• Winder Housing Authority has a mission beyond owning and managing affordable apartments.  We believe that we have an obligation to use our resources to assist our residents onto a path of self-sufficiency and upward mobility.  WHA assists residents in developing the skills needed to make a better life for themselves and their families.  Some of the programs and services available to residents include: Job Readiness & Employment Services, Demonstration Kitchen, Computer Labs, Community Gardens, Transportation Assistance, Summer Lunch Program, Community Library, Scholarship Opportunities, Youth Programs and more.
  • Boys & Girls Club of Winder-Barrow is a youth development program for boys and girls ages 6 -18. It operates a neighborhood-based facility designed exclusively for children and teens. Their Mission is to inspire and enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to realize their full potential as responsible, caring, and productive citizens and leaders.In 2017 the Boys & Girls Club of Winder-Barrow partnered with the Barrow County School System (BCSS) and the Georgia Department of Education (GADOE) to provide free after school and summer camp programming. The program entitled “Making Minutes Count for Success,” a 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) program, is designed to serve over 100 students from the selected schools: County Line, Holsenbeck, Kennedy, Statham, and Winder Elementary schools (STUDENTS MUST BE IN FIRST – FIFTH GRADE). Transportation is provided. From simple games to leadership opportunities, from homework help to recreational activities, the Club is a safe place where young people can grow and learn, enjoy themselves and their friends, in a well-supervised atmosphere. Transportation is provided from Russell Middle School, Westside Middle School, Bear Creek Middle School, and Winder Barrow High School.
  • ACTION, Inc, a community action organization, includes housing counseling , financial literacy / budgeting, home maintenance​, rental rights and responsibilities, first-time home buyers, mortgage default,  gardening classes,  cooking classes, canning classes and more. In addition to the Full Plate, Community Services and Weatherization programs, ACTION dedicated a new focus to attack poverty by offering a hands-up approach. Through education and education-based training opportunities, we partner with individuals who are willing to do what it takes to achieve their career goals. We do this by helping participants identify their career goals and the barriers keeping them from being able to realize their dreams. We then provide mentoring, career coaching, soft skills training, financial assistance to help minimize barriers including transportation and child care costs, and other services necessary to help each participant stay the course. We have many success stories throughout our educational programs!  ACTION programs include: High School Youth, Educational Reentry, Fostering Transitions, Achieving Career Excellence, Opportunities Now, Kids in ACTION at the Pencil School – Oglethorpe County, Weatherization and Emergency Home Repair, Community Services, Housing Counseling and Full Plate.
  • Piedmont CASA(Court Appointed Special Advocates for children) – a nonprofit child advocacy program that serves Barrow, Banks and Jackson Counties. A Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) is a trained community volunteer who is appointed by a judge to advocate for the best interests of an abused or neglected child involved in juvenile court dependency proceedings. The CASA volunteer gathers information about the child’s situation, attends court proceedings and makes a recommendation to the judge so that the judge has the information to make a decision about the child’s future. A CASA volunteer protects a child’s right to be safe, to be treated with dignity and respect, and to learn and grow in the safe embrace of a loving family. CASA volunteers are amazing people and our wish is for every foster child to have one. If you, or others you know, have the passion to help these children, and can make the time to do it, we can use your help!
  • Adult Literacy Barrow (ALB) is a non-profit organization that promotes literacy opportunities in Barrow County. ALB initiates, plans, directs, and coordinates programs for adult education such as citizenship classes, GED programs and English as Second Language classes. Adult education is vital to workforce development in Barrow County because it provides an avenue for workers to pursue higher education and improve their skills. Transportation is provided. Please call for transportation availability. The childcare center, Little Lakers Child Care, is open Tuesday & Thursday mornings from 8:00 to 12:00. It’s available for the children of our registered students. The cost is $5 per day per child. Little Lakers Child Careis registered through the Bright from the Start Georgia Dept. of Early Care and Learning as an exempt program. The children can be from 12 months through 5 years of age. Parents are required to stay on campus while attending GED or English as Second Language classes.
  • Lanier Tech offers The Adult Education Program specifically designed for adults who have different needs, backgrounds, and skills. For that reason, a flexible program has been created which meets their needs. Lanier Technical College is ready to assist individuals to reach their dreams and capture their future. GED®and English Literacy classes taught at Lanier Technical College are free of charge. GED® instruction includes beginning reading, writing, and math all the way to high school completion through the General Education Development (GED®) Program.
  • Habitat for Humanity Barrow County partners with people in your community, and all over the world, to help them build or improve a place they can call home. Habitat homeowners help build their own homes alongside volunteers and pay an affordable mortgage. With your support, Habitat homeowners achieve the strength, stability and independence they need to build a better life for themselves and for their families. Through our 2020 Strategic Plan, Habitat for Humanity will serve more people than ever before through decent and affordable housing.
  • Barrow County Family Connection is a community-based partnership between public/private agencies, businesses, faith based community, local government, and citizens who serve as part of the decision-making body for improving results for children and families.
  • Diamond Ministries is committed to addressing Sex Trafficking, Domestic Violence/Intimate partner violence and HIV/AIDS throughout Northeast Georgia. Our Mission: Diamond Ministries works to end all types of abuse and violence through support, advocacy, prevention, and education while promoting community awareness and accountability. Our Vision: To end all types of abuse and violence. “We believe everyone can embrace who they are, can define their future, and can change the world.” 

Winder Housing Authority is proud to be a Partner in Prevention, a designation awarded by the nonprofit Darkness to Light to organizations which take extra steps to protect the children they serve by training staff to understand the issue of child sexual abuse, identify unsafe situations and practices, and react responsibly in the best interest of the children they serve.

One in 10 children will be sexually abused before the age of 18. Winder Housing Authority earned the “Partner in Prevention” designation by providing Stewards of Children training to over 90% of its management, staff, and volunteers. This evidence-informed program is scientifically proven to help participants prevent and respond to child sexual abuse. “Partner in Prevention” was created as a national standard to help parents and caregivers recognize organizations that take child protection seriously by implementing policy and training staff to prevent child sexual abuse.

Darkness to Light is an international organization that leads the movement to end child sexual abuse by educating and empowering adults in education, youth serving organizations, and communities to protect children. Darkness to Light has affiliates in all 50 states and 16 international locations.

To learn more about child sexual abuse prevention training or to enroll your organization in Darkness to Light’s “Partner in Prevention” program, please visit www.D2L.org/Partner.