The Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce (GNFCC) recently named two local organizations its 2024 Nonprofits of the Year. This year's Small Nonprofit of the Year Award went to Brewable, while The Drake House was named Large Nonprofit of the Year at the North Fulton Focus Series event. Each year, the GNFCC honors outstanding North Fulton service organizations in recognition of the impact they have made in their communities.
Brewable: 2024 Small Nonprofit of the Year
Founded in 2018, Brewable is the first grassroots nonprofit of its kind in North Fulton County dedicated to the employment and enrichment of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). With opportunities to train, learn, and excel in a community café setting, employees, a.k.a. "Brewistas" not only gain the necessary skills and confidence to achieve long-term success, but also a sense of purpose and belonging in the community.
“This award is a testament to the dedication and hard work of our entire community – our Brewistas, our board of directors, our volunteers, and all of our supporters,” says Brewable Board President Nicky Rudd. “This is a win for ALL of us who believe in Brewable’s mission and contribute to making a difference. We couldn't have achieved this without their unwavering support.”
While there are similar concepts, not all are nonprofit organizations like Brewable. The organization offers meaningful, paid employment opportunities for adults with IDD and helps build skills in customer service and real-world problem-solving. The organization fosters an inclusive work environment and demonstrates the value of inclusivity throughout the community.
For more information on Brewable, please visit Brewable.org.
The Drake House: 2024 Large Nonprofit of the Year
In 2004, the idea of The Drake House began as a Leadership North Fulton class project to address the number of single mothers and their children who were experiencing homelessness. Two years later, The Drake House opened its doors with a goal of helping these families achieve economic independence and long-term stability.
In a recent interview with GNFCC Vice President Rebekah Anderson, Nesha Mason, President of The Drake House (TDH), attributed the success of TDH to the community support it has received since its founding nearly 20 years ago. She says, “My favorite part of The Drake House's history is the fact that it was born from community leaders that went through Leadership North Fulton through the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce and identified the need to provide housing for single mothers and their children who were experiencing homelessness – housing that would allow the whole family to overcome that circumstance with dignity and their family intact.”
As Mason explains, TDH offers programs like a professional women's career network, and it is trying to identify all the different ways it can support families. It is helping these single moms keep their families together, save money, pay down some debt, and work with program coordinators to help chart a path back to stability.
For more information on The Drake House, please visit TheDrakeHouse.org
Special thanks to GNFCC for recognizing these amazing organizations and the impact they are making throughout our community.