Athens is Brewing with Heartfelt Comfort Creature Comforts Brewing Company is committed to the community and has looked for ways to give back since opening their doors on 271 W. Hancock Avenue. They created the Get Comfortable Campaign and Fund in 2014 “in order to become a unifying anchor in the business community to help drive awareness, increase engagement, and provide support for local nonprofits who address our community’s most pressing needs.” They continue this initiative into 2018, directing support to agencies combating homelessness, hunger, and poverty. Advantage CEO OJ Booker and Board Member David Kidd kickoff off the 2018 "Get Comfortable" campaign, while Advantage employees Laura Alexander and Alissa Darnell (below right) get comfy with baby Katarina. On Thursday, January 11, Advantage staff and board members attended Creature Comfort’s 2018 Get Comfortable Kickoff where we were recognized as one of the 2018 recipients. A portion of the sales of Get Comfortable IPA, clothing, and merchandise will support local nonprofits, as well as support from other Athens businesses. “We want to be that shining light that encourages other people to get money back into the community,” says Chris Herron. “Our mantra is ‘People over Products,’ and that’s not just the people who work for Creature Comforts, but also the people of our community.” Matt Stevens, Director of Community and Culture, coordinates the Get Comfortable Campaign and Fund. He recognized the 6 nonprofits who will be supported this year: Advantage, the Ark, Athens Area Homeless Shelter, Athens Community Council on Aging, Mercy Health Clinic, and Chosen for Life. Past campaigns focused on a 5-month period of strategic philanthropy. This year, however, they’ve grown into a year-round campaign allowing for more sustained partnerships with the nonprofits chosen, new opportunities for additional fund raisers, and a more recognizable brand for their philanthropic efforts year-round, ultimately enhancing all aspects of the campaign. The goal is “to give away as much money as we can to support as many agencies as we can, to make as big an impact as we can. That’s what we’re committed to. That’s what our partners are committed to.” "OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS, THE GET COMFORTABLE PROGRAM HAS BECOME LESS OF A THING WE DO, AND MORE OF A PART OF WHO WE ARE." — CHRIS HERRON, CO-FOUNDER AND CEO Advantage employees Laurie Wilburn Bailey and Should anyone doubt how committed Creature Nicolette Dent have no problem getting Comforts is to the community, they need only comfortable with the laid-back atmosphere of look at the company's Mission Statement. Creature Comforts. How Can YOU Ge t Comfortable ? Contribute. Any contribution you make, whether it’s $5 or $5,000, will go to the Get Comfortable 501(c)3 fund housed at the Athens Area Community Foundation. And 100% of what is collected between now and November 2018 will be distributed to specific projects proposed to us by the six nonprofit agency partners this year. To make a contribution online, go to: http://getcurious.com/get-comfortable/contribute/ , follow the prompts, and write in “Get Comfortable” where it asks for your donation designation. Celebrate. Spend your birthday there as well as all of your friends' birthdays! All you have to do is tell them it’s your birthday and how old you are, and they will put a dollar for each year in the fund. Visit Creature Comforts on Community Wednesdays. 100% of the profits made during every “Community Wednesday” between now and November will go into the Get Comfortable fund. This includes drinks as well as merchandise. Buy. Purchase Get Comfortable IPA (either at Creature Comforts or other locations and restaurants around town) and Get Comfortable merchandise like tee shirts and socks. Shirts - $20, Socks - $15, Glasses - $6. Leverage Your Time. Talk to us about ways you can volunteer to support Advantage. Join the Campaign. If you are a business that would like to get involved with the Get Comfortable initiative, email them at [email protected]. Enjoy Your Time at Creature Comforts! Introducing Charles " Chuck" Hunt , Se c r e ta r y o f the CSB Chuck Hunt holds a BS in Marine Biology & Marine Transportation from Texas A&M at Galveston and studied for his Masters in Science Education at UGA. On the board he serves Oconee County where he has lived for 26 years. After years in the offshore oil industry, he “retired” to Oconee to share a love of horses with his wife (of 31 years) and family (son 39 and daughter 30). He taught math and science in middle and high schools in Clarke, Oconee, and Greene counties before homeschooling his daughter due to her learning difficulties & developmental delays. Now, while not on the farm, he can be found driving a school bus, serving on the Oconee Planning Commission, acting as an Elder of First Presbyterian Church of Athens, and volunteering with disability support organizations locally & nationally. He has made several trips to Washington D.C. for national conferences and lobbying. What is something you are excited about in your role as secretary of the CSB? I became involved with Advantage in 2010 as a citizen representative on the Clients Rights committee, and in these last seven years I’ve seen a firm commitment of service to the community. The move in Athens-Clarke County to proper facilities for ALL our programs bodes well, and its success will set a standard for the organization’s efforts in all counties we serve. What do you see as some challenges? External changes in billing and accountability have created challenges. I hope that they settle in to a “new normal” and take a little less effort, but bring the improved services they were intended to provide. What do you hope to bring to the role? I was told a board member has to serve with “nose in, but hands off.” I am extremely interested in HOW we serve our community and feel certain if I can’t understand our efforts (with my limited medical or similar organization experience), our good intentions will not be appreciated. I endeavor to follow our programs and ask questions that may be in the minds of our clients, and check processes that help guide them through the labyrinth of services. What is a favorite saying/quote/mantra? This applies here but is also what guided me in education since, as a teacher, I could not really know what my students would face. “In a time of drastic change it is the learners who inherit the future. The learned usually find themselves equipped to live in a world that no longer exists.” ― Eric Hoffer, Reflections on the Human Condition Introducing Jamie D ickerson, B​ a r r o w a nd Gr e e ne Bus ine s s Ma na g e r I am a native to Georgia and was born and raised in Marietta. I graduated from Reinhardt College with a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education and Business Administration. I continued my education at Kennesaw University where I obtained my certification in Business Management. While in school, I obtained a job in the medical field and decided that I really enjoyed this line of work and I have remained in the medical field for over 23 years. I have been with Advantage Behavioral Health since 2014 and really enjoy my job. I currently am the Business Manager for the Barrow and Greene Mental Health Facilities. What are you most excited about with your role? I love meeting clients and getting to know them on a personal level, which I feel gives them some sort of comfort knowing someone truly does care about them. Clients like to be recognized by their name and remembering their names again makes them feel good. I always thrive on customer service and tell my staff, “treat the client as if that was you and how you would want to be treated.” What are some challenges? I don’t necessarily have any challenges specifically going on, but in this line of work you are faced with challenges daily. My goal is to work through them as smoothly as possible, and I am always ready for the next one. What are your goals for your clinic? I would like both my locations to grow and thrive. I want them to have a community reputation that Advantage is a great place to go and receive the treatment that clients need, to have clients succeed in getting better, and to know that we have provided the best customer service possible. What is a favorite saying/mantra of yours? "Team work makes the dream work" and "There is no 'I' in team." Introducing D avid Harris , W​ a lto n Bus ine s s Ma na g e r I am a graduate of Tuskegee University, where I earned a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Management Science. I am also a proud graduate of the best High School in Athens…Go GLADS! I have over 20 years of management experience, with the vast majority of it in the private sector. Before returning back home to Georgia, my career had taken me to several states, with the last stop before here being Iowa, but probably the most interesting was living in the Ozarks. I am a husband and father of two adult sons. I am also a big fan of sports and syfy, particularly football and anything trekkie. What are you most excited about with your role? I enjoy people, but even more, I enjoy being able to effect positive changes in the lives of those around me.