MEN OF LAKE OCONEE CHANGES NAME TO NEIGHBORS HELPING NEIGHBORS AND WELCOMES IN WOMEN

Photo Credit: Mark Engel

At a recent July membership meeting held at Oconee Brewing Company, the two-year-old nonprofit organization Men of Lake Oconee announced it is changing its name. President Bob Massey told the 200-plus members and guests that the catalyst for the name change was the growing sense that the rapid success of the organization is, in large part, due to the support and contributions of women in the communities served.

“We’ve had a lot of women say, ‘why can’t I get involved?’ And they’re right,” he said. “The world is much better with all of us working together and sharing our combined skills to help the people in the community who really need it.”

Men of Lake Oconee will now be known as Neighbors Helping Neighbors which better describes the work and focus of the organization.

There are approximately 7,500 people in Greene and Putnam Counties who live below the poverty level and Neighbors Helping Neighbors (NHN) is designed to serve those in the two counties who need a hand up—not a handout. To ensure recipients are truly unable to help themselves, the organization identifies and qualifies recipients using a thorough internal vetting process.

NHN’s focus:  one-time critical need home repairs, repairing or replacing a primary vehicle for families, and Beds for Kidz—for kids who don't have a bed of their own. NHN primarily serves older adults, children, the infirmed of all ages, single working mothers and their children, military veterans, developmentally and/or physically challenged individuals, and low-income families. 

In the 24 months since the organization’s founding, more than 60 critical home repair projects have been completed and a number of replacement cars have been delivered to families or their own cars were repaired for families. In addition, more than 160 beds (hand-built by NHN volunteers from the First United Methodist Church in Greensboro) have been delivered to families where children don't have a bed of their own and are sleeping on floors or in a bed shared with siblings or parents.

In order to serve these neighbors NHN relies on two important elements: financial contributions and referrals of names of those in need.  Financially, the group looks to its 400+ members as well as additional monetary donations from friends, neighbors, and the community-at-large (with 100% of all monies collected going directly to projects). For referrals, the group actively and continuously engages with community partners and other individuals to identify those in need who meet the NHN criteria for assistance.

Neighbors Helping Neighbors is a unique group, organized to appeal to men and women who want to contribute to their community by giving some time and some money without having to commit to meetings, specific involvement, and unworkable time expectations.

Everyone in the community is invited—and encouraged—to join and help make a difference in the community in which they live.

To become a member, CLICK HERE>