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District 6900 News for February, 2025
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By Gordon Owens This time last year, I challenged all the incoming club presidents at PETS to include me in their club fundraisers and service projects as part of my official visits. I've done a ton of great projects with clubs so far this year. From creating peace poles, building bridges, refurbishing houses, packing food boxes, feeding the homeless and many more. While I've been banged up on a few of these, I've never intentionally inflicted pain on myself in the name of a good cause until this past weekend. The Alpharetta Rotary Polar Plunge is an awesome event, open to all organizations to help them raise money for their cause. Several other Rotary clubs came to jump in the cold pool and I encourage more to leverage this opportunity next year. I will be back to defend my belly flop title and raise another $1,000 for Polio Plus. I hope no matter what you are doing to serve your community you put 100% into it, even if you know it's gonna hurt!
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Membership | Foundation | Polio Plus
By Gordon Owens In most sporting events there is a clear leader headed into the locker room at half time. Our district scoreboard keeps track of not one, but three games at once. Club's are competing for membership growth, annual fund giving and support of polio plus in each of our 4 club size categories. The scores are updated monthly so club's know exactly where they stand. Our combined team effort goes into our score as it relates to the other districts in our zone. Our district is on top of the leader board for giving to the annual fund ($352k) and polio plus ($226k) which puts us well on our way to the close to $1,000,000 we give annually. However, membership is a different story. According to the latest MAP Report, we are down 13 members from the start of the year and 62 new members behind the number we need to induct to grow as a district by the end of the year. Imagine how we could increase our impact, not just to The Rotary Foundation, but to our communities if we grew Rotary in District 6900.
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April 24-27 | Jekyll Island
By Ryan Swertfager Get ready for an unforgettable Rotary experience! From April 24-27, 2025, Rotarians from Districts 6900, 6910, and 6920 will gather in beautiful Jekyll Island, Georgia, for a Multi-District Conference filled with inspiration, fun, and fellowship. For more information and to register, visit GeorgiaUnitedDC.com This year's conference promises an incredible lineup of dynamic speakers, engaging service projects, and plenty of opportunities to connect with fellow Rotarians from across the state. Whether you’re looking forward to fun on the beach, delicious meals, or networking with other passionate members, Jekyll Island is the perfect backdrop for this momentous event. [more] |
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GeorgiaUnitedDC.com
By Ryan Swertfager A common concern about the first-ever joint district conference is, where are all the people going to stay? We have hotel rooms blocked at every hotel on Jekyll Island and believe it or not there are still some rooms left. Here are links to our room blocks that are still honoring our group rate, but these will expire soon: There are also rooms at the Hampton Inn but our group rate has sold out. If you want to extend your stay before or after the conference you may need to call the hotel to check availability and rates. [more] |
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GeorgiaUnitedDC.com
By Ryan Swertfager Most of you are accustomed to registering for conference on Rotary6900.org, but this year the conference has its very own website, GeorgiaUnitedDC.com. When you click on the registration button, it takes you to a form on DACdb and many of you don't have a login for DACdb. Not to worry, you can register through DACdb as a guest. Just select the "Guest Registration" tab at the top of the form and follow the prompts to get signed up for our first-ever joint district conference. See you in Jekyll!
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PolioPickem.com
By Gordon Owens You don't need to know anything about football to have an advantage in this big game pool. There are 32 bets to make like will the national anthem take more or less than 2 minutes to sing. How about will coin toss result in heads or tails. Every $20 entry fee provides 50 doses of the polio vaccine and the winner gets half of the pot, so it's a win-win. Share this fun opportunity with friends and family and make your watch party even more exciting. Enter to play today and be sure to click the button on the thank you page to make your picks.
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March 10-15 | Western North Carolina
By Chris Brand Rain, shine, hot or cold, even snow hasn't been able to stop our disaster relief trailer. We are headed back to Western North Carolina to work on rebuilding projects the week of March 10. We will stay at the YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly at one of their lodges. We will work hard every day and enjoy some group fellowship in the evenings while supporting the local economy. The first several trips have not only been provided fulfilling work, but some great camaraderie. We hope you can join us for some or all of our next trip. Fill out this quick form to sign up.
