Carmen Giles, Executive Director of Kate’s Club

Carmen will tell you that she is a long-time Opportunity Knocks follower. Before Carmen became the Director of Operations and later the Executive Director of Kate’s Club, a job which she found through Opportunity Knocks, Carmen would drive to the Georgia Center for Nonprofits and pick up the latest edition of the Opportunity Knocks hard copy newsletter.

Since then, Opportunity Knocks has grown and is now all on-line and Kate’s Club, under the leadership of Carmen, has experienced tremendous growth over the last few years.

Carmen came to Kate’s Club after15 years of experience in program development and nonprofit management. She has worked with children of all ages at various non-profit organizations, including the DeKalb County Children’s Emergency Shelter, the United Methodist Children’s Home and the New York City Housing Authority.

After relocating to Atlanta, Carmen earned her Master of Public Administration with a concentration in Nonprofit Management at Georgia State University. After graduate school, Carmen worked as an Associate Director for AIDS Survival Project and then Senior Manager of Operations for the Southeastern Region of the National Wildlife Federation.

Carmen was initially hired as the Director of Operations of Kate’s Club. After one year, the board of directors offered Carmen the Executive Director position. Kate’s Club is an organization that serves children and teens in the Metro Atlanta area facing life after the death of a parent or sibling. Kate’s Club was founded by Kate Atwood, who lost her mother at the age of 12. Kate knows firsthand the importance of grieving children establishing a connection with others who share a similar loss. Kate’s Club provides grief-related programs that help a child build a support system and learn skills to cope with their loss. Knowing that children are influenced by the way the adults in their lives grieve, Kate’s Club also offers a program supporting a child’s surviving parent or caregiver. In short, Carmen says, “we teach kids that it’s okay to grieve and Kate’s Club is here as long as they need us.”

Recently, Kate’s Club moved to a new midtown location and Carmen invited the Opportunity Knocks Team to the Open House. The new location is ideal and convenient for outings with children and teens.

Also, the relocation of the organization from Marietta to a centrally located area in midtown allows Kate’s Club to serve more children who need their services. Since its move, the organization has seen a 53% increase in the number of new children compared to the same time last year.

When speaking with Carmen about Kate’s Club, her depth of passion and enthusiasm for the organization are inspiring. It is important to Carmen that as the organization continues to grow, the safe and uplifting spirit that creates an environment for children to progress through their grief journey is maintained. Carmen explains, “the upcoming months are especially difficult for our children. While many of us will celebrate Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, many of our children no longer have a person with whom to celebrate. That’s why I’m glad that Kate’s Club is here, so children don’t have to feel isolated or alone in their grief.”

Summer time can also be a difficult time for grieving children. One of the children’s favorite programs at Kate’s Club is Camp Good Mourning, an annual weekend, overnight camp. This year, camp begins on Friday, August 7th and ends on Sunday, August 9th. The camp combines high-energy camp activities with grief education and emotional support. To learn more about Camp Good Mourning, visit www.katesclub.org or call (404) 347-7619

Kate’s Club is open to all children and teens ages 5-18 who have lost a parent or sibling. If you know of a family who needs support through a difficult time, please contact Carmen at Kate’s Club. Her understanding and empathy for grieving children and teens will make a positive impact in anyone’s life.