Mayor Kasim Reed announced today that Buckhead Church and North Point Ministries, Inc., donated $75,000 to Atlanta’s Centers of Hope, which support kids and teens in the City of Atlanta.

Managed by the Department of Parks and Recreation, the Centers of Hope serve more than 4,000 young people citywide each year through leadership development training, academic enrichment courses and mentorship opportunities.

“Buckhead Church is an exemplary partner in our mission to ensure that young people have a fair shot at succeeding in life,” said Mayor Reed. “I want to express my gratitude for their ongoing support. Because of their commitment, Atlanta’s young people have a safe place to go after school, an opportunity to supplement their lessons, and a hotel meal to help them focus on learning, rather than on where their next meal will come from. Through the commitment of groups like the Buckhead Church, our kids and teens are able to reach their full potential.”

To date, Buckhead Church and North Point Ministries, Inc., have contributed $350,000 to help fund programming under the Centers of Hope’s ‘five pillars,’ including academic enrichment, character leadership, health and fitness, technology and community engagement.

Mayor Reed fulfilled his campaign commitment to reopen all 33 recreation centers in the City of Atlanta in 2010. Ten facilities were transformed into state-of-the-art, comprehensive learning centers with structured academic and recreational programs called “Centers of Hope.” Last year, the Centers of Hope provided more than 143,000 hot meals to their participants.

“The programs we offer to kids and teens in Atlanta would not be possible without partnerships,” said Amy Phuong, Commissioner of the Department of Parks and Recreation. “With Mayor Reed’s leadership, we have accomplished a great deal, but we can do even more when we work together. We welcome partnerships with any organizations with a shared interest in helping to ensure that our next generation has the tools to excel.”

"We love our city so much and feel deeply honored to partner with the Centers of Hope to help provide much-needed resources and safe havens for Atlanta’s youth. Our calling is to be consistently generous and prayerful for the welfare of our city. We thank the City of Atlanta for giving us the opportunity to partner together,” said Billy Phenix, pastor of Buckhead Church.

Today, more than 90 percent of kids and teens in the City of Atlanta live within 2.5 miles of a Center of Hope. The Department of Parks and Recreation has established numerous public-private partnerships and raised more than $5 million to fund Centers of Hope programs.