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Growing Rotary
By Dave Schwickerath Here are a few proven ways to help your club retain its existing members and attract new ones. We've even included some tools from other districts in our zone to keep your club from having to recreate the wheel. Our district membership team is here to help, so be sure to reach out if you want some assistance implementing any of these in your club. - Club Membership Event
- Create Social Engagement Opportunities
- Consider Corporate Memberships
- Prioritize Increasing Our Impact & Expanding Our Reach
- Rotary International Membership Leads
Read the full story to expand on each of the 5 ways to grow your club including links to resources to help you implement them. Let's finish this Rotary year stronger than ever by growing our clubs. [more] |
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7:30pm, Saturday, February 22
By Gordon Owens We sold out our initial block of 100 tickets for the Atlanta United home opener and we now have over 120 Rotarians from all three districts coming out to cheer on the 5 strips. If you missed the first chance, you have until February 7 to get your tickets. Be sure to use ROTARY25 at checkout to get our group rate.
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Rotary International Convention
By Steve Ivory The Rotary International convention is June 21-25th, 2025 in Calgary, Alberta. Don’t miss the chance to visit highlights of the Canadian Rockies and the great resorts while in the area! Plus spend July 1st in Canada as the country celebrates Canada Day – and still be home for July 4th celebrations. It’s a win-win! Good Life Travel has put together a tour where you can be pampered at 3 of the region’s most coveted five-star resorts, check out all the details. [more] |
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Foundation Matters
By Bob Hagan In 2004, a modest $5,000 donation to the Rotary Foundation from the Rotary Club of Roswell, Georgia, became the seed of something extraordinary. Through the Foundation’s matching program, it grew into $20,000—funds that helped launch a transformative project in Pilar, Argentina. This grant supported two critical initiatives: "El Mandamiento," a soy-based food processing kitchen feeding thousands in community kitchens, and essential equipment for the municipal hospital. The ripple effects of this single grant have been profound and far-reaching. To learn more about how giving to TRF turns into impactful global grants, register for the next Foundation Matters webinar.
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Innovative Club Models
By Audley Knight We've all heard the expression, "many hands make light work." However, most of our clubs are decreasing in size, which makes the important work we do to serve those in need in our community that much harder. Every one of our communities has Rotarians in them that just can't make a traditional Rotary meeting work for them. It may be breaking away for 2 hours during the work day or the cost associated with feeding club members. Our membership team would love to help you start a new innovative club or satellite. Check out how easy it could be with this 8-step guide we borrowed from zone 33.
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PolioPickem.com
By Gordon Owens Most of our Polio Pick'em pools have been revolved around sports but this one is for all the movie lovers out there. Pay your $20 entry fee and then make your picks for best actor, best actress, best movie and many more categories. This one is perfect for the movie fanatic who can't wait to see which films or stars win the Oscar at the Academy Awards on March 2. The person with the most correct picks will win half the pool up to $1000. The other half will go to Polio Plus and provide polio vaccines to children around the world.
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Our Rotary Foundation
By Bob Hagan It is with great pleasure that I am able to report that District shows that we are ranked first in the following categories: - Polio Total Giving (Cash + DDF) by nearly $100,000
- Polio Per Capita (cash + DDF)
- Polio Per Club Ave (Cash only)
- Polio Per Capita (Cash Only). We currently place second in Polio YTD % change.
District 6900 is also ranked first in Annual Fund Total Dollars and Annual Fund % Donor Participation. We currently place second in Annual Total # of PH Society Members. All of this is a wonderful start and now we want to maintain and extend as we move through the rest of the year. [more] |
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End Human Trafficking
By Dave McCleary A special thanks to the three Columbus area Rotary clubs and Piedmont Midtown Columbus hospital for hosting three days of human trafficking training for law enforcement officers. We had the sherifs office, department of corrections, Army CID, local police departments, GBI, FBI and the Attorney General's office engaged in the training. We also had many victim advocacy groups there to build relationships as the law enforcement agencies need these partners to truly solve this problem in our community. In addition to our hosts, we also had a warm welcome from the First Lady of Georgia and the Columbus Mayor. We will be at it again in March in the metro Atlanta area at the Delta Flight Museum.
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Disaster Relief
By Mandy Timmons Rotarians from all three districts in Georgia joined forces with local volunteers in Augusta and rolled up their sleeves recently to tackle a major restoration effort, with the support of our Disaster Relief Trailer. The mission? To restore and revitalize a Girl Scout camp damaged by severe weather, ensuring it will be ready to welcome campers this summer. Our team accomplished an impressive list of tasks: - Rebuilt a foot bridge to improve access across the campgrounds.
