- Jeremy Turner,
Executive Director
In 2002, Jeremy joined the Dekalb County Police Department in Atlanta to help protect and defend his community. He had a vested interest in this mission, having lost his brother Jonathan to a hit-and- run drunk driver in 1998 and his father four months later to an armed robbery. Jeremy worked as a uniformed officer until 2005 when he was promoted to Detective with the Major Felony Unit investigating robbery/homicide cases. In 2008, he was chosen to spearhead an interactive, community-based policing program in his district/division.
Patrolling the streets of Atlanta, Jeremy quickly realized how isolated the city’s homeless population really was. Many of the disenfranchised Jeremy encountered were veterans and families grappling with a myriad of issues, i.e., lost employment, a lack of affordable housing, domestic violence, mental illness, and chemical dependency.
This phenomena struck a resonating chord with Jeremy, whose brother Jonathan had served as a marine in the Gulf War. He could also identify with struggling families because he has the responsibility for a wife and three children of his own. Since Jeremy had dreamed of launching a program that would bring medical services, food/supplies directly to the homeless. In addition, he wanted the program to serve as a liaison to expeditiously link those most in need to resources in the community. His dream was fully realized in 2008 with the creation of Contribute2America (C2A), a nonprofit organization he founded to help fill the void in current services for Atlanta’s homeless population. He hopes to one day carry C2A’s vision and mission to other cities throughout the country.
- Tad Landau, Field Operations
Tad began his career as a public servant as a teenager volunteering with his hometown fire department. He knew then he loved helping those in need and started perusing it as a career. Throughout college Tad continued his community outreach. As president of a student organization Tad helped initiate the groups involvement in a project providing housing to those in need. Since 2001, Tad has lived and worked as a professional firefighter and emergency medical technician in the metro Atlanta area. Having seen first hand the poverty and overwhelming need in his own community, he is very excited and ready to make a difference though C2A’s programs.
-
Lee Caldwell,
Manager of C2A Food Co-op and Store Manager of C2A Thrift Store
Scottie Caldwell, C2A Volunteer
Lee Caldwell was born and raised in Clayton County Georgia and has been married for 41 years to Scottie Lynn Caldwell. They have two children and one grandchild.
How Lee met Jeremy Turner: “My beginnings experiences started in the restaurant business for 10 years. Then I went to new home construction, worked for one company for 30 years. With the upset of the economy in 2009 I was laid off. It was that year I met Mr. Jeremy Turner through our church when he brought his idea for a food coop to our mission committee. Mission work has always been one of my priorities in life, to helping others in need. Through our church I’ve worked in soup kitchens, night shelters and street ministries. Jeremy offered me the opportunity to implement a food coop program and also assist in opening a thrift store and manage it. I continue to support these programs with pride and energy for Jeremy and for the community he serves.”