The Faith, Hope & Love Gala is October 13 at Atlanta Athletic Club beginning at 6:30 p.m. If you haven't received your invitation yet, click here to download the Gala invitation and RSVP form. Retired Falcons Coach Dan Reeves will emcee this year's Gala presented by Wilmington Trust. You won't believe the live auction items this year and what the Rainbow Village families have created to auction. If you don't know, each year, RV families create an art project that incorporates their personalities, creativity and hard work. In years past, they have made quilts, hope chests, bookcases and much more. This year they have outdone themselves! Jayme Teague, Artistic Adventures, has been our coach and mentor as she led Rainbow Village families in creating a masterful art project for the live auction at the Gala. The silent auction items are still arriving and they are all unique and exciting. If you would like to donate an item for the silent or live auction, please either visit the website and click on "gala" or send your donations directly to Norma Nyhoff at nnyhoff@rainbowvillage.org. Don't forget to RSVP as seating is limited.

2011 Gala keynote speaker, Steven Alexander, joined Rainbow Village as the Children & Youth Program Coordinator on August 1. Steven was a resident at Rainbow Village when he was 16 with his parents and three siblings, and we are blessed to have him on staff. Steven was the keynote speaker at the 2011 Puttin' on the Glitz Gala and will play an important role in this year's Gala as well so you don't want to miss it. Read his speech on the Rainbow Village website.  

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• Make an ongoing commitment to Rainbow Village to change lives for homeless families with children!

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Frank Rinker (left)

Rainbow Village Board Member Frank Rinker is serving his third term. Such long-term dedication isn't unusual for Frank, who retired from the Gwinnett Hospital System and helped establish it as a state of the art system.

He first heard about Rainbow Village through Christ Episcopal Church and as he says, "the more I learned about the program, the more I liked what I heard. It not only works to do what we talk about in breaking the cycles of homelessness, poverty and domestic violence, but it is so fantastic when it comes to the children and building a place where they can have that sense of home and security." He is outspoken in his support and believes that Rainbow Village parents have the opportunity to turn their lives around becoming self-sufficient once again. He is especially proud of the Graduate Program and recounts his fondest memory from Rainbow Village." The first graduation ceremony I attended where the graduates got up and talked about their experience at Rainbow Village and what it meant to them and then to have their children comment about what it meant to them didn't leave a dry eye in the whole place. It was just the most incredible experience I've seen relative to Rainbow Village."

Frank says, "I've been involved with Rainbow Village a long time and watching the program evolve into one that has all the pieces and parts in place, the infrastructure that is needed, policies and procedures, and strategic planning, etc., has been a joy to watch. Rainbow Village has become a true model and others can learn from it. The key for any organization is finding the right people and that's what we've done at Rainbow Village. That's why I'm hooked and I'll stay hooked as long as they want me hanging around."

In his spare time, Frank serves on the Gwinnett Community Bank Board of Directors, is a member of the Gwinnett Rotary Club, serves as the Chairman of the Facilities Planning Committee for Christ Church, serves on his Homeowners Association Board, and teaches in the Continuing Education program at Southern Tech. For fun he travels, gardens, and most importantly, enjoys his four grandchildren.