- Reconstructed a deck, that was torn off the side of a building.
- Removed dozens of fallen trees, clearing dangerous debris from the area.
- Demolished storm-crushed cabins, making way for future rebuilding efforts.
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By Mandy Timmons PDG André & Walter Marria, District Polio Plus Society Chair Paddy & Chandler Sharma, and Americus Past President Reda Rowell recently embarked on a transformative trip to India, serving communities and experiencing the global reach of Rotary’s initiatives. A major highlight was their participation in administering polio vaccines to children—a significant step toward achieving Rotary’s mission to End Polio Now. Their efforts, alongside local Rotarians, demonstrated the power of global collaboration in creating a healthier world. [more] |
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Leaving A Lasting Legacy
By Lee Hollingsworth When you donate to the Rotary Foundation, every dollar goes farther. Our unique model amplifies contributions through matching programs, often turning one dollar into three. Unlike other organizations, Rotary allows donors to see their impact firsthand. You can visit, work on, or even initiate projects that transform lives. In a time when donors often worry about where their money goes, the Rotary Foundation stands apart. Zero dollars are spent on overhead from your contributions. Instead, your donations multiply, fueling peace, goodwill, and life-changing projects worldwide.
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Disaster Relief
By Mandy Timmons When disaster strikes, Rotarians are ready to serve. Our Disaster Relief Trailer, recently made its way to Western North Carolina, providing critical support to families whose homes were devastated by severe flooding. With winter’s chill setting in, the stakes were high as families faced the daunting challenge of rebuilding and returning to their homes. Thanks to all the D6900 Rotarians who made the trip! [more] |
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Use Brand Center videos to promote Rotary
By Mandy Timmons In a new Brand Center video, “Unstoppable,” we tell the story of Rotary’s historic role in helping rid the world of polio. We started this job over 40 years ago and we haven’t stopped since. Members have contributed more than US$2.7 billion and countless volunteer hours to this cause, and our goal is closer than ever. Show your community what Rotary does – and can do – by sharing this exciting video on your website and social media channels.
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Rotavette.com
By Will Daniel The Rotavette Raffle is a great opportunity to help us raise money for the Rotary Annual Fund from outside of our membership. Everyone has a friend, neighbor or family member who is a car guy, that would love a 1 in 3000 chance to win a Corvette C8. Asking "that guy" to buy a $100 raffle ticket is a much easier ask, than saying, "will you give $100 to our Rotary Foundation." The money we raise this year, will come back to us in 3 years in the form District Designated Funds to support community grant, competitive grant and global grant projects. The more we raise, the more impact we will have in the future. Thanks for helping us share this fun opportunity to support the Annual Fund.
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8am, March 29 | Columbus, GA
By Stephanie Windham As you embark on your journey as leaders of your Rotary Club, we are excited to invite you to attend District Training Assembly on March 29 in Columbus, Georgia. This vital event is designed to equip your club leadership with the knowledge, skills, and inspiration needed to lead your club effectively and make a meaningful impact in the communities we serve. Registration Is Open. [more] |
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By Mandy Timmons Dr. Mary C. Kelly, close personal friend and US Naval Academy classmate of DGE Steve, recently delivered an inspiring keynote on overcoming challenges that cause members to leave Rotary, emphasizing the role of leadership in creating stronger, more engaged clubs. Dr. Kelly urged leaders to inspire purpose, lead with positivity, and show members the value of Rotary. She challenged clubs to ignite the S.P.A.R.K., creating vibrant spaces where members thrive through service and connection. Dr. Kelly will share these insights at Peachstate PETS with presidents-elect from Rotary Districts 6900, 6910, and 6920. Learn more about Dr. Kelly at ProductiveLeaders.com. [more] |
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RYLA Update
By Jaclyn Donovan If you know me, you know that RYLA is something that I am 110% passionate about. RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards) is a summer camp that aims to give our District 6900 teenagers the opportunity to build their leadership skills. You can read more about it at www.RYLA6900.com or check us out on Facebook and Instagram. RYLA is my jam. Here are the top fivew(of the many) things I love about RYLA: - The Students – so many different personalities and talents from all over! From the valedictorian to the kid who sits in the back of the class, from the team captain to the one who hardly ever speaks out loud… all leaders in their own special way. RYLA helps them discover themselves and how they can make contributions as leaders at school, at home, and in their communities.
