Hospitaller Region - Atlanta, GA

Each year, Atlanta Region Knights, Dames, Auxiliaries, and Volunteers sell Christmas ornaments at Holy Spirit Catholic Church during Advent. Proceeds from the sales are donated to the Holy Family Hospital Foundation, which supports the Order's Hospital in Bethlehem. Since 2016, the Atlanta Region has sent a total of $33,500 to Holy Family Hospital from the proceeds of the ornament sales. The ornaments are miniature replicas of stained glass windows found at Holy Spirit Catholic Church. 

This past year, the Atlanta Region sent Holy Family Hospital of Bethlehem Foundation a check for $7,500 at the end of December, made possible by the annual Christmas ornament sales. While on Pilgrimage in the Holy Land with Msgr. Edward Dillon, members of the Order of Malta presented the hospital’s C.E.O., Mr. Gilles Normand, with one of the ornaments for the hospital’s Christmas tree.

Every other month the Atlanta Region volunteers at Solidarity Food Pantry in Sandy Springs, GA. The pantry began as an emergency food source for food insecure families during the COVID shutdowns. Now they are a community movement, serving the low-income residents of Sandy Springs. In addition to volunteering from 8:30 a.m. – noon every other month, the Atlanta Region assists with special projects such as collecting and donating specific items for various holidays and staples, which the pantry need.  

On April 21, 2022, the Atlanta Region hosted their annual Life is Beautiful event, benefiting Pregnancy Aid Clinic (PAC) in Atlanta. For over 10 years, the Atlanta Region has hosted dinners for PAC, raising nearly $1,000,000.00! Previous co-chairs Kim Hanna, DM and Mary Savarese, DM, passed the baton to Melanie Colley, DM and Margaret Grigorian, DM. With the change in leadership, the decision was made to switch things up a bit and host a black tie optional Monte Carlo Casino Night. The event was held at the Cherokee Town & Country Club in Buckhead. Approximately 180 Guests enjoyed catching up with friends and trying their luck at various games including black jack, roulette, and poker.

In addition to the casino games, two tables of premium wines and sprites, valued at $4,000 each, were raffled off. Federal Association Hospitaller, Pat Monaghan, won BOTH tables this year! Being a true Knight, he donated one of the tables back to be raffled off with the money raised going to Pregnancy Aid Clinic.

Mark your calendars, the 2023 Casino Night, benefiting Pregnancy Aid Clinic, is scheduled for Friday, April 14 at Cherokee Town & Country Club once again. The Atlanta Region hopes their friends from other regions will attend next year. Who knows, maybe you will win one (or both) of the wine tables! Even if you do not win, you are sure to have fun while helping the Pregnancy Aid Clinics in Atlanta save lives!

The Atlanta Region has added Walking With Moms in Need (initiated by the USCCB) as another project to support locally.  As the Atlanta Region is deeply involved with the Pregnancy Aid Clinic, it is a natural for the group to extend and expand to support women past the ‘sidewalk saves.’  Some activities of this relationship-based program include providing a baby shower, budgeting/financial guidance, connecting to the Catholic-based Pregnancy Aid Clinic with parenting classes, and inviting them to a parish young moms’ group.

On Dec. 4, 2021, Holy Spirit Catholic Church hosted a baby shower for 22-year old Aliya with help from the Order of Malta.  She met our volunteers when her pregnancy felt like a crisis.  Soon, the stability she already had in her life combined with the faith and support of this group to walk with her has given her the peace to parent this baby girl.

Aliya says, “I just want to say thank you so much for the amazing baby shower and the gifts I received. They are truly a blessing and it’s going to help me so much when the baby comes. Your love and support is greatly appreciated! Thank you again, and I look forward to introducing everyone to the little one when she arrives!”

More than 125 gifts were given at an event planned by 10 people, supported by 100 and attended by 17.  Cathi Athaide, Dame of the Order of Malta, is the WWMIN parish coordinator.  “This ministry brings many gifts from our members to women who are desperate or uncertain in their parenting,” says Cathi.  “The baby shower is just the beginning of helping these women see God’s plan for them when they have faith to follow Him.”