Cumming Nonprofits and Charities

I volunteer at Save the Horses every Saturday, rain or shine. It’s here I met Boris, the “love of my life”. At STH rescue animals and people all get a second chance!

It is an incredible nonprofit! I work as a tutor for an hour after every school day, and although that might feel like too much commitment to some people, the kids and the teaching really do make up for it. Honestly, during my first lesson, I was petrified whilst first teaching my class, but the kids were super welcoming and eager to learn, and tutoring is easily one of the best parts of my week now. The interns and overseers were great as well- they are very flexible and easy to reach out. I asked a myriad of questions the first week, and the interns were all very courteous in their replies, and quick to reply as well. I honestly feel as if though the program has done more for me than I have done for it; it has made me more confident in my ability to teach, and my ability to communicate. It has also done wonders for my patience. So, if you wish to join, or involve yourself in the program, I HIGHLY recommend it! Again, it is a lovely nonprofit.

The African Girls Hope Foundation is an extraordinary nonprofit doing deeply meaningful work for some of the world’s most vulnerable girls. I’ve had the privilege of serving on the board, and I’ve seen firsthand the dedication, compassion, and integrity behind every program they run. This organization is committed to providing hope, education, safety, and opportunity in regions where girls face tremendous challenges. Their team works tirelessly and responsibly, ensuring that every resource is directed toward real, lasting impact. What inspires me most is their belief in the potential of every girl—and their willingness to walk alongside them to help unlock that future. If you’re looking for an organization that truly changes lives, empowers communities, and uses its resources wisely, I cannot recommend the African Girls Hope Foundation enough. Their work matters, and it shows.

I am Dave Hofstetter, a 1969 graduate of West Point followed by a 21 years, 3 months and 4 days career in the Army at all levels culminating in an assignment with the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) Operations bringing a new joint unit out of the ground. I also was fortunate to be able to return to West Point for three years as an instructor in leadership and a key role with the Army Lacrosse Team. So hopefully that will give you all an indication that I have been around the block once or twice and have a basic knowledge and familiarity of many areas. I am also heavily involved in Veteran activities in and around Atlanta and I am particularly impressed with Carol and Joe LaBranche and their AboutFace-USA organization which expertly administers a wide and varied array of program to support veterans and their families. Carol and Joe are intimately involved in each program and they have established working partnerships with numerous supporting organizations and professionals to ensure the most effective approach and results. My wife and I visited the AboutFace Farm in Cumming, GA and personally witnessed how Project GROW is able to provide mental and physical support to veterans - and the produce is delicious! My advice to all is to take some time to examine all the programs available and then dive into one or two to realize the significant positive impact they are having on veterans and their families - it will be well worth the effort!!

FCPF has done a great job of promoting Forsyth County Parks, supporting the parks department and staff, and coordinating volunteers and donors to enhance the parks and park experiences. I have previously served on the board of this organization and continue to support as a donor because of the great work that this foundation does. The annual park exploration tour put on by the FCPF drives citizens to go out and explore parks that they would not usually visit. This enhances the visitor experience and helps educate the public on what Forsyth County Parks has to offer. The FCPF also does great work with donor funds to help make parks more accessible to all of the citizens with scholarships for parks programs, helping with grants for the Parks Department, and a recent purchase of an all-terrain wheel chair for use at Sawnee Mountain Preserve. The Forsyth County Parks Foundation is a great group with a focused mission to support the awesome parks system of Forsyth County.

I have been a foster and volunteer for the Humane Society for the past few years and have had the best experience. All the staff members are extremely knowledgeable and truly care about the animals. They are always available for their fosters, day or night. There have been many times that I have had questions or concerns regarding the health of one of the dogs that I am fostering and it is a relief to know that someone is always available to answer questions or examine the animal if needed. There is such a strong support system of compassionate individuals here. If you are considering fostering a dog or cat, I would highly recommend doing so through the Forsyth County Humane Society !!