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GRSP Update
By Katheryne Fields Georgia Rotary Student Program Chair Ian Bond honored Frank E. Bentley, Jr., Rotary Club of Sandy Springs and M.A. “Doc” Jaleel, Rotary Club of Peachtree City as well as J. Milton Heard, IV, Rotary Club of Macon, with respective resolutions and proclaimed them each as Trustee Emeritus members at GRSP's late January trustee meeting. The Trustees also selected students for academic year 2025-26; clubs have pledged to sponsor 37 students and a handful of other clubs have expressed interest. [more] |
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By Mandy Timmons On January 25, we hosted an incredible Leadership Training Day with our district committee chairs and assistant governors to gear up for PETS and the 2025-2026 Rotary year. Let’s make the 2025-2026 Rotary year unforgettable together! [more] |
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Club News
By Buck Buchanan In December, the Rotary Club of Marietta Metro held a birthday celebration for one of its distinguished members, Bob Brown. Robert E. Brown was born in 1926 and turned ninety-eight on his most recent birthday. In itself, it is a very notable event but as he gave a few remarks about his incredible life he mentioned he’d been involved with Rotary for seventy years. I have known Bob for a number of years, but I did not know he had been in Rotary that long. So, I told him we had to tell his Rotary story.
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Club News
By Mandy Timmons In the true spirit of service, the Decatur Rotary Club spent their Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend giving back to their community. Rotarians, including DG Gordon and Ashley Owens, came together to help restore the home of an elderly couple in their neighborhood, bringing smiles, comfort, and hope to a family in need. [more] |
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By Kathryn Igou When Roswell Rotary member Bill Wolff called President Nancy Alterman about making a donation for a holiday project, Nancy knew just what she wanted. “There are so many holiday projects for children and youth, but not enough for our older community,” she said. “And so many are in need of basic essentials. So we wanted to honor the seniors that are on the Roswell meals on Wheels Program as well as those who are part of the Roswell Senior Community Center." The donation from the Wolff Family Foundation was made in honor of Patsy Wolff, who was the first active female member of the Roswell Rotary Club. [more] |
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Club News
By Ada Wikina The Rotary Club of North Cobb partnered with Rotary Club of Umuahia, District 9142 to host an all inclusive Christmas party for a rural community in Nigeria. It was an electrifying atmosphere for men, women and children in Awuja community in Akoli Imenyi, Abia State. This community is challenged with infrastructural deficits; inaccessible road, lack of healthcare center, electricity, toilet facility and clean water. The Christmas party featured polio immunization, distribution of food items, clothing, games, health check, and gifts from Santa Claus. At the Christmas party, a Past District Governor Grace Okaro who is a member of the Rotary Club of Umuahia revealed that there is ongoing plan to provide toilest and water facilities for the community. [more] |
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Club News
By Mandy Timmons The 2nd Annual Peachtree City Rotary Half Marathon & 5K was nothing short of incredible! With over 650 registered participants, nearly 200 dedicated volunteers, and support from approximately 50 generous sponsors, this event was a true community celebration. Thanks to the tremendous turnout and collaboration, we raised significant funds to benefit our many charity partners, making a lasting impact in our community and beyond. [more] |
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Club News
By Alexis Degraffenreid At Midtown Atlanta Rotary, we have come to realize that engagement drives impact and deserves a committee focused on engaging everyone from the newest member to our seasoned veterans. The results so far have been remarkable—and even a bit surprising. From July to December, our membership engagement skyrocketed from approximately 50% to 81%. Our members are more connected than ever before, and it’s clear that this renewed focus on engagement is paying off. Learn more about our story. [more] |
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By Judith Fuller The Brookhaven Rotary Club kicked off 2025 by making 200
ham and turkey and cheese sandwiches for The Sandwich Project. TSP provides
sandwiches to organizations who support those living with food insecurity.
