After 13 Years, We’re Taking a Big Step!

A special message from our founders, Ruthie and Ian North:

As we work to equip our mentoring staff to manage their finances, care for their mental and relational health, and secure affordable housing, we keep coming back to this simple idea.

You can’t share what you don’t have. 

The community we serve are renters, paying incredibly high rents, in apartment complexes that are continually being bought and sold in a market where houses are generally selling for half a million dollars.

So when any of our families have the opportunity to look for stable housing, they move to other parts of Atlanta where that is still an option.

In partnership with Brookhaven Presbyterian Church, we have placed several Presencia families on the path to homeownership through our affordable housing initiative. We have encouraged and supported others to move toward homeownership.  

As we who are leaders try to model health and thriving, we recently decided to pursue housing for our own family.

We found out that we were eligible for assistance through the Atlanta Housing Authority, searched for a home, and found a place where we could live. We are now under contract on a home in the city of Atlanta.

This means that we will be moving our family out of our current apartment and into the city of Atlanta.

Our staff will take increased ownership of relationships with our students and parents. It’s exciting that they started as young students and are now leading and forming strong relationships with Presencia’s children and their parents. This is a dream come to life!

We both love our full-time work with Presencia and how we get to use our gifts to share, lead, and support the good work of this organization. We will continue in our roles at the Presencia apartment, office, and studio.

We hope to grow and get better and better at our jobs and our calling from a healthy place. And to make room for our team to grow into their work.

We have been so encouraged and excited to watch this happen over the 13 years of Presencia’s history. We hope it’s been encouraging to you as well.

God is so faithful to lead us towards wellness and life. We look forward to what the next chapter holds as we all grow toward flourishing!

With peace and joy,

Ruthie and Ian