The Place is the go to agency when residents are in need of food or have an emergency need. The Place continues to prevent deprivation and homelessness in Forsyth County! Food is the most fundamental of needs and by far the greatest one in our community. Our food pantry and Surplus pantry are available six days a week. On Wednesday a Noon Day Meal is provided to approx. 100 guests. <br>

A Call for Truth, Law Enforcement, and Integrity: What You Deserve to Know About Fraud at Meals By Grace<br><br>Dear Media Friends, State and Federal and Authorities:<br><br>This is not a letter that we never imagined having to write.<br><br>For many years, We have watched, with hope, as the organization known as Meals by Grace painted itself in a light of compassion and faith claiming to nourish the hungry, serve the broken, and honor God with its mission. But today, we must tell you the truth, however painful, about what lies beneath the surface. As longtime community servants, we believe in the dignity of every child, the honesty of every mission, and the responsibility we all bear to steward well the resources entrusted to us.<br><br>The Organization is not what it claims to be - <br><br>Meals by Grace claims to be a faith-based nonprofit whose mission is to serve hungry children in our backyard of Cumming, GA. But behind the carefully crafted social media posts and emotional galas lies a broken system of fraud, mismanagement, unethical behavior, financial misuse, and deep betrayal of community trust. Now, let's present a comprehensive overview of the facts.<br><br>Let me walk you through what many people have witnessed.<br><br>Gift Cards Intended for Children -<br><br>During the 2024 holiday season, generous companies donated gift cards meant for the children’s cards that were intended to bring smiles and dignity to families during one of the toughest seasons of the year. But instead of delivering those cards, Jaclyn, the staff therapist, refused to distribute them, citing “uneven dollar amounts.” She then concealed their location. When staff members asked about them later, they met with silence and the disturbing truth was revealed: some of the cards had been used for Jaclyn’s personal benefit.<br><br>When staff began checking on the clients Jaclyn claimed to be managing, it was discovered that many had never even met her particularly Hispanic families, which make up over 30% of Meals by Grace’s clientele. Jaclyn speaks no Spanish. She never attempted to use interpreters, never showed up consistently, and never reported honest progress. Yet she draws a salary from donor funds, all while operating her private practice Hope and Growth Counseling out of the nonprofit’s facility.<br><br>Yes, that’s right: a licensed therapist, paid by donor funds to serve families, was running her personal for-profit counseling business from Meals by Grace’s offices on Keith Bridge Road and using office hours to do so. This is not just unethical, it’s illegal under IRS nonprofit regulations. You will notice on the online business listing for Hope and Growth that Ms. Barnum lists Keith Bridge Road as her office location. She alleviated the complete address to ensure that she would deceive anyone that might discover that she was using the 3540 Keith Bridge address of Meals by Grace. So she only lists Keith Bridge in her business listing for potential clients. Everyone at Meals by Grace is aware that the founders allow her to use the donated office space as her personal business for client meetings. By the way, the founders recently made her a 'partner' in the nonprofit scheme which is why they terminated several employees that reported her abuse and fraud at Meals by Grace.<br><br>And what did the founders do about Ms. Jaclyn's fraud?<br><br>Nothing.<br><br>In fact, when staff began asking questions and raising concerns to Stephen and Suellen, several employees were fired, and the rest were forced to sign NDAs (Non-Disclosure Agreements) to cover up these practices. Let that sink in that the organization used intimidation and legal threats to silence whistleblowers instead of correcting wrongs.<br><br>Moral Corruption - Hot Cakes in the Kitchen<br><br>The Daniels publicly depict themselves as Christian leaders, praying over meals and quoting Scripture. But multiple board members and staff witnessed a shocking and scandalous affair between Suellen and the husband of Nancy, an affair that destroyed relationships and morale within the team. Still, there was no accountability.<br><br>Leaders like Carmen looked the other way. No one on the board stepped in to address these systemic problems that robbed the children of their right to a quality service as promised by the organization. Instead of grace and truth, this is a case of fraud and abuse. When a culture of corruption is encouraged and accepted the people that we hurt most are children, families, and donors who were left to carry the weight of empty promises and heavy lies..