TSP’s mission is to feed needy Atlantans while fostering a community spirit of … [more] |
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By Claudia Mertl The Rotary Club of Atlanta Southern Crescent presented a program on "What is Rotary" to the Jonesboro Kiwanis Club, conducted by Claudia Mertl. The Kiwanis Club gave a program about Kiwanis to our Rotary Club, conducted by Kiwanian President David Knowles. Both Clubs learned a lot about the two organizations, reunited with friends in the community, and met new friends. It is a wonderful way to get to know each other better and plan future meetings and projects. Rotarians Tom and Claudia Mertl are pictured here with Kiwanians Lou Hisel (VP), Susan Johnston (Program Coordinator) and Karl Johnston (Secretary). [more] |
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Club News
By Darlene Daly When the Rotary Club of Stone Mountain welcomed District Governor Gordon Owens in December, the day began with an insightful board meeting presided over by President Darlene Daly at Friends of Disabled Adults and Children (FODAC), where members viewed the District’s disaster relief trailer and engaged in meaningful discussions and updates. After DG Gordon's inspiring presentation, we inducted four new members and traveled to the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Clarkston Friendship Forest StoryWalk, a project that reflects our commitment to literacy and community service. DG Gordon participated in reading My Voice is a Trumpet, this month’s featured book, and we presented a check for $600 to support 2025 book purchases. And there was mroe ...
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Club News
By Steve Cory After receiving a competitive grant from District 6900, Rotary Club of North Fulton is making great strides in bringing awareness to the importance of CPR training and AED use in the North Fulton Community. Working together with the Alpharetta Public Safety Department, the Milton Fire-Rescue, the Roswell Fire Department as well as personnel from Wellstar Hospital, 9 classes have been held to teach citizens how to perform CPR and use an AED - with 160 people trained to date.
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Club News
By LeighAnn Dicesaris The Rotary Club of Columbus was honored to welcome Kevin Blair, Chairman and CEO of Synovus, as the keynote speaker at our January 8th meeting. Introduced by Past President George Flowers, Mr. Blair delivered an impressive update on Synovus growth and provided valuable insights into the evolving financial landscape. [more] |
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Club News
By Kathryn Igou The 2nd Annual ChristKindl Market Roswell was even bigger and better in 2024! From the food booths to the crafts to the Bulloch Hall Gift Shoppe, there was plenty for everyone in the community. There were free tours of historic Bulloch Hall, a beautiful Christmas tree for pictures, and Santa! Borrowing from German holiday markets, this event has been beautifully adapted to reflect Roswell’s unique charm. The City of Roswell, Friends of Bulloch Hall, and Roswell Rotary joined together with Munich Event Group and local artisans and vendor to create a magical experience that truly embodied Roswell's community spirit. [more] |
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Club News
By Rani Singh The Rotary Club of Emory Druid Hills distributed several of the 100 + blankets, generosity donated to our club by former member Paul Patel, to poor homeless people in downtown Atlanta on New Years Day 2025 in Rotary spirit of service. It truly warmed our hearts to be able to help some of the homeless in this freezing cold. [more] |
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Club News
By David Sofferin The Rotary Club of Thomasville is proud to have Ivan Correa Santoyo , a distinguished sophomore at Thomas County Central High School, selected as one of District 6900's six outbound Rotary Youth Exchange students for the 2025-26 school year. Ivan will spend his RYE high school year in France. [more] |
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Club News
By Jared Evans The Rotary Club of Atlanta West End is delighted to share the remarkable success of our latest Global Grant project, spearheaded by longtime member Mark Newman. This collaborative initiative united the club with Rotary partners from the United States, South Africa, England, and Germany. Made possible through the generous support of these clubs, the project stands as a testament to the power of global service and shared purpose. The local hospital's emergency department has been significantly upgraded with life-saving medical equipment. The project provided a state-of-the-art ultrasound machine, two advanced cardiac monitors, and an intraosseous (IO) device designed to deliver critical medications when standard intravenous access is not possible. The IO device is especially crucial for treating young children in urgent situations. [more] |
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Club News
By Kimberly Haase North Cobb Rotary Club has kicked off a significant service project in partnership with Georgia Kids Belong, under the leadership of Ada Wikina. Georgia Kids Belong is a subsidiary of America's Kids Belong. Their mission is to improve the experiences and outcomes for children in foster care, working to ensure that they find loving families in communities that welcome them. Georgia Kids Belong equips communities to dramatically improve the experiences and outcomes for Georgia's children in foster care. [more] |
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