“I’ve been homeless.” These words stunned the audience at the Northminster Presbyterian Church in Roswell last Wednesday. They were spoken by speaker Martha “Marty” Atherton, president of Volunteer Management, US, a firm dedicated to helping volunteering and volunteer- oriented groups, as she lauded the efforts of Homestretch volunteers, who had gathered at the church for an appreciation dinner. “

When Judy Garland clicked her heels, that wasn’t the first time somebody wanted to go home,” said Atherton. “Everyone wants a home to go to. That’s what you’ve done.” Atherton’s story recounted her flirting with destitution. Living in California at the time, Atherton moved to be with her mother in Georgia as she lay on her deathbed. The move was expensive and she was two weeks away from living in her car. She spoke up in church, asking that the members pray for her and, thankfully, a couple offered their finished basement as a temporary fix. Sadly, it’s a story that the assembled volunteers hear all too often.

Working for Homestretch, a group dedicated to providing temporary housing to needy families and helping them get back on their feet, the volunteers spend their time putting together family budgets, teaching life lessons and – most importantly – listening to the troubles of others. “You listened. You did that,” said Atherton to the audience. “You stopped and said ‘I am going to volunteer and I am going to listen. I am going to listen to what the needs are of these people.’ When we really listen, shutting out all other things, it’s really powerful. “You gave them keys,” she continued. “

The first thing you gave was dignity. You treated them with respect. Maybe they had no one else who treated them with respect and dignity. You gave them a role model. You showed the way they needed to live.

They should care about themselves.” Homestretch deals with the “hidden homeless” of North Fulton. Not the panhandlers or bag ladies we all associate with homelessness, but the family living in an extended-stay motel, or the couple living in their car or on a friend’s couch. They have shelter but not homes. This is what Homestretch does. By providing temporary homes for up to two years, the Homestretch volunteers work with the needy families who need to save up some money or get their lives back on track. They have jobs, but their expenses have just added up incessantly. These are the ones Homestretch helps. “You are making a profound and everlasting difference in their lives,” concluded Atherton.