Angie came to the Grandparents Raising Grandchildren program when she found herself raising her grandson due to a difficult family situation.
Angie’s past had been very difficult and she, herself, had suffered a great deal of trauma.She did not want her grandson to experience the same hardships that she and her children had in the past.
Angie lived at the Cliff Apartments from 1979-2004. It was important for her to offer her grandson a better environment and an education. Early in his childhood, she began to involve him in local athletic programs.
Angie recognized that it was important to access local resources that would benefit her and her grandson. Someone told her about the Family Support Council’s Grandparents Raising Grandchildren support program.
Through United Way funding for these programs, she was introduced to many other grandparents having experienced similar situations. She no longer had to feel that she was alone. Up until that point, she had focused on what would best serve her grandson Jah.
After being introduced to the grandparent program, Angie began to recognize her own needs for connections, friendships, and emotional support. Jah was a very talented athlete and, even as a youngster, coaches recognized his athletic abilities.
Angie kept him involved in sports through the local recreation department’s year-round. This allowed her to meet key people who she involved in his life. She saw the need for good male role models that many of these coaches provided.
The Grandparent program provided the support, examples, and role models that she needed for herself. Jah just graduated as a senior in the class of 2020 from Dalton High School and was a key player on their football team for the 2019 season.
At this point, we would like to introduce you to Jahmyr Gibbs, the 2019 Dalton High School Running Back. Jah has been scouted by dozens of college football teams and has had 25 offers.
He has offically committed and signed to play at Georgia Tech. He played in the 2020 All American Bowl in Texas and he was awarded ‘Mr. Georgia’ by the Atlanta Touchdown Club and was nominated for Football’s Player of the Year.
This young man is not only a star in his grandmother’s eyes but also to everyone in this community who recognizes the name, Jahmyr Gibbs.
Without United Way funding for programs, such as Family Support Council's Grandparents Raising Grandchildren, Angie and Jahmyr may have had a different story.