We had the good fortune of connecting with Tracy Woodard and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tracy, how does your business help the community?
Mad Housers provides free, temporary shelters for neighbors experiencing homelessness in Atlanta, and then partners with other agencies to connect clients with services such as medical treatment, ID replacement, and permanent housing.

What should our readers know about your business?
The plague year produced an incredible show of generosity from new faces. Because we could not host public events, families all over Atlanta downloaded our shelter blueprints and built panels in their garages, backyards, and parking lots, which we then picked up and deployed into the field.

Nothing makes me happier than to see young children snapping a chalk line or operating a circular saw (with mom’s supervision!), and then building relationships with homeless clients who may need multiple visits in order to build trust. Children must learn the needs of individuals through the art of compassionate conversation in order to craft solutions, and that can not be taught in books.

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.
Well first I would make sure we had bikes, there are such gorgeous murals on the West End beltline under Lee Street. For food, start with a sorbet at Honeysuckle Gelato on White Street, and then east for tacos at El Progreso on Boulevard down by the pen, then a little north of there to East Atlanta for beers at Argosy. For art, I’d see what was on display at The Bakery or White Space, blues at Northside Tavern, comedy improv at Dad’s Garage, and contemporary dance at Core Dance studio in Decatur. Though a real treat would be to see live opera again, before the plague hit I got to see Atlanta Opera’s “Dead Man Walking” at Cobb Galleria and I cried fat toddler tears.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Atticus Leblanc at PadSplit

Website: www.madhousers.net

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madhousersatlanta/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/madhousers

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mad.housers.atl

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkHT_GqEfwsbVJaOzaDv56D9TSjmWK5wn

Image Credits
Photo of Tracy K. Woodard in the tent city by Caletta Lease

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