In 1986, a coalition of five Midtown Atlanta congregations conceived the idea of coordinating their outreach efforts under one organization. Each congregation believed that many services offered to the impoverished in Midtown were being duplicated by other congregations. Knowing that using their resources more efficiently would enable them to offer better service to more people, these congregations created the Midtown Assistance Center (MAC), a federally recognized, non-profit organization, qualifying under 501(c)(3) regulations.
The Midtown Assistance Center was originally housed in the Community Ministries Building at All Saints’ Episcopal Church in Atlanta. The Center opened with the mission of helping to sustain the working poor through a temporary financial crisis by providing assistance with rent, utilities, food, work shoes, tools, and public transportation. When MAC opened its doors, the center operated with a corps of volunteers and a part-time director. As the need for MAC’s services grew, it soon became necessary to hire a full-time Executive Director to run the program. Since 1994, Dorothy Chandler has served as the Executive Director and was joined, in 1999, by Jenny Jobson as Assistant Director. In 2001, MAC added a part-time Program Director, Deborah Hudson. Later in 2009, MAC hired Rebecca Richard, a full-time Program and Volunteer Coordinator.
Today the Midtown Assistance Center is located in the Atlanta First United Methodist Church and has the support of eleven congregations as well as the Midtown Alliance, many businesses, foundations, individuals, government entities, and volunteers. Members of its board of directors represent a cross section of the community.
Although much as changed at the Midtown Assistance Center since 1986, our mission has remained the same, to provide emergency assistance to the working poor of midtown and downtown Atlanta to prevent homelessness and hunger during periods of crisis.
