Chamblee , Georgia – July 20, 2012 – Project Interconnections, Inc., (“PII”) a non-profit organization whose mission is to develop and manage affordable permanent housing with on-site supportive services for adults facing the challenges of mental illness and homelessness, has named Darlene Schultz as President and CEO.

Schultz, who has served as Vice President and Executive Director of PII, assumes her new title immediately.

“I look forward to working with the Board of Directors and staff to expand PII’s portfolio and continuing to provide stable, nurturing communities where residents can begin to make connections and rebuild their lives,” said Mrs. Schultz. 

“We look forward to Darlene’s leadership as PII extends its mission with the help and support of so many in Atlanta and elsewhere,” said Cliff Altekruse, Chairman of the Board of PII.

PII’s innovative housing combines shelter, support and services for our residents.  Our program enables the homeless individuals to achieve dignity and self-sufficiency while living with and treating their mental illness.    They believe that, for the mentally-ill homeless among us, hope begins with housing.  They currently have 241 individuals in four residential communities located in Fulton and Dekalb counties

PII  completed its $3 million renovation of O’Hern House last December  and celebrated the completion of the project with a grand reopening of O’Hern House on March 28 this year.

This summer, PII begins a $1 million rehabilitation of Presley Woods, which will include completely updated energy efficient apartments for all residents, a new roof, new HVAC systems, new hot water heaters and plumbing and a significant rehabilitation to the exterior of the building.
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About Us

PII was organized in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1988 by private citizens.  It began with a mother’s desire to provide housing and supportive services to help her son live with his mental illness, without living his life on the streets. Together with her friends, they appealed to top civic and business leaders whose lives and loved ones were affected by mental illness.  Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter hosted the first gathering of these leaders at the Carter Center, and by the end of the evening, had committed herself to developing a model of excellence in Atlanta.  Together they launched Project Interconnections, Inc.

Contact:  Mackenzie Harkins – 404-277-3788

Thank you to all our friends and family that joined Rosalynn Carter, the board of directors and residents at our annual fundraiser which was held on June 14, 2012.

The evening was a memorable one – we had over 90 silent auction items, as well as art and jewelry made by our residents.

We paid a special tribute to our long-time friend, Jean Robitscher Bergmark, who passed away on February 28, 2012.

Brent Weston, a former resident of Rosalynn Apartments, introduced Mrs. Carter and shared his story of living at Rosalynn Apartments and his recent graduation from college.

Enjoy these photos –  2012 Project Interconnections Fundraiser Photo Gallery -- taken by Debbie Young, Day C Photography – we hope to see you at next year’s event.

Check back to our website for the date

Excerpts from Remarks by Guest Speaker, Brent Weston:

"Many of us are here because we have had some connection with mental illness in its various manifestations.

One of the first needs for those of us with mental illnesses is one of life’s most basic needs.  It is for safe, affordable and respectable housing.

Looking back on my time at Rosalynn Apartments, I am reminded of what it means to be human.  It was there that I found a type of unconditional acceptance.  They reached out and gave me hope.  After the shame of being incarcerated and spending time in a mental hospital, after the loss of living in a warehouse and garage, after the despair of dropping out of college for the second time…those that ran Rosalynn Apartments cared, accepted me and treated me with respect.  I was given a key to my own private studio apartment in a communal setting.

I am still the person who once lived and learned from my stay there.  Only now I stand before you as a recent graduate with a BFA in Painting and Drawing from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

Project Interconnections is a place of foundation for that success.  Project Interconnections is a place of redemption."

Darlene Schultz
President / CEO

"On the night of January 25, 2011, the Metro Atlanta Tri-Jurisdictional Collaborative (Tri-J) Continuum of Care (CoC) on Homelessness (City of Atlanta, Fulton County and DeKalb County) and Pathways Community Network, along with over 400 community volunteers, conducted the fifth point-in-time count of homeless persons in the City of Atlanta, Fulton County and Dekalb County.  The Tri-J CoC homeless census consisted of two components of enumerations, an unsheltered count and sheltered count, which together result in a comprehensive picture of homelessness in the community.  Overall, a total of 6,753 homeless people were counted in the Tri-J area on count night." - Tri-J CoC Homeless Census: Executive Summary.

• 2011 Tri-J CoC Homeless Census Executive Summary

On March 28, 2012, Project Interconnections celebrated the grand “re-opening” of O’Hern House.   Guest speakers included:

Honorary Chairperson, Rosalynn Carter;

Chairman of the Board, Cliff Altekruse;

Kristin Wilson, Director – Innovation Delivery Team, City of Atlanta; Michael Claeys, Executive Director, Grady Hospital Behavioral Health Services;

Jon Toppen, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Tapestry Development Group

Jean Toole, President and CEO, Community Friendship, Inc.

O’Hern House is over 100 years old and was first renovated in late 1993.  It has won two design awards and has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

This residential community, with on-site supportive services for homeless men and women who suffer from a mental illness, includes an industrial kitchen, which provides three meals a day for residents.  Community Friendship, Inc. provides these services to our residents.

O’Hern House receives its residents from hospitals and shelters, serving some of the most fragile individuals in metropolitan Atlanta.  By receiving consistent supportive services, our residents are able to maintain housing, have medications monitored and reach their own level of self sufficiency, keeping them from returning to life on the streets.

O’Hern House is certified by Earthcraft Energy Institute’s “Earthcraft Homes” program for the rehabilitation of multifamily properties with environmentally-sensitive features.  These improvements will enhance the interior air quality and dramatically decrease utility and maintenance costs by 15 to 20 percent.

Some excerpts from Mrs. Carter’s remarks:

O’Hern House is a community of friends who help when needed and requested.  Since opening it’s doors in November 1993, over 500 formerly homeless adults have been given the opportunity to participate in job training programs, receive assistance with daily living skills, receive drug counseling and most importantly, find recovery.

I was excited to show off O’Hern House to Tipper Gore during it’s initial rehabilitation in June 1993.  Mrs. Gore was in town for a NMHA event and was very interested in touring People’s Pace (as it was called at the time).

And now – we are here again today – celebrating that, thanks to funding from the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, The Federal Home Loan Bank, Suntrust Bank and the Atlanta Housing Authority, we are able to rededicate this project for another 20+ years of service.

Here are some photos from this special day:

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Want to see more event pictures?  Click Event picture.