<br><br>FINANCIAL MISMANAGEMENT ON A SHOCKING SCALE<br><br>Of the $1.7 million raised in 2023, only $44,484 a mere 2.5% went to food. Meanwhile, $651,000 went to payroll. And in 2024, payroll is projected to jump to $962,000 nearly half of all revenue. That means half of your donation is going directly into salaries, not service.<br><br>Meals by Grace spent $75,000 on building and maintaining two websites mealsbygrace.org and ministriesofgrace.com both of which say nearly the same thing. This same marketing vendor alone has charged over $88,000, and no one knows what they produced in Social Media. However, he understands how to manipulate and flirt with Suellen Daniels. Based upon the 'hot cakes' incident mentioned earlier we understand that she likes to flirt. <br><br>Meanwhile, the warehouse workers who are the people actually serving families, hauling boxes, and sweating through Georgia heat are sleeping in their cars in the parking lot because the organization cannot afford to pay them a living wage. The owners Stephen and Suellen feel like they are doing him a favor by allowing him to cook in the kitchen and sleep in the parking lot.<br><br>And as for the food? Much of it is expired, donated leftovers from grocery stores. Why is an organization with a million-dollar budget relying solely on expired food? Where are the fruits and vegetables? Where is the investment in health, dignity, and long-term solutions?<br><br>False Statements<br><br>You’ve heard the stories: “We serve 15,000 volunteers a year.” But this is a deliberate manipulation of language. What they count are volunteer shifts, not people. Many of those shifts are filled by the same volunteers week after week. In fact, at their most recent gala, they couldn’t even find 10 extra volunteers to help run the event.<br><br>They claim the average age of a child served is five. That’s false. It's closer to eleven. Why the exaggeration? To evoke a stronger emotional reaction. To pull at your heartstrings. To pull in your dollars.<br><br>A failure to life families from surviving to Thriving<br><br>Daniels frequently preaches about “moving families from surviving to thriving.” But where are the job training programs? Mental health support? The life-skills classes? For seven years, Spanish-speaking families remained stuck in the system without communication, without counseling, without direction.<br><br>Only recently did Meals by Grace hire someone with social media skills not to serve the families, but to promote the brand. The new admin was asked to call Spanish-speaking families. She was horrified to hear what they had been through the lack of contact, neglect, and confusion all because Jaclyn never spoke their language, never showed up, and never cared about learning.<br><br>Truth and Accountability Matters<br><br>We write this not out of bitterness, but out of deep love for our community and a moral obligation to the families and donors who deserve better.<br><br>We are calling on the Board of Directors, law enforcement and the faith community, and on donors and volunteers to rise up and demand:<br><br>A full financial audit and investigation by an independent firm or law enforcement of the financial abuse, Gift Cards, Vendor Contracts and Fraud<br>Review of Jaclyn Barnum illegally using the nonprofit organization as her personal business to meet with clients without payout leasing fees and double-dipping. She was working on her personal business when she was supposed to be developing personal development plans for the Meals by Grace clients. <br>Immediate dismissal of any staff using nonprofit resources for personal gain<br>A public release of how all funds are spent – not in vague percentages, but in line-item detail<br>New leadership committed to integrity, service, and accountability which exposes board members and Carmen McCauley for being complicit with these fraudulent activities simply because of personal gain and glory.<br>A new board governance policy that ensures oversight, transparency, and ethical compliance<br>This is not about vengeance. It’s about justice. It’s about ensuring that the next $1.7 million dollars given by hard-working families in Georgia doesn’t end up in the wrong hands.<br><br>Final Thoughts<br><br>We are called to protect the vulnerable. To tell the truth when it’s uncomfortable. To love in action, not in words alone. If you’ve ever donated to Meals by Grace, you deserve to know how your money was misused. And if you care about hungry children in Georgia, then we urge you to support organizations that truly feed, serve, and empower families.<br><br>This is your time to act.<br><br>Don’t let silence protect corruption. Don’t let faith-based language disguise exploitation.<br><br>Let’s stand for the truth. Let’s build something better. With respect, courage, and conviction, without fraud.<br><br>Dr. K. Smith<br>University of Georgia – ‘Go Bulldogs’

