714.