Then volunteer with us! When Bigger Vision reopens, we will be in dire need of volunteers! Positions range from meal providers to evening staff to overnight staff .
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ON VOLUNTEERING
HOMELESS FACT:
As of the last census count, there are more than 400 people in Athens, GA who are homeless. Unfortunately, there are only 200 shelter beds in the city, which means that only half of Athens' homeless population have nightly shelter.
Help us change this fact. Click here to learn more
The Bigger Vision is now open and back in full swing! We are settled into our new home taking guests on a nightly basis. Guests can call in starting at 5pm each night at 706-340-6062. Individuals receive a warm meal, a bed for the night, and a continental breakfast in the mornings.
Over this past year, THE BIGGER VISION has...
...provided 2,530 bed nights
...housed 122 individuals
...served over 6,000 meals
...offered 4,300 hours of volunteer time at the shelter
Bigger Vision inspires Bigger Giving!
Meet George Eubanks, a former guest of Bigger Vision. George now has a place of his own, a great job, and gives back to Bigger Vision through volunteer work. READ MORE HERE.
We Couldn't Exist Without Our Volunteers!
The Bigger Vision is run 100% with volunteer labor. Operating without a paid staff is no easy task, which is why The Bigger Vision is so thankful for our volunteers. Click here to hear stories from those who have given their time.
After being transient for twelve years, the Bigger Vision Community Shelter is blessed with a new home at 95 North Avenue in close proximity to downtown Athens, Georgia. The building is essentially a warehouse with office space right now. Bigger Vision is working with DSI Group of Athens to remodel the structure and redesign the building to fit to our usage needs. Presently, the mortgage is $3,000 a month and renovations are projected at $135,000 to take the building from bare to outfitted.
Our volunteers will be integral in working throughout the construction process to keep these costs minimal.
Our new design will provide bed space for 35 individuals and accommodate them with six toilets and four showers. An administrative office for staff and a separate bedroom area will be available for families in crisis situations. There will be a room for one on one communication and encouragement. A small kitchenette will be built out.
The grounds at Bigger Vision are quaintly perched beneath the train trestle on North Avenue. A landscape design class at UGA will use their talents to develop the green space around Bigger Vision post-construction. All of these blessings are possible through the time and donations of our compassionate volunteers. Demolition dates for the interior of the building will be announced soon and we hope to complete this work with in-house labor. Many exciting volunteer opportunities will be available and we hope to see everyone come out and have some demolition fun!
Our “bigger vision” is to provide homeless individuals a setting where they can address the issues which caused their homelessness and find the help they need when they need it. We cooperate with other homeless service providers for their help. The Community Winter Shelter is our initial program.
The Community Winter Shelter was first organized in 1998 as a mission of the St James United Methodist Church. It was first located in and supported by the church. The shelter became incorporated February 7, 2007, as The Bigger Vision of Athens, a non-profit tax exempt 501(c)3 organization. Funding is now provided by individuals, organizations and churches.
Our mission is to provide the individual who is temporarily homeless a warm, dry place to sleep each night on a first-come, first-served basis, by providing assistance as needed to help each person get back on their feet. To do this, each person is provided a drop cloth, a 2” foam mat, two blankets, a pillow and pillow case for the night. A variety of toiletries, socks, hats, and gloves are available upon request as long as donated supplies last.
The location of the Community Winter Shelter has changed five times over the last 12 years. Recently, The Bigger Vision has acquired a new building which will double our capacity to serve individuals who are homeless in Athens. Additionally we hope to be able to transition from an emergency winter shelter to a year round community emergency shelter with the acquisition of this building.
The Bigger Vision has many qualities that make us unique:
The Bigger Vision takes no public money. Instead, we
exist solely on private funds and donations.
The Bigger Vision operates under the principle that everybody
deserves shelter, regardless of their circumstances. This is
why we will never turn away a person because of money,
substance use issues, or any other personal reason.
The Bigger Vision is run with 100% volunteer labor, which
means that every cent goes directly to helping others.
What sets us apart?
CONSTRUCTION UPDATE—--01/09/12
The Bigger Vision is weeks away from opening our new home! Construction of the shelter is almost completely finished and we hope to be open before the end of January. Check back here often for the most up-to-the-minute news!
