History on display
Apr. 1 — Hi, Silver Streak readers. It’s Collin Kelley subbing for Julie E. Bloemke today.
The Freedom Plane touched down at Hartsfield-Jackson last week, carrying an exhibition of some of the nation’s most historic founding documents from the National Archives. The documents are now on display at the Atlanta History Center in honor of the 250th birthday of the United States.
I distinctly remember when the Freedom Train pulled into stations around America during the 1976 Bicentennial, loaded with historical artifacts like the ruby slippers Judy Garland wore in “The Wizard of Oz,” the original Louisiana Purchase document, and Martin Luther King Jr.’s pulpit. Get more details below.
🕓 Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter.
• Van Parys returns to Wylde Center
• Good Samaritan Health Centers
• Freedom Plane
AND
• Stories of Atlanta | Lance Russell
Enjoy!
Stephanie Van Parys returns to helm Wylde Center
🌻 After a tumultuous few years, the Wylde Center is on an even keel once again with the return of Stephanie Van Parys as its executive director.
Van Parys returned to the Decatur-based community garden last summer on an interim basis to help stabilize the garden’s finances and programs. She had retired in 2023 after 20 years as the nonprofit’s leader, but viewed her return as a necessity. The results have been immediate.
“We have completely flipped our financial situation from a year ago,” Van Parys said. “We are now strong financially. Important donors and longtime friends gave significant gifts to help secure us, and we’re on target to reach our financial goals this year.”
➳ More on this story from Collin Kelley here.
Don’t miss THE event of the spring – Move For Grady!
SPONSORED BY GRADY HEALTH FOUNDATION
🏃 It’s time to register for Move For Grady on April 25, Atlanta’s best ride/run/walk event supporting Grady! Choose one of three fully supported cycling routes or 5K or 10K run/walk courses that will show you Atlanta from a new point of view. Then stay to celebrate with great food, drinks and music at Georgia State’s Center Parc Stadium.
❤️ Move For Grady raises funds to support Grady’s mission to build a healthier Atlanta. Register today, start training and join the party on April 25!
Nonprofit clinic in Gwinnett County provides low-cost healthcare to uninsured
🩺 Last year, Good Samaritan Health Centers of Gwinnett celebrated two decades of operating the area’s only low-cost clinics that provide affordable care to uninsured residents.
CEO Shameka Allen said the nonprofit’s sustainable model allows it to continue providing health care that removes the affordability and accessibility barriers facing many community members from diverse backgrounds.
“We changed the model [in 2013] to become a charitable, low-cost medical center, meaning we stopped being free,” Allen said, who has been with the nonprofit since 2021. “We started hiring staff so that we could see more patients and they could have more time with the providers.”
➳ Find out more in Hayden Sumlin’s story here.
Freedom Plane brings founding documents to Atlanta History Center
📜 The Freedom Plane has touched down in Atlanta, carrying cargo dating back to the birth of America.
To celebrate the country’s 250th anniversary, the National Archives is exhibiting rare founding-era documents around the country for the first time in history. The “Freedom Plane National Tour: Documents That Forged a Nation” will allow Americans to view their country’s history in their hometowns.
Atlanta is the second of eight stops around the country. The Atlanta History Center in Buckhead will host the exhibit as part of its centennial programming. The documents will be on display now through April 12, and the AHC is offering free admission to guests during this time.
➳ Find out more about the exhibition here.
Stories of Atlanta by Lance Russell
VIA SAPORTAREPORT
⚕️ Long before Atlanta became a city of glass towers and interstates, it was a place where opportunity came by rail—and, now and then, by way of a well-placed connection.
One of those invitations came from J. Edgar Thomson, a powerful figure in the railroad world who saw potential not just in a city, but in a man. His old friend, Dr. Joseph Thompson, had already lived a full and respected life in Decatur.
For two decades, he built a reputation as a skilled physician—steady hands, sharp mind, and the kind of bedside manner that earned trust in an era when medicine was as much art as science.
➳ Read Lance’s full column here.
🖋️ Today’s Silver Streak was edited by Julie E. Bloemeke.
