The Atlanta Mission podcast
Shedding light on some of the city’s toughest issues
Collaboration is the only way forward.
What if real change doesn’t come from doing more, but from doing it together? In Episode 17 of Unseen Atlanta, our CEO Tensley Almand sits down with Bruce Deel, founder and CEO of City of Refuge, to talk about why collaboration creates lasting change in Atlanta. Bruce shares how City of Refuge grew by responding to real needs as they emerged, and why no single organization can solve homelessness alone. From partnering across nonprofits to working alongside businesses and churches, this conversation challenges the scarcity mindset and invites us to think differently about impact.
Slowly but surely, we build something better.
In this episode, Good Samaritan CEO Breanna Lathrop shares why collaboration, not competition, is essential to transforming Atlanta’s health. From her early days volunteering at a free clinic in Iowa to leading a holistic health center serving uninsured families, Breanna’s story shows how small steps, taken faithfully, create real change. She talks about the partnership between Good Sam and Atlanta Mission, the power of treating the whole person, and why access, dignity, and community matter just as much as medicine. And with compassion and clarity, she reminds us: the work feels big, but when we keep doing the next right thing, “slowly but surely, we build something better.”
I Thought I Was Going to Die This Way.
For years, Micah believed he was destined to die in addiction. His life was spinning out of control; hurting the people he loved, cycling through legal trouble, and trying to fix everything on his own strength. It wasn’t until a court-mandated stay at The Potter’s House that everything shifted. In this episode, Micah shares the gritty truth about the beliefs that kept him stuck, the moment he finally let go, and how God used community, counseling, and accountability to rebuild him from the inside out. Today, Micah is restoring his marriage, rediscovering his purpose, and waking up every morning “with victory.”
I didn’t want to die, but I didn’t know how to live.
Our guest this week, Johnny, works on staff at Atlanta Mission today. But getting here took nearly losing everything. Years before he ever encouraged a new man on campus, Johnny stood on the edge of a MARTA platform, ready to end his life. That night should have been the end. Instead, it became the beginning. After surviving a suicide attempt and completing the program, Johnny stayed sober for 14 years until a relapse forced him to face the deeper trauma he’d been outrunning since childhood. Now restored, reunited with his wife, and serving at Atlanta Mission, Johnny walks with men who feel as hopeless as he once did. His story proves that recovery isn’t a straight line. Note: This episode contains mature themes. Viewer discretion advised.
It was either sobriety or death.
After years of addiction and relapse, Mark Coffin hit rock bottom in a hotel lobby, detoxing alone with nowhere left to run. That moment changed everything. In this episode, Mark shares how faith, 12-Step recovery, and doing “the next right thing” helped him rebuild his life from survival to stability, and eventually, to purpose. Now more than 30 years sober and leading a thriving business, his story is proof that recovery is possible, and that choosing life is always worth it.
I didn’t know how to live life any other way.
For Danny, addiction started at just 11 years old. After decades of pain and arrests, he found himself completely broken. But God wasn’t finished yet. Through The Potter’s House, Danny learned a new way to live. Now five years sober, he’s married, raising his daughter, and helping others believe that change is possible. This episode is about what happens when you surrender everything, do the next right thing, and let God rebuild what’s been broken.
I sat in that jail bed and said, “God, I need help.”
Ozzie spent years angry, trying to be someone he wasn’t. What started as fitting in turned into addiction, homelessness, and nights spent sleeping in bathrooms. In jail, he prayed to God for help. The next day, The Potter’s House called. This episode is the story of what happened next: how Ozzie faced the emotions he’d buried and learned that he wasn’t angry, he was just sad.
Know the People You Serve
This week on Unseen Atlanta, we sit down with Brooke Hempell, Senior VP of Research at Pinkston and Vice Chair of Atlanta Mission’s Board. Brooke believes that nonprofits can only truly live out their missions by understanding people. In this episode, she shares why data is an act of stewardship, why excellence in marketing builds trust, and how the next generation’s search for hope could reshape the future of giving. It’s a conversation about faith, insight, and what it really means to know the people you serve.
Meet people where they are and see what good happens.
This week’s episode features one of our employment partners, Adria Marshall, CEO and founder of EcoSlay. Adria decided to become an employment partner with us because she knows that most of us are “a few situations away” from those having to start over, and that when we choose to meet people where they are, good things happen. In this conversation, Adria shares her own story of faith, perseverance, and purpose, and why creating opportunity for others has become the most meaningful part of her success.
They listen where nobody else would listen to you.
For most of his life, Denh felt like he had to handle everything alone. He learned to keep his pain quiet. But when he lost everything, he made the difficult choice to ask for help. At The Potter’s House, Denh found people who listened for the first time. In this episode, he shares how learning humility, faith, and honesty helped him begin again, and what it really means to be heard for the first time.
There’s huge power in collective action.
When churches and nonprofits join forces, the impact multiplies. In this conversation, Bryan Apinis, Director of the Intersect Project and Be Rich Campaign at North Point Ministries, shares how partnerships built on relationship have mobilized millions to give, serve, and love. Together with our CEO Tensley Almand, he explores what it means to move beyond charity into collaboration, and why the real transformation happens when we act collectively.
