DULUTH, Ga. - TelAve -- While the sound of saws and hammers filled the air at their Downtown Duluth campus, Rainbow Village's leadership team was busy planning a show of gratitude for some of its most fervent supporters. With just a matter of months to go on its Building Homes, Building Hope Capital Campaign – expanding their current transitional housing capacity from 30 to 66 families for up to two years – the nonprofit dedicated to bringing Help, Hope, Housing, and Healing to families experiencing homelessness hosted a very special awards ceremony. The First Annual Volunteer Appreciation Awards was held on April 24, recognizing everyone from individuals and youth-founded nonprofits to local and national companies, at the end of the nationally celebrated Volunteer Appreciation Week.

"Rainbow Village is made stronger every single day because of our volunteers who choose to give their time, their energy, and their heart to our families," said Melanie Conner, the 501(c)(3) organization's CEO. "Whether they served a meal, led an activity, packed donations, mentored a family, volunteered at an event, or simply showed up wherever there was a need, their presence made a difference. Volunteering is more than checking a box or completing a task. It is creating moments of relief for a parent, joy for a child, encouragement for a struggling family, and connection for a community working toward stability. The kindness and consistency that our volunteers bring to each task remind our families that they are seen, supported, and not walking this journey alone."

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2026 Rainbow Village Volunteer Appreciation Awards recipients included:

Partner with a Purpose – Perimeter Church

Behind-the-Scenes Hero Award – Subaru of Gwinnett

Outstanding Leadership Award – Happy to Help, Inc.

Volunteer Group of the Year – Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Upsilon Alpha Omega Chapter

Rising Star Volunteer Group Award – Sri Sathya Sai Center of Northeast Atlanta

Community Engagement Volunteer of the Year – Sandy Barber

Family Engagement Volunteer of the Year – Carol Berlin

Although Summer 2026 volunteer opportunities are limited, Conner shared that following the expansion, Rainbow Village will require more volunteers than ever before as the organization more than doubles the number of families it currently houses. Future volunteer opportunities span the gap from preparing apartments for incoming families and supplying dinner on Family Meeting Nights to working the reception desk at fundraising events and stuffing snack bags for the Rainbow Village Academy program – just to name a few. Prospective volunteers are encouraged to complete the online volunteer interest form (https://rainbowvillage.formstack.com/forms/volunteer_contact_form_copy) and attend the Volunteer Interest Meeting in August. For those unable to devote time, Rainbow Village gratefully accepts donations and contributions to its Building Homes, Building Hope Capital Campaign (https://rainbowvillage.org/capital-campaign-building-homes-building-hope/). For more information about Rainbow Village and its mission, please visit www.RainbowVillage.org.

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