Emory Johns Creek Hospital is committed to our community.
We’ve added two floors to the hospital, three floors to the Physicians Plaza and a parking deck, all to better serve you and your family. The new areas provide physicians, nurses and our care teams an interdisciplinary space to focus on family-centered care and ongoing wellness, supporting you with the unparalleled service and knowledgeable professionals you’ve come to expect.
No matter your health needs – from routine to advanced – we’re here to help you make your health a priority.
Let's go!
Growing up, our family's summer vacation meant piling into the station wagon and driving five hours north for two glorious weeks on Lake Michigan. It was the only time I ever saw my mother napping mid-day. She would stretch out with a book, then slowly dissolve into a lounger on the deck of the cottage under a canopy of jack pines. She would play cards with us and giggle with her girlfriend. She would wear a bathing suit and sunglasses all day and I thought she looked glamorous. Vacation looked so good on her.
I hope it looks as good on me. Because, it sure feels good!
This month in our annual travel issue, we bring you stories of places faraway and nearer to home.
Wherever you go this summer, keep your eyes and heart open. Have a conversation with someone new. Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints.
Have a wonderful month!
SUE G. COLLINS, EDITOR @ALPHARETTACITYLIFESTYLE
July 2024
PUBLISHER
Jim Newman | jnewman@citylifestyle.com
EDITOR
Sue G. Collins | scollins@citylifestyle.com
SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER
Karyn Slovin | karyn.slovin@citylifestyle.com
ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTOR
Karla Wilkinson | Karla.Wilkinson@citylifestyle.com
COPY EDITOR
Stacy Conde
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Sean O'Keefe
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
Zac Chapman
Corporate Team
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Steven Schowengerdt
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Matthew Perry
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF HR Janeane Thompson
AD DESIGNER Josh Govero
LAYOUT DESIGNER Emily Lisenbee
Learn how to start your own publication at citylifestyle.com/franchise.
Our luxury furniture showrooms are open to the public on select days each month. With highquality, unique, and on-trend furniture that is available to take home same-day or schedule to have delivered and a team of expert designers ready to help, you are sure to find what you’ve been searching for at one of our exciting shopping events!
SCAN THE QR TO CHECK OUT UPCOMING EVENTS IN YOUR AREA!
Multiple locations in:
GEORGIA | DALLAS | FLORIDA
For over a decade, our team of expert designers have furnished thousands of homes, TURNKEY, all over the United States. We have cornered the market with superior products, lightning-fast lead times and unparalleled customer service and expertise! Reach out and let’s discuss what we can do for YOU!
We look forward to seeing you, Kristy & JJ Ortega
1: Owners Dr. Zinney and Michelle Zinney welcome the Emface tour bus at Zinnovations. 2: Charlie and Sarah Roberts graciously kick off the Milton Historical Society’s annual Spring Fling. 3: Bentley Atlanta was a proud sponsor of the Milton Historical Society Spring Fling. 4: Fashion For FurKids raised funds for the pups. 5: Sue Collins, Karyn Slovin, Kimberly Shires, Vera Hill, Jim Newman, Dr. David Hill
Bark Park
“I couldn’t have been happier with my decision to give Absolute Image Consulting a try, it has been by far my favorite place I’ve had over all my years. I find their hair systems to be top notch, the most up to date on the market, as are all the hair products that they offer. I can’t say enough good things about the company and staff.” - Client Testimonial
“My experience at Absolute Image completely changed my life. After suffering from hair loss since college, I’d also lost most of my self esteem and confidence along the way. The quality is truly astounding. They gave me my life back. They have me myself back. My only regret is not choosing this sooner and saving myself all those rough mornings in the mirror. If you’re considering hair replacement - do it.” - Client Testimonial
The newest amenity in the Webb Bridge Park Complex, the dog park was made possible by a generous donation from the Mulroy Family Foundation and the vision of Tim and Michele Mulroy and their rescue Golden Retriever, Pebbles. Webb Bridge Dog Park features areas for large and small dogs, plenty of room for furry friends to frolic, and (of course) lots of trees.
