Giving Tuesday
Dec. 3 — Polls are open for the runoff elections in DeKalb and the City of Atlanta today until 7 p.m. Find your voting location here.
☀️ Sunny and 44° today.
🎗️ Helen Brown Harden, the founder of legendary Westside restaurant Bankhead Seafood, died over the weekend, just weeks after the location reopened in Grove Park under the ownership of Atlanta rappers Michael “Killer Mike” Render and Clifford “T.I.” Harris.
🔌 According to Georgia Power, the company’s projected 12,000 megawatts load growth will triple by mid-2030 due to the proliferation of data centers in the state.
⚖️ Yak Gotti, a defendant in the gang and racketeering trial of alleged Young Slime Life members, was injured in a stabbing by another inmate on Sunday. ☃️ Sandy Springs will host a free Snow Day Movie Matinee featuring the movie “Frozen” on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. as an inclusive event for people with disabilities and their families.
💌 “Love Asheville from Afar” with music by LEAF Global Arts is a pop-up to benefit artists affected by Hurricane Helene on Thurs., Dec. 5 from 5-7 p.m. at Ponce City Market, supported by River Arts District Artists (RADA) Foundation, The Radical Hotel, Explore Asheville and Jamestown.
ELSEWHERE
➡ In a social media post, President-elect Donald Trump said that there would be “hell to pay” if Hamas didn’t return the remaining Israeli hostages by Inauguration Day.
🕖 Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter:
• Rough Draft acquires Georgia Voice
• Giving Tuesday
• Tucker Grinch
• Around the State: GPB
AND
• Volunteer Opportunities
Have a good day,
Collin & Sammie
🎄 Don’t miss this weekend’s Miracle on Peachtree festivities! Saturday kicks off with wreath decorating, then a hot chocolate crawl in Buckhead Village, ending with the Georgia Boy Choir performing at the tree lighting ceremony in Charlie Loudermilk Park. Get details and join the fun!
SPONSOR MESSAGE
1. LGBTQ+ news outlet Georgia Voice to become part of Rough Draft family
🏳️🌈 As first reported this morning by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Georgia Voice, the region’s premier LGBTQ+ news outlet, is becoming part of the Rough Draft Atlanta family.
Longtime Atlanta Intown editor Collin Kelley will take the helm and bring readers the news and features they need as we move forward into uncertain times for LGBTQ+ civil and human rights.
The Georgia Voice will continue as a free, monthly print paper distributed at more than 130 locations across metro Atlanta while bolstering its digital presence through the Rough Draft platform. And, of course, a new newsletter will launch in January.
👓 Read more about the Georgia Voice x Rough Draft in Collin’s Editor’s Letter.
Add a little magic to your holidays
SPONSORED BY ATLANTA BALLET
🩰 Let Atlanta Ballet transport you into the magical winter wonderland of The Nutcracker this holiday season, where falling snowflakes, twirling flowers, and spinning stars come to life.
💫 Be captivated by the beloved holiday tradition with its enchanting storytelling, stunning choreography, and live orchestra set to Tchaikovsky’s iconic score. Featuring innovative staging, vibrant costumes, and state-of-the-art video projections to create a visually stunning experience, this reimagined production is perfect for families and ballet enthusiasts alike.
Atlanta Ballet invites you to celebrate the spirit of the season and experience the magic of The Nutcracker anew. On stage at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, Dec. 7-26.
🎟️ Learn more and buy tickets here.
2. Nonprofit organizations hope for donations on Giving Tuesday
🎁 Giving Tuesday is today, offering an opportunity to donate online and attend in-person events to benefit nonprofit organizations.
Since its launch in 2012, GAgives has broken Giving Tuesday records year after year, both in the number of individual gifts and in total dollars raised.
“This year has been especially trying for Georgia nonprofits as they’ve been called upon for extra resources and manpower, whether that’s a result of the devastation of this year’s storms, the national housing crisis, community support for those directly impacted by the Apalachee High School attack, inflation, or a host of other situations,” said Karen Beavor, president and CEO of Georgia Center for Nonprofits.
💸 For more information on participating Atlanta organizations, click here.
3. Tucker Grinch starts his yearly travels through Atlanta
💗 The Grinch has gone from trash to treasure, thanks to longtime Tucker resident Sherry Cross. Fifteen years ago, Cross’ teenage daughter found a homemade wooden Grinch sitting on a trash pile on Midvale Road and brought it home.
“We were wondering what we could do with it that would be fun, and the tradition started – surprising people by putting it at their door or garage and having them pass it on to the next person,” Cross said.
Cross also had another idea: to track the annual travels of the Tucker Grinch. She attached a poem with instructions on how to pass on the Grinch and when and where it needed to be returned.
🌎 Learn more about the Tucker Grinch here.
🍽️ Every year, Open Hand provides more than 1.3 million nourishing meals to neighbors in need. Help us provide free, nutritious meals to individuals with chronic disease, homebound seniors, and those unable to cook for themselves. Donate to support those who need it most.
SPONSOR MESSAGE
4. Lawmakers recommend ‘multi-faceted approach’ to preserving Georgia farmland
🌾 Tax breaks for farmers, higher weight limits for trucks, and reforming Georgia’s Gratuities Clause prohibiting gifts to individuals or businesses top a list of proposals a legislative study committee issued during Thanksgiving week.
The state Senate Study Committee on the Preservation of Georgia’s Farmlands unanimously approved 11 recommendations on Nov. 25 aimed at slowing the conversion of prime farmland to development.
“It’s not a simple solution,” Will Bentley, president of the Georgia Agribusiness Council, said after the study committee adopted its report. “It’s going to take a multi-faceted approach.”
🚜 Read more in this story from GPB.
5. Volunteer Opportunities
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH HANDS ON ATLANTA
🎁 Operation Christmas Child (pictured) is looking for individual and group volunteers at their Acworth processing center until mid-December to help prepare shoeboxes for international shipment. To view available shifts, you can register here.
🧅 Grady Health System needs volunteers for its Fresh Food Cart at The Grady Asa Yancey Health Center on Wednesday morning. Expect to sort, pack, and distribute food directly to patients.
🧠 Hands On Atlanta is seeking volunteers to help at Love T. Nolan Elementary on Saturday morning. Enrichment activity roles include school captain, session lead, and general volunteer slots.
📧 Today’s newsletter was edited by Julie E. Bloemeke.
🔤 Don’t miss our new, daily word game – you have six chances to guess a five-letter word connected to a news story.