Dalton has so many inspiring and incredible nonprofit organizations that everyone in our community, and hopefully the surrounding communities, should be aware of. I have the honor of being a part of a few of these nonprofits, and I hope that you would pursue a passion to help these causes if you have the desire! These organizations run off of faith, donations, and volunteers. Maybe you're not available to give your time, but can donate financially, and vice versa.
Of course, the 10 nonprofits mentioned below are not the only ones in Dalton. They are simply the ones that I have chosen to highlight in hopes to bring more awareness to our community about these wonderful organizations.
1. Family Frameworks
Family Frameworks started under the Healthy Marriage Initiative, a Federal Grant that encouraged communities to strengthen the bonds of families. Since 2004 they have grown and offer classes and resources to help families in our community access vital information in their time of need. They recognize that in some cases, divorce is inevitable, however, the programs are comprehensive. The resources guide couples through dating, engagement, marriage and the struggles of relationships.
Currently Family Frameworks is teaching in every high school in Whitfield and Murray Counties. They also arrange mentors for couples needing premarital counseling and even couples that are struggling. Please email them if you are interested in any of our programs.
The goal is that children will be raised in a home with both of their parents.
2. Take Heart for Hope
Take Heart for Hope is an anti-human trafficking nonprofit located in Dalton, Georgia. Being the first organization of its kind in the North Georgia region, Take Heart for Hope recognizes the immediate need for educational awareness. As such, they are actively seeking and creating innovative methods to better equip our communities with both the proper tools and most effective resources for adequately identifying as well as adequately responding to the issue. At Take Heart for Hope, they refuse to be compliant in the degradation and wholesale distribution of human bodies. And that is why their mission spearheads the counteracting of human trafficking by way of moving the captive from bondage to hope.
1. Raise awareness and educate the community about human trafficking.
2. Partner with local authorities and organizations to create an anti-trafficking coalition.
3. Identify those enslaved.
4. Provide an aftercare facility in a safe environment where victims of human trafficking can begin the process of healing in mind, body, and spirit.
5. Confidently and securely transition each survivor back into the world.
3. Greater Works of Dalton
Greater Works Ministry's primary mission is to give aid to the Homeless of Dalton/Whitfield County. They provide a hot meal, showers, clothing and medical assistance when possible. The aim of Greater Works is to show Jesus’s unconditional love in everything that they do.
Volunteers are always needed and welcome to help serve meals, organize donated items, and many other opportunities.
4. Mercy's Door
The Purpose of Mercy’s Door is to provide a safe, stable, and nurturing-family environment for children between the ages of 6 and 18, who have experienced neglect, abuse, and abandonment, and are in need of a place to live as they heal in heart, grow in character, and experience peace of mind. Mercy"s Door has separate homes specifically for boys and girls.
Mercy’s Door I, II, III, located in Whitfield County provides short and long term residential care to at-risk youth referred by state and private agencies. The program staff will help children learn appropriate self-control strategies, effective relationship building skills, life skill fundamentals, and respectable behaviors.
Mercy's Door also has a resale clothing boutique on Cleveland Highway in Dalton, called Re-Vintage Vogue Boutique. You can donate your clothes here and the proceeds go to support Mercy's Door.
5. 1000 Words - Dalton Public Art Project
The "1000 Words" movement is the catalyst to promote and create public art in Dalton. They want to join local artists, sponsors & community leaders/volunteers together to create public art to beautify and inspire our town.
Their mission is to:
- Give Dalton a voice through public art
- Accelerate beautification
- Instill pride in our community
- Inspire the next generation
How can you help? The project will need ideas, sponsors, locations for art, artists and volunteers for this effort. Please message us if you can assist in any capacity!
We are excited about this effort and hope you can join 1000 Words to create a more beautiful Dalton!
6. Compassion House
The goal of Compassion House is to restore a stable and loving relationship between struggling parents and their children who have been taken into state custody and placed into foster care. Children and their parents are provided a safe environment for emotional healing from abuse, neglect, and separation.
7. The GreenHouse
Children receive services at The GreenHouse designed to minimize trauma and to restore a measure of childhood innocence. Our goal is to help a child be a child again.
As a Child Advocacy and Sexual Assault Center, The GreenHouse serves children who have been victims of sexual assault and/or severe physical abuse, as well as adult victims of sexual assault.
The GreenHouse is a partner agency with the United Way of Northwest Georgia and is also supported in part by the Children's Advocacy Centers of Georgia, Inc.
8. The Women's Enrichment Center
The Women's Enrichment Center is an outreach to families in our community. They are a local, nonprofit organization who seeks to provide alternatives to abortion-minded women and to lovingly help them.
Mission
Their mission is to promote life by offering help the following ways.
- Supporting women in need during and after pregnancy
- Bringing healing and wholeness to lives traumatized by abortion
- Presenting forgiveness through Jesus Christ the only Lord and Savior
- Challenging our community to adopt and help promote Godly views of life
- Teaching the value of sexual abstinence before marriage
9. The Emery Center
The Emery Center, formerly Emery Street School is located in Dalton, Georgia. Their mission is to promote awareness of African American culture and heritage while fostering an atmosphere of trust, integrity, and respect for all cultures.
The Emery Center has current openings for history-enthused, service-minded volunteers that would like to provide assistance with Tours and Events as needed. Volunteers are provided information and materials in an effort to ensure that tourists are given the absolute best experience when touring our facility. Interested individuals are encouraged to contact The Emery Center by submitting a form on our webpage or call them at 706-277-7633.
10. City of Refuge
The mission of the City of Refuge the commitment to affecting real change in the lives of those left living in the margins of society by addressing the needs of the disadvantaged regardless of race, ethnicity, age, gender or disability and to help integrate them back into society to lead healthy functional lives. City of Refuge is committed to deploying men, women and resources into environments where difficulty resides, bringing hope to those who live there. The promise of a better life, along with the tools to build that life is the passion of City of Refuge.