Summer With Wild Birds Unlimited
Birds Georgia (Formally known as Georgia Audubon) will present "All About Hummingbirds," their life cycle and how to attract them to your yard at the Wild Birds Unlimited in Alpharetta. This event is open to the public from 12 pm - 1 pm, Saturday July 13. Wild Birds Unlimited, 3000 Old Alabama Rd. #116, Alpharetta, 770.410.0799
Fashion for Furkids
Furkids Animal Rescue hosted "Fashion for Furkids." Partnering with fashion historian, author and City Lifestyle writer, Nancy Flaherty, the event showcased a stunning array of vintage and contemporary styles from Nancy's collection, trending fashion from Dillard's, and unique finds from Furkids thrift stores. Guests enjoyed royal tea, live music, and adorable puppies in outfits.
THE BEST NYC EVER
ARTICLE BY SUE G. COLLINS
A trip to New York City can be as exhausting as it is exciting. The throng of frantic people, the never-ending canopy of skyscrapers and the constant buzz of car horns and sirens are unavoidable and inevitable.
You can easily forget Manhattan is an island surrounded by active waterways where tugs push barges laden with our Amazon purchases to busy ports. Sailboats, ferries, yachts and even kayaks fill the East, Hudson and Harlem Rivers that circle the island, home to 1.7 million people.
What if you could still catch a Broadway show, eat at your favorite spot in Little Italy, shop ’til you drop, AND get a full night’s sleep without a lullaby of blasting sirens and annoying traffic noise?
Book a stay at The Graduate on Roosevelt Island, where fewer than 20,000 residents live quietly with nary a horn nor siren. There’s a tram that zips across the East River to Manhattan and the subway stop a block away connects you to
the city or to Greenpoint and Brooklyn. My daughter biked 15 minutes from Astoria, Queens to have lunch at Anything At All, the bright all-day lobby restaurant. The location couldn’t have been better. We’d stayed at two other Graduate Hotels (Ann Arbor, Mich. and State College, Penn.) so knew the decor would be on point, saluting creativity and learning with an Ivy League vibe.
We watched the sunset from the Panorama Room, the hotel’s rooftop bar and lounge with a 360-degree view from the southern end of Roosevelt Island. Get your fix of the Manhattan skyline while tucking into tasty small plates and sipping craft cocktails, posing against a backdrop of the East River, Empire State Building, Chrysler Building, MetLife Building and UN.
One morning, we explored Southpoint Park, with seven acres of native flowers and lovely landscaping, historic landmarks (Strecker Lab and Smallpox Hospital), a cat sanctuary, and the Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park. Designed by architect Louis I. Kahn, its name derives from a January 6, 1941 speech delivered by President Roosevelt, in which he described his vision for a world founded on four essential human freedoms: freedom of speech and expression, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear.
Fresh air, clean streets, room to stretch and a stone’s throw from everything you love about New York City, Roosevelt Island is a hidden gem. I’ll never stay anywhere else when I visit The Big Apple.
929.447.4700
GraduateHotels.com/new-york
The food at The Panorama Room is as remarkable as the view. The Graduate Hotel patio (below) and Queensboro Bridge to 59th Street in Manhattan.
ARTICLE BY SEAN O'KEEFE | PHOTOGRAPHY BY SEAN O'KEEFE, AS PROVIDED
Await St. Maarten and Saba
AN OCEAN LOVER'S PARADISE AT THE INTERSECTION OF THE DUTCH AND CARIBBEAN CULTURES
A perfect spot for a bath, overlooking the entire Caribbean.
If you are looking for an irresistible blend of natural beauty, rich culture, and thrilling adventures this travel season, look no further than the Dutch Island of St. Maarten. Warm breezes and a gracious welcome set the stage for what will be an unforgettable Caribbean getaway.
When visiting St. Maarten, Rainforest Adventure and The Flying Dutchman are not to be missed. After the 25-minute ascension to the top of Sentry Hill, guests are greeted with incredible 360-degree views of the neighboring islands. Luckily, a cocktail lounge offers a little liquid courage to those courageous guests taking the quick way down! An exhilarating 1,066-foot drop over 2,800 feet with speeds up to 56 miles per hour as you soar over the rainforest and rooftops. It’s the closest to fear and thrill you will ever know.
