Friends of English Avenue Inc

HISTORY:

Friends of English Avenue, Inc. (FOEA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established in the wake of the tragic death of 92 year old English Avenue resident, Kathryn Johnston.  Ms. Johnston was shot and killed in her own home by the Atlanta Police in a botched drug raid, and the three former police officers involved in the incident are now serving their prison sentences. 

Atlanta businessman, John Gordon, saw an opportunity to fill Ms. Johnston’s life with lasting meaning.  He teamed up with Reverend Anthony Motley, a minister in English Avenue for over 35 years, to provide resources and hope to a community in dire economic and social straights. 

MISSION STATEMENT: 

The Friends of English Avenue, Inc. (FOEA) is founded on justice,generosity, and virtue.  FOEA’s mission is to make English Avenue a safer and better place to live , improving our broader community of Atlanta.  FOEA fulfills this mission through a focus on the following green-space development and public safety initiatives: 1) Establish & Enhance green-space (Garden, park, playground); 2) Crime Reduction; 3)Clean-Up/Beautification; 4) Empower residents/ organizations to make sustainable change.

PROJECTS: 

Urban Farms– We have transformed two vacant lots formerly being used for criminal activity into thriving urban farms that beautify the community, employ residents, and provide 3,000 pounds of fresh, organic produce annually to residents living in a federally designated food desert.

FOEA Music Program – We are pleased to announce the FOEA Music Program will continue under the direction of Jamal Stokes, an accomplished musician with extensive experience teaching music to children! 

Our students and their parents are thrilled that we are renewing this highly impactful program, where we help children with their homework, mentor them and of course teach music! We remain committed to the children of English Avenue and only through the generosity of our funders are we able to provide this special program!

Clean-Up/Beautifcation– In order to beautify the community and instill pride, instead of fear walking down the streets, we employ English Avenue youth to pick up trash, cut back overgrowth, and haul out tires.  Since 2010, our clean-up efforts have removed over 126 tons of trash and debris from the community.

WHO WE SERVE:

English Avenue is a 60 square block neighborhood located in Northwest Atlanta, blocks away from major tourism such as the Georgia Dome, the World Congress Center, Coca-Cola, and Georgia Tech. English Avenue has approximately 3,000 residents; 97% African American; 67% living below the federal poverty guideline. The high school drop out rate is over 50%. 57% of the homes are occupied and 43% are vacant (US Census Bureau, 2010).  The staggering percentage of vacancies is a huge public safety issue. According to the FBI, it is the largest open air heroin market in the southeast.  Crime, addiction, joblessness, lack of education, and lack of opportunities feed into the cycle of generational poverty plaguing the community.