Business of the Month
The LaFayette Downtown Development Authority is accepting nominations for its Downtown Business of the Month program, which began in September.
The selected business will display a Business of the Month sidewalk sign and be the subject of a feature article to be submitted to the Walker County Messenger and posted on the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) website at www.lafayettegadowntown.com.
Businesses may be nominated for consistently providing a high level of service, for going beyond reasonable expectations to serve a customer in a special circumstance or for their community service efforts, such as supporting Main Street program events, Scarborough said.
Only businesses within the DDA area are eligible. Business owners and employees may not nominate their own business.
Nomination forms and submission boxes are available at LaFayette City Hall and the Walker County Chamber of Commerce in Rock Spring. The DDA website is under construction; new features will be added throughout the coming weeks, including an online nomination form. You can download a form by clicking on the link to the right.
Nominations are due by 5 p.m. on the last business day of each month.
The Care Mission named March Downtown Business of the Month
A Walker County couple's mission to care for needy area residents led them to establish a food bank and thrift store.
Deon and Kendra Phillips
LaFayette Downtown Development Authority (DDA), named The Care Mission as its Downtown Business of the Month for March because the agency provided food and lothing and/or household goods to more than 3,000 families last year on a $90,000 budget DDA Promotions Committee Chairman Bill Scarborough said.
Director Kendra Phillips manages the thrift store and distribution of "new beginning" kits containing kitchen items, linens and other household items. Her husband, Deon, coordinates food pantry operations and serves as chairman of Here I Am, an independent Christian, nonprofit organization that oversees the Care Mission and other charitable works
“The Phillipses are doing a marvelous job serving the LaFayette community,” Evelle Dana said. “They are kind, loving, hard-working Christians who work diligently to improve the physical and spiritual welfare of our community.”
“In addition to providing clothes and household goods at bargain prices, they have a food bank that serves many area residents,” said Dana, one of the Care Mission’s 10 volunteers.
The Care Mission opened its doors June 25, 2005, with only $500, Mrs. Phillips said, adding they “had a lot of help, dedication and prayers behind us to get it open.”
The couple felt moved to establish the mission when Mrs. Phillips, who worked at a similar facility in Catoosa County, saw an equally great need in Walker, she said. Meanwhile, Mr. Phillips and a group of men who met informally to help repair people’s homes formed Here I Am. Then that organization embraced Mrs. Phillips’ idea for the thrift store and food pantry.
Food assistance clients may come in three times in a 12-month period, she said. If they require additional food assistance, the Care Mission asks them to volunteer five hours or to provide a doctor’s note if they are unable to work.
“We want people getting the extra food assistance to volunteer to help them boost their self-esteem because some people think they have nothing to offer,” Mr. Phillips said.
He shared the success story of one former client who had not held a job because she felt under qualified. After volunteering and learning some skills, she got a retail job and then moved out of state for another job. He said he believes many people seeking a handout appreciate receiving a helping hand and learning the skills to better themselves and their circumstances.
Mrs. Phillips keeps prices in the thrift store, charging 50 cents for a pair of pants up to $5 for a suit, for example, so that needy people can feel that they are paying their own way.
The Phillipses know firsthand how financial adversity can strengthen character and bring people closer to God, they said.
After the mission opened and the need was greater than they realized, Mr. Phillips gave up his business to work full-time with the agency. Because Mrs. Phillips earns a small salary as mission director, the loss of Mr. Phillips’ income led the couple to tighten their belts considerably. They said their financial struggle has mirrored the struggles of the mission and the people it helps.
The mission and food pantry assist people in Northwest Georgia, they said. The food pantry serves almost as many clients from Chattooga County as from Walker.
Chattanooga Christian Community Foundation recently sent a check from an individual donor who earmarked the money for the Care Mission. The money came during a major budget crunch.
“If God brings them to us, we know He will give us a way to provide,” Mr. Phillips said. “We’ve never turned away anyone for lack of food.”
The “new beginning kits” go to fire victims and families assisted by the Family Crisis Center, which assists domestic violence victims from the four-county area; the Department of Family and Children Services; and A+ Women’s Care, which assists women with crisis pregnancies. Again, the Care Mission helps people in dire circumstances.
The mission works with Kids 4 Christ, Jeremiah Junction and other ministries. The mission provides Bibles, prayer books and fellowship, they said. The Narcotics Anonymous chapter received permission to meet at the building free because these people need healing, too.
Although the mission receives help from many sources in the community, including discounted rent from landlord Jim Powell, food donations from Food Lion, clothing donations and canned food drives at area schools, the mission needs greater support, they said. The community gives a lot of support at the holidays; however, the need is year-round, they said.
In the future, the mission hopes for more outreach from local churches, to develop a website, to move to a one-story building and to establish a soup kitchen, they said.
The couple moved to Naomi, a small community east of LaFayette, about 10 years ago from Wood Station. They have four children and two grandchildren
The Care Mission 105 N. Chattanooga St. LaFayette, GA 30728 (706) 638-3664 caremission@alltel.net
Thrift store hours
Wednesday-Friday 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
Saturday 10 a.m.–3 p.m.
Food assistance hours
Wednesday-Saturday 10 a.m.–2:45 p.m.