Philipsburg, the only beachside capital city in the world, is a beautiful, walkable city transporting visitors to the vibrant intersection of Dutch and Caribbean life. The Great Bay Beach scene rivals that of any city in the world. Bright pastel-colored, colonial-influenced historical buildings house the finest duty-free liquor, jewelry, perfumeries, and designer clothing shops.
From bustling markets, bakeries, and roadside eateries, to dockside fine dining restaurants, St. Maarten is a rich, delicious, global culinary adventure. The food scene is as diverse as the inhabitants of this robust island. While Caribbean, Dutch, Creole, and French cuisines have left their indelible mark on the emerging culinary landscape, its gastronomic prowess is representative of the more than 120 nationalities that call this wonderfully inviting island home.
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Looking towards Fort Amsterdam.
Hiking is a must do adventure while visiting Saba
The beautiful downtown of St. Maarten, full of color and life!
A short, 20-minute flight will land you on Saba Island, a veritable jewel amongst all the islands that make up the Caribbean. Saba captivates from the moment you land but please, mind the approach by air. It is always a miraculous landing. With its towering cliffs, lush rainforests, and colloquial atmosphere; it’s a haven for hikers and nature enthusiasts. Don’t miss Mas Cahones Hill. It is exhilarating! With charming villages and a rich cultural heritage, Saba offers a serene escape from the ordinary. From sea level to the top of Mount Scenery, some 2,900 feet above, Saba truly is a fantasy island - the unspoiled queen of the Caribbean.
Here are my picks for embracing St. Maarten. Enjoy salt fish and Johnny Cakes. Fine French pastries are your friend. Eat them. Go to Fort Amsterdam. It is a step back in time. Whatever activities you choose to do while visiting St. Maarten, your home away from home should be Oceans at Divi Little Bay. This luxury beachfront oasis is the ultimate traveler’s paradise.
Whether it’s relaxation or adventure, the Dutch Islands of St. Maarten and Saba are undiscovered Caribbean destinations waiting just for you.
RainForestAdventure.com
DiviResorts.com
SeasideNaturePark.com
VacationStMaarten.com
SabaTourism.com
Visit Seaside Nature Park and go horseback riding in the ocean.
Try to catch a jet plane at Maho Beach
Captain's Rib Shack is a must dine while visiting St. Maarten.
Being betrayed is devastating. At Couples Academy, we focus on your betrayal, marital, and individual recovery so you can regain certainty in your life
Being betrayed is devastating. At Couples Academy, we focus on your betrayal, marital, and individual recovery so you can regain certainty in your life.
EMSCULPT
HEAD TO THE MOUNTAINS
THIS SUMMER FOR A FRESH BREAK
Go North!
ARTICLE BY SUE G. COLLINS | PHOTOGRAPHY BY ZAC CHAPMAN & PROVIDED
“"I took a walk in the woods and came out taller than the trees."
—Henry David Thoreau
Summer in Alpharetta is a blast. With festivals, farmers markets and patio dining to keep us entertained.
But, a road trip north can bring equal parts lightness and adventure to your July, so we’ve put together a mountain getaway to make your summer sing.
Thanks to a new boutique hotel, downtown Clayton has a new look. Bridge Creek Inn opened late last year by the award-winning team at Indigo Road Hospitality. Located in North Georgia’s Rabun County, nestled at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and steps away from hiking trails, state parks, water adventures, and more, the renovated and expanded
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Photography by Zac Chapman
Bridge Creek Inn, Clayton
Bridge Creek Inn, Clayton
property was originally built in the early 1920s. Bridge Creek Inn’s bright, welcoming lobby boasts a rotating collection of work from local artists and a “history wall” of photography showcasing the past lives of the hotel.
The Vandiver, an American tavern-style restaurant, is slated to open later this month; but the coffee bar, BCI Coffee & Co, is serving grab-and-go house-made pastries, snacks, and sandwiches, espresso and coffee drinks, wine, and local beer on draft.
