The Dunwoody Young Men’s Service League recently completed its annual Ultimate Gift Project, partnering with the Community Assistance Center to improve the grounds and interior of the Sandy Springs-based nonprofit’s facility.
The Community Assistance Center is a human services organization working to prevent hunger and homelessness in Sandy Springs and Dunwoody.
More than 130 YMSL members – 60% of the chapter’s membership – contributed nearly 400 volunteer hours to the project, according to a release from the organization. Volunteers weeded and mulched the grounds, painted benches and interior walls of the organization’s mini-market food pantry, planted new shrubs, and enhanced an herb and vegetable garden.
The improvements are intended to support the CAC’s mission of creating a welcoming environment for clients visiting its Canopy Thrift store and food pantry.
“The Community Assistance Center strives to ensure that all those who walk through our doors feel a warm welcome and are valued,” said Jessica Heidish, CAC volunteer manager. “Their engagement reflects a shared commitment to strengthening the community support system and ensuring neighbors in crisis are met with compassion and life-stabilizing support.”
Kelley Patilla, president of the YMSL Dunwoody Chapter, said the project reinforces the organization’s core values.
“The Ultimate Gift Project is about creating lasting impact — not just for the organizations we serve, but for the young men and mothers who volunteer,” Patilla said. “Together, we’re helping CAC provide a dignified, welcoming environment for every client, and that’s something we’re proud to support.”
The Young Men’s Service League is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization composed of young men in grades 9-12 and their mothers. The Dunwoody chapter was founded in 2021 and serves the Dunwoody, Brookhaven, and northeast Atlanta communities.
YMSL currently includes nearly 11,500 mothers and more than 12,500 young men across 130 chapters in 18 states. For more information about the Dunwoody chapter, visit its website. chapters.ymsl.org/chapter/dunwoody.