I love them through it.
At My Sister’s House, women talk about Ms. Avis the way you talk about someone who changed your life. She’s tough, direct, and refuses to let you hide behind denial. But she also has a gift: seeing past the addiction, past the pain, to the person God created you to be. In this episode, Avis shares her own story of incarceration and recovery, and what she’s learned after more than a decade walking with women on the long road to healing.
Finally, a roof.
When Candy first walked into Restoration House, she looked up and whispered, “Finally, a roof.” Her story started decades earlier with the shock of learning she was adopted at 12, spiraling into rebellion, addiction, and destructive relationships that left her homeless on Atlanta’s streets. In this episode, she shares the reality of her story, and the moment her advocate, Ms. Avis, told her to “take a hard look in the mirror,” and how faith gave her the strength to rebuild.
I was ashamed of the impression that I had built in my head.
In this episode, Kathy Rainwater Roe, Director of Community Partnerships at Phoenix Senior Living, shares how her first volunteer experience with Atlanta Mission dismantled her assumptions about homelessness and revealed the dignity and gratitude of the women she met. After that paradigm shift, Kathy has worked hard to involve Phoenix with Atlanta Mission, from serving meals during the holidays to investing in the whole person by becoming one of Atlanta Mission’s employment partners. In this conversation, Kathy unpacks the surprising parallels between senior care and homelessness, the transformational impact of second chances, and why changing perceptions is key to changing lives. If you’ve ever wondered whether one person, or one employer, can really make a difference, Kathy’s story will inspire you to see a new perspective.
Everyone deserves a dream home.
In this special episode of Unseen Atlanta, CEO Tensley Almand steps into the host’s chair for a conversation with Justin Landis, founder of The Justin Landis Group, Bolst Real Estate, and a member of Atlanta Mission’s Executive Committee. Justin shares how showing luxury homes in one Atlanta neighborhood while passing people sleeping under bridges in another shifted his perspective forever. From launching bold campaigns with Atlanta Mission to creating a benefit corporation, his conviction remains the same: where you live matters, community matters, and everyone deserves a dream home.
As soon as it stops breaking my heart, I’ll stop doing this work.
For 16 years, Michael Sheppard has been walking alongside men experiencing homelessness at The Shepherd’s Inn and Fuqua Hall. In this episode of Unseen Atlanta, he shares what this kind of change really takes. If you’ve ever wondered how to respond when you see someone in need, or what real transformation looks like behind the doors of Atlanta Mission, this conversation will shift the way you see homelessness, dignity, and hope.
You think homelessness couldn’t happen to you. I promise you, it can.
Cedric thought he could carry the weight of life on his own. Morgan thought homelessness was something that only happened to “other people.” Both were wrong. They walked into Atlanta Mission on the same day, one step away from giving up, and one step away from a lifetime of friendship. This is a story about what happens after rock bottom. Listen now. Because the line between “them” and “us” is thinner than you think.
Introducing Season Two of Unseen Atlanta
Season 2 of Unseen Atlanta is here! This year, the stories go even deeper. Join hosts Rachel Reynolds and Jonathan Miller as they pull back the curtain on unseen issues in Atlanta, sharing powerful first-hand accounts from people who’ve experienced homelessness and addiction, and insights from experts working to solve these challenges. In this episode, you’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at what’s ahead this season: from stories of recovery and resilience, to conversations with business leaders and advocates who are investing in our city’s future. You’ll also learn how each episode connects to a bigger picture, and how you can be part of the change happening in Atlanta right now. Whether you’re a long-time supporter or just tuning in for the first time, this season is an invitation to listen closer, see more, and believe that transformation is possible.
Up Next
Collaboration is the only way forward.
Slowly but surely, we build something better.
I Thought I Was Going to Die This Way.
I didn’t want to die, but I didn’t know how to live.
It was either sobriety or death.
I didn’t know how to live life any other way.
I sat in that jail bed and said, “God, I need help.”
Know the People You Serve
Meet people where they are and see what good happens.
They listen where nobody else would listen to you.
There’s huge power in collective action.
I love them through it.
Finally, a roof.
I was ashamed of the impression that I had built in my head.
Everyone deserves a dream home.
As soon as it stops breaking my heart, I’ll stop doing this work.
You think homelessness couldn’t happen to you. I promise you, it can.
Introducing Season Two of Unseen Atlanta
Up Next
Collaboration is the only way forward.
Slowly but surely, we build something better.
I Thought I Was Going to Die This Way.
I didn’t want to die, but I didn’t know how to live.
It was either sobriety or death.
I didn’t know how to live life any other way.
I sat in that jail bed and said, “God, I need help.”
Know the People You Serve
Meet people where they are and see what good happens.
They listen where nobody else would listen to you.
There’s huge power in collective action.
I love them through it.
Finally, a roof.
I was ashamed of the impression that I had built in my head.
Everyone deserves a dream home.
As soon as it stops breaking my heart, I’ll stop doing this work.
You think homelessness couldn’t happen to you. I promise you, it can.
Introducing Season Two of Unseen Atlanta