Bridge Creek Inn’s own hiking concierge Zach Girgenti can map out a customized itinerary for your outdoor adventures. Yoga in the courtyard, in partnership with Clayton Yoga, provides a complimentary class to guests, and Shady Creek Fly Fishing offers discounted rates to guests as does Laprade’s Marina Boat Rentals.
Wine tasting at nearby Tiger Mountain Vineyards in Rabin Gap offers casual tastings and higher-end experiences featuring paired tastings, vineyard tours, and more.
12 Spies Vineyards is pouring 14 labels in their Scaly Mountain seasonal tasting room. The Vineyard at High Holly is a family-owned and operated winery on nearly 30 acres of lush, rolling hills and boasts a working vineyard, award-winning dahlia garden, tennis courts, pond and waterfalls, event pavilion and walking trails throughout.
Bridge Creek Inn’s central location puts you nearby state parks (Tallulah Gorge and Black Rock Mountain), trails (including many day hikes on the Appalachian Trail), and water activities (whitewater rafting on the Chattooga River or boating on nearby Lake Burton and Lake Rabun).
Traveling can be hard on the bod. Long flights, time zone changes, sleep upheaval, scorching sun, big meals. Preparing your skin for your next big trip needs as much planning as your packing list. We caught up with Ashley Bechter, Practice Manager at First Body Wellness in downtown Alpharetta.
Q: WHEN YOU TRAVEL, WHAT THREE THINGS DO YOU ALWAYS CARRY WITH YOU?
A: These three products should be the foundation of your travel bag. Hyacyn Active Mist by Hydrinity (kills bacteria); Noni Skin Elixir by Epicuren (pre & post-sun
treatment - like aloe vera but BETTER); and Sunforgettable Flex Sunscreen by Colorescience (the BEST spf!).
Q: WHEN YOU TRAVEL, WHAT SNACKS DO YOU TAKE WITH YOU?
A: Chomps Sticks (quick easy protein!)
Q: DO YOU HAVE ANY SUMMER PLANS FOR TRAVEL?
A: Dominican Republic in July, Charleston in August. Have a great summer, everyone!
First Body is a premier med spa in Alpharetta, that specializes in advanced treatments to Firm, Invigorate, Rejuvenate, Sculpt, and Tone your skin and body. Led by Dr. Arnaldo Jimenez, the practice specializes in dermal filler injections, medical weight loss, and nonsurgical cellulite reduction, plus body contouring, RF micro-needling, and sexual wellness treatments for patients
FirstBody.shop
FirstBodyWellnessCenter.com
ART AND CULTURE REFINE THE CRESCENT CITY
A New Look at New Orleans
ARTICLE AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY SEAN O'KEEFE
The Grand Lobby Loews Hotel New Orleans
The Country Club, a social house and pool club in Bywater Arts district
Street art and murals dot the industrial buildings in Bywater Arts district
From my initial greeting by the hotel staff ... Loews exceeded my every expectation.
New Orleans has always been a place with an extraordinary energy. The culture of the city is persuasive. Its adventure is ever changing. I have always enjoyed New Orleans on my many visits over the years, but none has been so special as this recent trip to the Crescent City. Dominated by art and the city’s dynamic evolution, I was sure that this visit was going to move the needle on my love affair with all the sights and sounds that New Orleans has to offer.
Having a home away from home when traveling is optimal and Loews New Orleans offers both respite and luxury. From my initial greeting by the hotel staff through to the exceptional service I received while dining or simply having a drink at the bar; Loews exceeded my every expectation. Poydras & Peters, an American brasserie, is the hotel’s fine dining restaurant. Named for the iconic New Orleans intersection on which the hotel is built, the restaurant offers a glimpse into the history, relevance, and cultural diversity of this great American city.
Not to be missed while visiting this city that boasts over 2,643 dining establishments is Chef Donald Link’s Herbsaint Bar and Restaurant. Accolade laden, Herbsaint, is one of the best restaurants in the country and is helping to define dining in America. Also, check out The Chloe, a boutique uptown 14-room hotel housed in a renovated and refurbished mansion that invokes the spirit and glamour of New Orleans. The café is fun
and filled with everything that you’d expect in a New Orleans eatery, where the local flavor is not only in the food. It’s everywhere.
