THE ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUION | Lawyer seeks to defend cold kids with winter gear
By Mark Valenta
STAFF WRITER
Atlanta attorney Don Keenan, owner of the Keenan Law Firm, is known as "the kids lawyer."
Through his Keenan's Kids Foundation, the 42- year-old child advocate hopes to make this winter a little less chilly for Atlanta's homeless children, estimated at 20,000 by Atlanta's Task Force for the Homeless.
In a partnership with East Point's Family Life Ministries, a coalition of 39 churches of all faiths that take care of the poor, Keenan's Kids Foundation since November has collected more than 4,000 clothing items, including gloves, leggings, shirts, hats and coats.
"More children currently live in poverty in the metro area than at any other time in our history," said Keenan. "These kids who have no voice deserve our help. I personally challenge other professionals in Atlanta to chip in and help keep our kids warm this winter. One sweatshirt can make a world of difference to a child that has nothing but a T-slrirt. Coats and sweaters are worth their weight in gold."
The foundation has set up a pickup and delivery system and has mailed a request for donations of all kinds to more than 14,000 lawyers in the metro area.
The Keenan Law Firm's small conference room doubles as a warehouse for donations until they are delivered to Family Life Ministries for distribution. Boxes of children's shoes and plastic bags of clothing share space with boxes of legal files.
The need is great, but Jane Gunter, founder and director of Family Life Ministries, says that donations have been slow lately. "Donating clothing items shouldn't end with Christmas," she said.
Gunter's organization is run by 156 volunteers who are passionate about what they do and the people they serve. "We love our people. They're treated as friends. We hug everybody," she said. "Love is spoken here."
The Keenan's Kids Foundation was formed to improve the lives of children at risk tlrrough direct assistance and through continuous training of law students and lawyers to be more aware of children's needs.
"I'm not out to end child homelessness, I'm out to make a little difference," said Keenan. He describes himself as a pebble in the water, creating ripples of difference.
"Too often people make a global assessment and think, 'Why bother?' But if you take care of what's in front of you the big picture will take care of itself," he said.
Anyone interested in donating items of clothing for Atlanta 's homeless children can contact the foundation at 404-523-2200 to arrange for pickup.