Sandy Springs nonprofit raises $500K at gala to fight evictions

The Community Assistance Center (CAC) raised $500,000 at its annual gala on Sept. 19 to fund housing, food and job programs for families across Sandy Springs and Dunwoody.

The "Bringing Community Together for Change" event at The Westin Atlanta Perimeter North is part of the nonprofit's three-year Compassion in Action campaign, which has an $18 million goal, Rough Draft Atlanta reported.

The CAC, the largest human services organization in Sandy Springs and Dunwoody, helped prevent 1,108 evictions in 2025. In the first nine months of 2026, it has already prevented 830.

CEO Francis Horton said the nearly 40-year-old organization is shifting from crisis response to long-term stability. He said keeping families housed is the starting point, but the CAC also wants to help people build skills and pursue opportunities so they can move forward.

Workforce gains

The CAC's workforce development program, Thrive, launched in late 2025 out of the nonprofit's Empowerment Center at 1130 Hightower Trail in Sandy Springs. Thrive participants who have landed jobs in new career fields earn an average annual income 50% higher than before they started.

Zaria Jett, a Thrive participant pursuing a nursing career, spoke at the gala. She said the program gave her far more than certifications and career coaching.

"They just need an opportunity, some support and someone willing to say, 'I believe in you. Keep going,'" Jett said of people seeking help.

Growing need

In 2025, the CAC served 9,632 clients, distributed 1.1 million pounds of food and provided more than $769,000 in financial assistance, according to its annual report. More than 90% of clients reached housing stability. And 68% resolved their crisis within six months of receiving aid.

In 2024, 77% of people who sought CAC services were already working at least one job, Horton said at the Empowerment Center's opening in November 2025. The nonprofit also coached 229 jobseekers in 2025, with 65% reporting successful placement.

Horton said in March, when the annual report was released, that economic pressure is reaching beyond lower-income households. "The needs are creeping into more and more of our community, and we have to scale to meet them," he said.

The Compassion in Action campaign launched at the CAC's September 2025 gala, where the nonprofit raised $480,000 and brought total commitments to $3 million. The campaign aims to grow the CAC's client base by 30% over three years.

George Northrop, CAC director of advancement, said the Sept. 19 gala reflected the community's investment in its neighbors.