Café Du Monde, the original French market coffee stand, invites all who visit to enjoy the classic beignets and chicory café au lait, complete with all the French Quarter has to offer. Street performers, buskers, and musicians all add to the soundtrack. Just steps away is the French Market, an original Native American trading post turned indoor market for souvenirs and themed tchotchkes. My advice is to follow your nose. The city will certainly wake up all the senses as you stroll along the streets in this historic, ever-changing, eclectic city.
Just a little out of the normal, lunch at The Country Club is not to be missed. Just remember the contemporary creole cuisine isn’t the only spicy thing on the menu. There is quite a lot that this neighborhood has to offer. Located in the artistic Marigny and Bywater neighborhoods of New Orleans, the art galleries, cafes, and funky live music venues all add to the mix. It is a refreshing sojourn from The French Quarter.
Art is alive and well in New Orleans and it continues to move and shape the future of this incredible city. From the technologically advanced Vue Orleans, located 34 stories above the hustle and bustle of daily life, to JAMNOLA, an immersive, funhouse style, exhibit that celebrates the iconic art, music, food, and theatrics of this city’s more
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than colorful past. Art is also helping to script the speed and trajectory of New Orleans’ future.
Not to be missed on any art tour of New Orleans is The Ogden Museum of Southern Art whose mission is simply “to broaden the knowledge, understanding, interpretation, and appreciation of the visual arts and culture of the American South.” Located in the Warehouse Arts District, The Ogden boasts the largest collection of Southern art and is a poignant salute to all things that make the South such an integral part of our nation’s heritage. The museum’s hyper-personalized approach to collecting art and its carefully curated arts program adds to the understanding of fine art for all ages.
Whether you have been before or are lovers of the city, everyone who visits needs to take in an evening of jazz music at Preservation Hall and a tour of one of the city’s many historical cemeteries. There is so much to do when you are in town, plan wisely and remember to laissez les bons temps rouler.
LoewsHotels.com
HerbSaint.com
OgdenMuseum.org
Shop.CafeDuMonde.com
TheCountryClubNewOrleans.com
TheChloeNola.com
VueOrleans.com
JamNola.com
Sneak Peek! Homesteading Haven Coming Soon to Eastern Cherokee County
sites ranging from 5 to 20+ acres with lots starting at $35K/Acre
Uthan Vivek, MD, FRCS (Glasgow), FACS
Mehul Joshi, DO, MS, RPVI
Visharad Patel, DO, MS, RPVI
James Res, DO, RPVI
Carotid
Leg
Diabetic
Arterial Disease
Aortic Aneurysm
DIY Your Way To a Bug-Free Summer
Adult- and Kid-Friendly Natural Bug Repellents from A Beautiful Mess
ARTICLE AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY A BEAUTIFUL MESS
Adult Blend Kids Blend
(age 15 and over)
MATERIALS:
• 10 drops lemon essential oil
• 10 drops lemongrass essential oil
• 8 drops lavender essential oil
• 8 drops eucalyptus essential oil
• 1.5 ounces distilled water (minus 1 teaspoon to make room for the essential oils in the bottle)
• .5 ounce 95% proof grain alcohol*
INSTRUCTIONS:
In a 2-ounce spray bottle, add the grain alcohol (or Solubol) and drop in essential oils. Swirl to combine. Place the cap back on the bottle. Allow the oils to disperse in the alcohol for about 1 hour, then add distilled water, swirling again to combine.
MATERIALS:
• 10 drops lemon essential oil
• 10 drops lemongrass essential oil
• 4 drops lavender essential oil
• 1.5 ounces distilled water (minus 1 teaspoon to make room for the essential oils in the bottle)
• .5 ounce 95% proof grain alcohol*
INSTRUCTIONS:
In a 2-ounce spray bottle, add the grain alcohol (or Solubol) and drop in essential oils. Swirl to combine. Place the cap back on the bottle. Allow the oils to disperse in the alcohol for about 1 hour, then add distilled water, swirling again to combine.
