Meet Mary Grace King | Executive Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mary Grace King and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mary Grace, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
When starting Frontline Housing, Inc., my thought process was to expand my abilities and tools to support my community. Growing up, both of my parents were social workers, working at the Cobb Department of Family and Children Services for 30 years. I was very aware of the support I had from my family, and that family support was special and one of my greatest strengths. I went to the University of Georgia to pursue my Master’s in Social Work, knowing that I wanted to make a difference and help others in my community. Through my relationships in the nonprofit community, I had to opportunity to start Frontline Housing in January of 2020, and I knew I needed to take advantage of the opportunity in front of me to support families experiencing homelessness. My thought process was to grow and build Frontline Housing so that I can make as big of an impact as possible in my corner of the world.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Frontline Housing is a nonprofit based in Metro Atlanta, working to end homelessness for families experiencing homelessness through permanent housing and financial well-being services. We are most proud to have placed over 400 families into permanent housing in 2023. We have also developed a savings cash transfer program, once families are placed in housing that combines financial well-being education with building a habit of contributing to an emergency savings. We have had 300 individuals and families graduate with $1000 in their emergency savings in 2023. Combining housing and savings has made a bigger more long lasting impact on our families, and we are proud of the services we provide to our community. I want the world to know that we are a small nonprofit, total 12 social workers on the team, all coming together to make a long lasting difference for the families we serve.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
One of my favorite things about Atlanta, is the parks and walking paths all throughout the city! I love the Atlanta Beltline, and would walk or bike from Piedmont park all the way down to the Beacon, south of Grant Park. Chastain Park is also another park I love to frequent! The tennis community is Atlanta is also uniquely passionate and sprawling throughout the City, and I would absolutely recommend picking up the sport! For food, Atlanta has so many amazing food halls where you can sample many different restaurants and cuisines, including Ponce City Market, Krog, and the Chattahoochee Works!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My number one supporters will always be my parents, Jenifer and Howard. Both of them instilled in me my confidence, and my drive to make an impact. They showed me the world and still support me everyday and encourage me to continue growing and learning.

United Way of Greater Atlanta has been an incredible funder and provided valuable mentorship in Frontline Housing’s journey as a nonprofit. We could not be where we are today without the support of United Way of Greater Atlanta.

Website: frontlinehousing.org

Instagram: @frontlinehousinginc

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/frontline-housing-inc/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Frontlinehousing

Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@frontlinehousinginc

Image Credits
Brian Yaneck