Schley auction a great success
I want to commend Nancy McMath Young, President, and all members of the Ellaville-Schley County Historical Society for conducting a very successful benefit Auction on Saturday, October 7, at the Thomas Wall American Legion in Ellaville. This year a beautiful quilt was donated for the raffle as well as a new Ruger All American 22 Bolt Action Rifle donated by Barrow Guns of Butler, GA. The organization also had a 50/50 raffle. Thanks also go to Mark Royal for preparing the delicious bar-b-que that everyone enjoyed for dinner. Over 100 lbs. of BBQ was sold at the event.
About 150 items for the Auction were donated by area businesses, historical society members and local individuals. Items included everything from a John Deere pedal loader from Flint Equipment Company valued at $300, a new propane fish cooker from Partners Propane valued at $60, a new Lasko oscillating fan donated by Miller’s Home and Auto valued at $35.00, several framed prints of legendary P.T. Streetman’s infamous train that sold for $25.00 each to numerous homemade cakes and goodies that brought over $50.00 each.
A very special thanks to the Auction Committee whose members are too numerous to mention.  The committee was so efficient that they organized, displayed, numbered and set up the auction within three hours. The clerk, cashiers, displayers and ring men did an excellent job to make the auction both exciting and fun.
Each year, our community attends the Annual Auction and BBQ to show support for the organization’s continuing efforts to preserve our past. I would like to thank all the supporters who attended the auction each year, as well as all the businesses and industries throughout Schley County, Sumter County, Marion County and surrounding areas that donate goods and services each year for this worthy cause. Without your continued support, preservation efforts would not be possible.
It is important that we preserve the history of Ellaville and Schley County.  Preservation of the Schley County Courthouse has been completed and is just the first step. Think about all the local historic homes, churches, businesses and cemeteries in Schley County that might disappear forever without your help with preservation and conservation efforts. The Ellaville/Schley County Historical Society provides an excellent venue for preservation efforts to begin.
John T. Greene, coordinator
Georgia Family Connection, Schley County Collaborative
Ellaville

Please attend open house
As you likely know, the foster care system in our state of Georgia is at a crisis level, as it is across the nation. Indeed, GA has seen almost twice the number of children being placed into foster care in the last two years, due much in part to the opioid crisis.  The number of children in GA foster care has risen from 7,000 to almost 14,000 (and roughly 465,000 children in foster care across the nation). In truth, there are not enough homes for these children, as there are less foster homes.
Georgia’s newest residential group home for youth in foster care will have an open house for the public on Saturday, October 28, from 1-4. Located in Monticello, GA, at 1178 College Street, Never Too Late has garnered wide support from faith based groups, civic organizations, and state politicians throughout middle Georgia. We would very much enjoy having you come and tour the facility. As founder and national developmental director, I would like to give you a personal tour of the home and facility myself.
Never Too Late is a residential group home, designed to care for boys between the ages of 10-18 in foster care in the state of GA. As boys are harder to place, the need is strong for such a home. Sadly, not every child in foster care can fit into a traditional foster care setting and placement, thus the urgency for such a facility, and more importantly, such a home. Never Too Late will teach boys in foster care important living skills such as raising, preparing, and cooking nutritional foods and meals, positive behavior skills, learning how to perform in job interviews, fill out job applications, graduate with a high school diploma, and preparing them for futures through college, technical school, or military.
To be sure, this is an exciting time for foster care, here in GA, as Never Too Late is poised to not only help boys in foster care in the peach state, but also to stand as an example of how to help youth in foster care transition from the foster care system upon aging out, and helping them to become a contributing and positive force in our society.
For questions, please do not hesitate to pick up the phone and call me at 706 318 9225.
I look forward to seeing you on October 28th.
John DeGarmo, Ed.D.
The Foster Care Institute