*The grain alcohol is used as a preservative as well as a carrier for the oils, but you can also use a product like this instead of grain alcohol at a 1:4 ratio (1 drop essential oil to 4 drops Solubol) if you’d rather and then just fill the rest with water to fill the 2-ounce spray bottle.
While there can be concern about citrus oils on the skin when exposed to sunlight, lemongrass isn’t a photosensitive oil, and if lemon essential oil is steam-distilled rather than cold-pressed (Oui Fresh essential oils are cold-pressed) it can be used on the skin. So just make sure to note which one your lemon oil is and only spray on clothes if you don’t have a skin-safe lemon oil (which is an application method a lot of people prefer anyway if they are more sensitive to oils).
HEALTH AND STRENGTH
Mendocino's coast, a vegan resort, giant redwoods and charming community feels so good.
ARTICLE BY SUE G. COLLINS
PHOTOGRAPHY BY SUE G. COLLINS, STANFORD INN
When I told my husband that I booked a stay at the Stanford Inn by the Sea in Mendocino, California, I may not have mentioned that it was a vegan resort. He’s a life-long carnivore and starts and ends his day with milk. From a cow, not from nuts.
“Joan Stanford and her husband Jeff own the inn and they have created the most unique hotel lobby”
After the drive north from SFO, past Napa Valley and over the hills and through a tunnel of redwoods and the Anderson Valley wine country, we checked in and sat down to dinner at the resort’s whole plant-based Ravens Restaurant. The meals, inspired by the on-site certified organic garden, composting and recycling programs, the cleaning supplies, electric and bio-diesel fueled vehicles make Stanford Inn & Resort North America’s only truly sustainable destination. We tucked into the futomaki and maple-tamari glazed tofu and a glass of sparkling wine from Roederer Estate Brut, Anderson Valley, just down the road. We vowed to spend the next day wine tasting along Route 128. Dinner was an adventure, one that we both reveled in. Every dish was packed with flavor and the view across the farm to the Pacific was nourishing.
Joan Stanford and her husband Jeff own the inn and they have created the most unique hotel lobby I’ve ever experienced with a curated collection of books and gifts for sale to support a healthy and creative lifestyle. Tables and shelves in the lobby are neatly stacked with interesting titles and thought-provoking subjects. In Joan’s book, The Art of Play, she shares her journey through art and poetry and urges us to pay attention to the imagery our daily lives present to us, which can expand our awareness and joy. Sid Garza-Hillman is a certified nutritionist and the events and wellness programs director. She believes the closer the human species moves by degrees to its natural design, the healthier and therefore happier it will be. His titles include ULTRARUNNING FOR NORMAL PEOPLE: Life Lessons Learned On and Off
the Trail, Raising Healthy Parents: Small Steps, Less Stress and a Thriving Family and others . He plans private classes/sessions in nutrition and healthy living, cooking, creative playshops, breath-work, meditation, Chinese medicine, acupuncture, Tai Chi, yoga, massage and spa treatments, gardening, nature walks, mushroom foraging and more.
We discovered that when you eat clean, you feel lighter and stronger, which came in handy when we climbed into a dugout canoe at Catch A Canoe, the Stanford Inn’s outdoor adventure shop. Built by a local boat builder and designed for ease and comfort, the redwood outrigger was sturdy and fun to paddle up the moody Big River Estuary where we spotted families of river otters and harbor seals and felt the presence of coho and Chinook salmon and steelhead trout.
A drive down the twisting two-lane Highway 128 took us through the Navarro River Redwoods State Park where the road turned dark midday in a tunnel of magnificent second-growth redwood groves. Pull over and try to wrap your arms around a redwood. You won’t even hug a third of the massive trunk. The road leads from the coast’s windswept bluffs to the Anderson Valley, a bucolic wine country home to award-winning vineyards like Lula Cellars and Roederer Estate.
