By KENYA KING (Special to the Daily World)
Affectionately called Mr. and Mrs. O, Afemo and Elisabeth Omilami, who for more than a decade have dedicated their lives to providing for the poor and homeless, were “stunned” to find their organization in the same position as many of the people they serve – homeless.
After 13 years of holding their holiday dinners on the grounds of Turner Field, this past July, the Omilamis were told that due to multimillion-dollar renovations, they would no longer be able to hold their annual events there.
“All of a sudden we are homeless as far as a venue for our main big dinners where thousands of people show up, and we tried to figure out what to do,” said Afemo Omilami, who serves as the organization’s programs operations manager.
While the change was a disappointing reality, Omilami expressed appreciation for the space occupied in the past at Turner Field. “They’ve been very good to us, [and] we were very thankful,” he said, “but it still was a shocker to find out that whoa, we have no home now.”
With only a few months to prepare for the change, the Omilamis discovered that despite the myriad services they provide to thousands of people annually, no one was willing to donate space, as Turner Field had done for 13 years.
The responses the Omilamis received were nothing short of “we aren’t like Turner Field – we want money” and ultimately equated to the tune of more than $20,000 for the space needed. Omilami said that “everybody wanted something,” but the organization “simply did not have that kind of money.”
Not only did the organization need thousands of dollars for rental space, but other amenities were necessary, such as a place for people to shower and get other basic services.
“There were logistical considerations and transportation issues” that added up to thousands of dollars above the rental fees, said Omilami. “We did not budget for such a thing,” he said.
In a quandary to find a suitable location, the Omilamis did what they’ve done in the past – put the word out that they needed assistance. The Hosea Feed the Hungry and Homeless (HFTH) organization’s benefactor came from not far way through Atlanta Falcons owner and CEO Arthur Blank.
Afemo Omilami said that he was gratified that Blank and his family had come to some of their events throughout the years at Turner Field and had seen firsthand what the organization does for the community. Blank covered the rental costs for both HFTH’s Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, which were held at the Georgia World Congress Center. “He’s been a Santa Clause to us,” said
Omilami. “We’re very thankful.”
Omilami also emphasized that they did not want to offer something that was dilapidated, but desired something respectable for the people attending. “We wanted to have something very nice and Thanksgiving turnout to be like a five-star hotel event. When our special guests come, they’ll say, oh man this is nice. This is a nice place to come in.”
What may have been an inordinate loss with Turner Field, the Georgia World Congress Center was a welcome surprise for those who came out.
“I think the Tom Murphy ballroom, they really appreciated it. You know if you’re homeless, been on the street, working hard, you don’t have time to just go and see what the Georgia World Congress Center looks like. That was a first time for a lot of people to even be up in a place like that,” said Omilami. “That was a beautiful sight.” This year, the HFTH served its largest Christmas crowd to date.
Founded in 1971 by Elisabeth Omilami’s father and civil rights activist Hosea Williams, the Hosea Williams Feed the Hungry organization also operates as family-in-crisis care center, in addition to feeding the homeless. When Hosea Williams passed away in 2000, they took the helm of the organization and expanded its operations. In serving families, Omilami says their goal is to prevent entire families from becoming homeless, and that doing so supports community stability.
“That’s really what it’s about, to keep these families from falling through the gaps and becoming homeless,” he said. “Mom loses her job, dad loses his job, grandmama gets sick, the baby is sick. It just takes a little thing here and there to us, but that’s enough to rock that family right into a crisis. That’s what we’re finding what is happening.” Omilami said he is optimistic about their efforts to help put an end to what he calls “the continuous crisis syndrome – where every time a family looks up, they’re in some kind of crisis.” He says the important thing is addressing the root of the problem and stopping the “revolving door.”
Omilami also said that he’s sometimes asked why Hosea Feed the Hungry is always asking for money. He said that for such a small organization, the work HFTH accomplishes is equal to the work done by multimillion-dollar agencies.
“They got the budget to back it up,” he said. “We don’t get those kinds of funds.” Ironically, he said, some of the larger service organizations refer individuals to Hosea Feed the Hungry. “We’re like, you guys got the money. Why are you sending them to us, can’t you help them? So it’s a funny situation when you start doing this work. You really see it totally different,” said Omilami. “So that’s what we find ourselves in, like David
facing Golaith.” Nonetheless with an impressive 25,000-strong volunteer base, they are able to achieve more than many other organizations, as most do not have as many volunteers, he said.
In addition to the dinners on Thanksgiving, Christmas, MLK Jr. day, and Easter, HFTH offers services for individuals and families day-to-day and year-round. They provide case management services, a food pantry, financial workshops, job workshops, and a plethora of other service events, including a Christmas party and back to school event for youth. For several years, HFTH has traveled to Haiti, taking needed medicines for the poor. For the first time this year, they held a Labor Day event, and plan to do the same this Labor Day.
The Rashard family, whom the HFTH helped when their family grew from three to five with the birth of twins, expressed their gratitude to HFTH at the Christmas event. “I had never really heard of the program before or the organization, or even knew if they would help someone who was already married.
“When I went, I was blessed beyond words. They gave us pampers. They gave us a food box that lasted for quite some time. They just gave me the kind of loving words of encouragement that I needed to hear in a time like that,” said Mrs. Rashard.
Elisabeth Omilami, who was in the hospital recovering from an illness at the time of the Christmas event, “sent her greetings and love and asked everyone to give their best,” said her husband. “She’s a fighter,” he said.
He also said that their greatest challenge is maintaining adequate financial resources and getting people to give throughout the year instead of just November and December. Just a few days before Christmas, the Omilamis still were unsure how they where going to hold their annual Martin Luther King Jr. holiday dinner in January. Despite challenges, Omilami said he is continuously inspired by Dr. King’s teachings.
“Everyday, this is the God honest truth, I have to look at Dr. King’s words because I have it on my door, so if I ever get amnesia, bump my head in ignorance or self-importance, his words slap me across the face…this is the judgment, life’s most persistent and urgent question is — what are you doing for others.”
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