The Georgia Student Scholarship Organization offers Georgia parents the chance to select an educational environment for their children. This organization simplifies the process for Georgia taxpayers to redirect a portion of their state taxes towards enhancing private school education. Dave Neyer, the organization's President, is known for his thoughtfulness and professionalism. <br> <br>-Al Pratte

Feed the Hungry Forsyth is doing awesome work for a larger need than most people realize. It feels good to be part of a team following in Jesus's footsteps - feeding the hungry. We are serving more people every day at an accelerated pace.

This organization changes lives every day. It changed my life 12 years ago when I went through and it changed my families lives as well. I was hopelessly addicted to drugs and alcohol and saw now way of ever being free of it. Until someone told me about NLB. Upon completion No Longer Bound helped me find a job at a company called Special-T. This year I took over as president of the company. All thanks to this amazing organization. <br>-Brandon Rayburn

I applied for a Female puppy and they denied it for the simple reason that my FEMALE dog wasn’t spayed. I provide the best care to my dog and we live in a 2.5 acres with no kids. RESCUE a dog shouldn’t be that difficult and less when the dog is not pure breed. WE ARE JUST TRYING TO SAVE A LIVE!!!

Great rescue ~ many pups saved and placed into vetted homes. Owner is a great lady with a big heart for helping furbabies doing whatever it takes! Thanks Releashed ...

Georgia has finally since 1838 and the Forced removal of many of our kinsmen, recognized the remaining hundreds of Cherokee descendants remaining in Georgia and the Southeast United States.See: Cherokee Trail of Tears, also Cherokee forced removal, Cherokee removal Forts.<br>Our mission is to tell the true story of the unlawful and illegal removal of our Cherokee people from the Southeast. Google New Echota Historic site, Vann House Historic site. There is no museum in Georgia to preserve the history and culture of the Great Cherokee people. In addition to assisting our great Cherokee people, we will be building a State of the Art Cherokee culture center and event complex. Thanks for Helping us achive this GOAL.

NAAM USA has inspired me in many ways. Its all about the Immersion in like-minded people who collectively working towards an underlying cause. The organization is relatively new and absolutely undergoing a learning curve during their initial journey . I hope this organization can make a big impact to the society which supports Senior care and Children’s Education .

CHM is always ready to help! They help men get a new beginning, they help the hurting community by provided needed items from their Thrift Stote. They will just pray with you if that is needed. The thrift store is one of the best in the Cumming area. I believe in their work !

Its an overall good place full of opportunities and flexibility as far as jobs ,cars ,support in every aspect, physical activities, college, etc. This group home makes a safe environment for all boys in the home and does a great job with schooling resources and after school programs. I came into the home, 14 turned 15 and my 2 month experience has far exceeded my expectation, i've been with dfcs and foster care for about 8 months, previously living at goshen valley boys ranch, "not a good group home in my opinion" and its been a journey of maturing and really growing in ways that are far more than natural with all the support that foster care offers, i feel as if though i was taken away from home, i was blessed to be able to be a part of this and ill go back home being the best person i can b.<br>

The local Cumming, GA NSDAR chapter is a growing chapter in our community. The NSDAR offers an abudant mix of service and volunteer opportunities through our chapter committees. We work with local schools and award high school seniors with the DAR Good Citizen Award, offer essay contests for students in 4th-8th grades, work with veterans with "Treat the Troops," support our local Title One schools with supplies, work with Operation Christmas Child and many more. We have monthly meetings the second Sunday of the month beginning September -May and we offer outings to local DAR and historical sites, we even have our own chapter's historical book club. If you are interested in joing the local Chestatee River NSDAR chapter and know of an ancestor who faught in the American Revolution, we would love to speak with you and invite you to join our chapter. Please email us at chestateerivermembership@gmail.com

I have been a CASA for almost 6 years and have served over 8 families through the years. I am so blessed to be a part of something bigger than myself. This is a wonderful organization that supports the community but most of all changes a child's story! Join me and please give!

I have been volunteering with this organization since it's founding in 2018. The memorable experiences I have had assisting all these Combat Wounded, Veterans, Active Duty and their Families have truly been humbling. I look forward to the next year of volunteering.

Our students at Shiloh Point look forward to working with their mentors every week. It is fun to see the smiles even when they have to do hard work. Mentor Me has had a huge impact on some of our students. Sylvia has been instrumental in connecting strong mentors to our students. Thank you Mentor Me.

Age Well Forsyth works with agencies to fund programs for seniors and their caregivers. The money we raise stays in the county. One of our passions is to create a positive, supporting environment for Alzheimer's patients and their caregivers. It's a great organization to become involved with, and we are looking for volunteers to help us with our mission.

Wonderful education, in a smaller teacher to student ratio. HCA focuses on serving the community with numerious service projects during the year. Horizon Christian Academy is called to encourage, motivate, and develop our students to continuously grow in all areas of their lives: spiritually, academically, socially, physically, and emotionally. Horizon’s primary mission is to assist in the preparation of children and teenagers to fulfill the Great Commission; in essence, to develop world changers for Christ. Since its establishment, Horizon Christian Academy has been blessed with the ability to grow not only a school, but also a generous community of loyal supporters.

I started volunteering at Whispering Hope in the Spring of 2009, and I think what impresses me most about all of the staff and volunteers, both men and women, is how much they care for each individual client that comes through the door. Each women has a unique story and a unique situation, and each women needs unique solutions. We all try our best to meet their needs and to encourage them in their parenting journey.