The charming and historic town of Mendocino is perched on dramatic cliffs, so stop in at the Bay View Coffee Shop (movie posters and cow’s milk!) and meet the Pacific head-on.
StanfordInn.com
Real Needs for Special People
ARTICLE BY JEFF FISCHER
Special Needs Respite (SNR) founder Stacy Georges holds a B. A. in Therapeutic Recreation from Purdue University. She started the organization in 2017 with the goal to serve as many of the 7,000+ families as possible that are waiting for state funded respite care. She and her husband Tom know the struggles of raising two special needs children into adulthood who require the accommodations other families seek.
Chloe Knouff and family
SNR helps bridge the existing funding gap that many parents have when trying to get childcare for their special needs child. “We can provide funds that will pay qualified caregivers,” Stacy explains, “to care for these children when no other way to pay is available to the parents.” SNR pays qualified caregivers or agencies to provide respite childcare for children with special needs so their parents can get a break; whether it's for several hours or several days. SNR has relationships with approved respite care providers in case parents do not already have a caregiver for their child.
The organization helps these families in the form of an "award," which is a set amount of funding that can be used to pay caregivers. The funds are set aside for three months, during which time the caregiver submits invoices to SNR as care is rendered. Once the funds are exhausted or expired, the award is complete. Families can get up to four awards per calendar year.
And since “special needs” is a broad category, ranging from mildly autistic to fully paralyzed and there is no approved list of diagnoses, Special Needs Respite will consider any child under 26. Stacy states simply, “For the purposes of being awarded a respite
scholarship, if you consider your child to have special needs, fill out an application listing the diagnosis along with a narrative describing your situation.”
With processes in place to serve families and meet the ever-increasing demand, SNR is seeking introductions to private businesses that are willing to make an investment in making social change by giving parents hope. “Parents tell us that knowing they can get a brief break helps them make it through another day," Stacy explains. The research has found that parents raising a special needs child are much more likely to divorce. In addition, these parents are prone to physical and mental health issues as they face isolation, depression, and despair. SNR can make a difference.
Stacy concludes, “Donations are the only way we can continue to provide this much-needed help to our community. Every dollar makes a difference in the lives of special needs families.”
Special Needs Respite, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit serving the metro Atlanta area. For more information or to donate, please visit SpecialNeedsRespite.org
JULY 2024
A SELECTION OF UPCOMING LOCAL EVENTS
JULY 4TH
Fourth of July Celebration
Wills Park, 11925 Wills Rd.
Celebrate our great nation with your family under the stars watching a brilliant display of fireworks at dusk at Wills Park. Attendees are encouraged to pack a picnic, including blankets and chairs, to accompany the 20+ minute show with friends and family. Free admission.
JULY 6TH
Fermented Saturday Wine Tasting
Fermented Wine Boutique, 50 Canton St. | 4:00 PM
Saturdays are for wine tasting! Taste and travel through five wines from family vineyards. Theme changes weekly. Saturday tasting experiences are available at 4 p.m., 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. Each tasting is 45 minutes. Free admission. For more information call 470-361-2091 FermentedAtl.com
JULY 13TH
Home by Dark at Brooke Street Park Concert Series
2 Park Plaza | 7:30 PM
Bring a blanket and a picnic, and enjoy free, live, family-friendly performances by different Alpharetta-based entertainment groups. Free admission.
Whether you're aiming for a modern chic look or a contemporary coastal aesthetic, our experts are her e to bring your vision to life. From selecting the perfect co lor palette to sourcing unique furnishings, we pay attention to every detail, ensuring a seamless transformation. Let us help you create a space that not only meets your practical needs but also inspires. YOUR DREAM
Editor’s
Travelogue
"You don't have to be rich to travel well." Eugene Fodor
1: You never know where you’ll find yourself when you travel. Upper Peninsula, Michigan.
2: Make new friends and keep your eyes wide open. Cayos Cochinos, Honduras.
3: The Blue Ridge Parkway, just south of Asheville, NC.
4: The Fairmont El San Juan in Puerto Rico.
5: A cup of sunshine in a tiny cabin from Escape Vacations.
Elevating every moment.
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