Tragedy Strikes Newnan, GA

Coweta Community Foundation Welcome Home Project - Matterly gifts homeowners returning home welcome mats to greet them as they re-enter their homes for the first time since the tornado hit.

When an EF-4 tornado touched down in Newnan in the early morning hours of March 26, 2021, thousands of Coweta County residents were ready to help those displaced by the storm. In the days that followed, overwhelming generosity ensued. Donations of water and canned goods poured in until the Newnan Police Department then the Coweta County Fairgrounds ran out of room. Individuals, families, and businesses were eager to make financial contributions, but with hundreds of nonprofits in Coweta, how could they possibly know where their money would do the most good?

Enter the  Coweta Community Foundation. Founded in 1997, CCF is a publicly supported 501(c)(3) organization that helps focus local philanthropy on the community's changing needs. Almost immediately, CCF partnered with local emergency management agencies to create a Long-Term Disaster Recovery Fund to manage the overwhelming nationwide support. These efforts give the community and its many partners the infrastructure needed to create and sustain a long-term program aimed at restoring not only local residents and neighborhoods but also the community as a whole.

Welcome Home Project

“One piece we are really excited about is our homeowners are going back into their home after over a year of being displaced. We’ve created a program called the Welcome Home Project. We have a ribbon cutting ceremony and through one of our grants, Resurrection Lutheran Church in collaboration with Bridging the Gap, makes sure their refrigerator is stocked with food and they are presented with a welcome basket full of home essential items.”


- Kristin Webb, Executive Director Coweta Community Foundation

Nothing says “Welcome Home” more than a welcome mat!

When we heard the Coweta Community Foundation had the Welcome Home Project, we couldn’t help but to jump in and offer our front door welcome mats as our gift to the homeowners! We feel like doormats make the entryway to your home feel “welcoming” – after all, they are called welcome mats for a reason! We will be gifting the homeowners a new Matterly WaterHog fade resistant doormat as they make their way back home. We estimate an average of 5-10 doormats a month until all victims supported by the CCF have made their way back home. We are so honored to be a part of this Welcome Home Project and we hope this little gesture makes them feel back at home. We love helping our community and giving back to the people who support our company. 

A Bonus Entryway Gift

When we went to drop off the doormats to the CCF, we noticed their doorway could use a little refresh! (With their permission) we painted the door trim, added hanging planters to either side of the doorway, and of course gifted a WaterHog outdoor fade resistant doormat and a Neighburly designer doormat for the inside of their door! Now they have a welcoming entryway to greet people!

 

May 03, 2022 — Leah Whitehead