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Happy New Year!—--01/01/12
Happy New Year to all of our friends and family! We are excited at The Bigger Vision to see what this year has in store for us as we move forward! Our new home will be opening very soon and we will be housing guests once again. Thank you to all of our supporters over this past year for helping us help others!
Holiday Fashion Show—--12/14/11
Thanks to everyone who came out to support The Bigger Vision at our Holiday Fashion Show at the Georgia Theater! Because of our dedicated friends, we were able to raise some much-needed funds to help us complete the construction of your new home!
Donate Now!
The Bigger Vision currently operates only by the donations from generous supporters in the community. Your donation(s) will go a long way to helping us renovate, open and serve those who are homeless in and around Athens.
Ways to Donate:
1) Online via Pay Pal:
2) Check:
The Bigger Vision of Athens, Inc.
PO Box 49031
Athens, Ga 30604
3) Stocks, Bonds or other Financial Instruments
Donate
"Those who can, do. Those who can do more, volunteer!"
Shelter: Mailing: Phone: 706.340.6062
95 North Avenue P.O. Box 49031 Fax: 706.742.8026
Athens, GA 30603 Athens, GA 30604
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George Eubanks came to the Bigger Vision Community Shelter in the Fall of 2009 from a referral on the street. George moved from Gainesville to Athens, Georgia. With no contacts, he had a hard time making ends meet and finding a place to live. After being homeless for four years, finding a place for three months and losing it, he was in great need of a helping hand. Bigger Vision offered him sustenance and a place to stay until he could regain his footing. George stayed at the shelter and continued working his job in mechanics and HVAC. In the meantime, he started working and volunteering for The Bigger Vision Shelter. Today he is blessed with plentiful work, a strong relationship and has a home to call his own. He is also on the Board at Bigger Vision.
One of the best things about Bigger Vision in his opinion is the way the shelter and its volunteers foster encouragement and hope. “"Bigger Vision gives a sense of personal wealth. You are not just a homeless person,"” George stated when asked what motivates him to volunteer for the organization. George Eubanks is a strong example of how encouragement can turn someone’s world around and inspire others to give back to the ocmmunity.
is a recurring series highlighting Bigger Vision volunteers
Twelve years ago Barbara and Richard Andersen started working with The Bigger Vision Community Shelter in Athens, Georgia. In the beginning, the shelter was small and transient and held in a different church or donated facility each season from late fall through early spring. As the years passed, the Andersens have become more involved. Today they are the Co-Directors of Bigger Vision. Both Barbara and Richard have helped guide the organization to where it is now. Bigger Vision purchased a permanent facility at 95 North Avenue with a projected opening of Fall 2011.
The Andersens have regularly donated time and supplies to the cause of helping the homeless in Athens. Part of the program is overnight housing for those in need. Barbara often stays overnight with the guests, sleeping on a foam mattress along side everyone. Richard cooks meals regularly and shuttles guests to the shelter. When asked about their participation in Bigger Vision’'s day-to-day needs, Barbara very humbly defers and says, "“It’s bigger than just us. There are over 350 volunteers.”"
Barbara and Richard Andersen are two of the people who make Bigger Vision the compassionate organization that it is for the homeless. They add friendship and camaraderie to the shelter staples of a meal and a clean blanket and they keep hope alive for both guests and fellow volunteers.
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In the fall of 2010, Stephen McGarity was assigned to the Bigger Vision Community Shelter to write a fundraising plan for a class project. As a graduate student in Social Work at the University of Georgia, Stephen studied Social Empowerment and Community Development. Initially his plan was to finish the assignment and turn it over with limited involvement. As the semester progressed, however, he became very inspired by the philosophy of Bigger Vision. He admired the way Bigger Vision is open to everyone, regardless of personal history or creed.
Because of his admiration, he turned the fundraising plan into his professor and started working with the fundraising committee. Bigger Vision closed for the season and Stephen graduated in the Spring of 2011. Post-graduation, Stephen has helped execute the fundraising plan he created as a student. He looks forward to working in the shelter as a volunteer in the fall when the shelter reopens.
Volunteer Calendars
From this page, you can click the links below to view the calendars and schedules for the the three different volunteer areas available at Bigger Vision: Meal Providers, Evening Staff, and Overnight Staff. If you would like to get on the calendar as a volunteer, please visit our Volunteer page or click HERE.
Meal Provider Volunteer Calendar
Evening Staff Volunteer Calendar
Overnight Staff Volunteer Calendar
