Congresswoman Nikema Williams Highlights Community Support for 10 Projects Worth $7.67 Million in House Appropriations Package

ATLANTA – Today, Congresswoman Nikema Williams (GA-05) highlighted community support for the 10 Community Project Funding Requests, totaling $7.67 million, that she got included in H.R. 4502, House Democrats’ seven-bill government funding package. Inclusion in the Appropriations Committee draft bill is the first step in the funding process. The full list of Community Project Funding Requests can be found here.

“These funding requests come from every part of the District and represent the best of our past and future,” said Congresswoman Williams. “In Congress, I will never waver from securing resources for my constituents. Working with my colleagues on the Appropriations Committee, I will advocate for these projects that will benefit the people, uplift marginalized communities and ensure everyone has the opportunity to achieve the promise of America.”

“We applaud Congresswoman Williams’ leadership,” said A.J. Robinson, President of Central Atlanta Progress. “Funding from the Community Project Funding Request will be instrumental in advancing the Stitch project in Downtown Atlanta, which will cap Interstates 75 and 85 with new parks, safe streets, and transit access that will directly benefit the quality of life for surrounding communities.”

“On behalf of Covenant House Georgia’s youth, Board of Directors, and staff, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Congresswoman Nikema Williams for helping pass the Community Project Funding Request that will help Covenant House Georgia to provide young families supported by our Pregnant and Parenting Youth Program with in-home behavioral health and intensive wrap-around services which are critical in the success of young people experiencing homelessness and escaping trafficking,” said Dr. Alieizoria Redd Executive Director of Covenant House. “With Congresswoman Williams’s support, we are expanding our capacity to help young parents and families stabilize their mental health, which allows them to maintain employment, increase educational achievements, strengthen parenting skills, and increase protective capacities to stabilize and become self-sufficient. Thank you, Congresswoman Williams!”

“Our sincere thanks to Congresswoman Nikema Williams for helping pass Community Project Funding for the installation of a roof-mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) array and battery storage at the Decatur Recreation Center,” said Mayor Patti Garrett of the City of Decatur. “By providing on-site renewable energy, the solar array and storage will increase the city’s resiliency, save tax dollars in power bills, provide educational opportunities to promote carbon-free electricity and support Decatur’s commitment to clean energy and climate action. Thank you, Congresswoman Williams!”

“We are truly grateful for Congresswoman Williams’ people-focused leadership,” said Mayor Deana Holiday Ingraham of the City of East Point. “After touring our water treatment plant and reservoir she promised to work hard to pass funding and she did just that. The Community Project Funding will be used for water treatment plant renovations for continued regulatory compliance. Additionally, the funding will help increase water capacity and storage for future population growth to improve efficiency of our water distribution system.”

“The Child Welfare Training Collaborative (CWTC) helps keep Georgia’s children safer and families healthier,” said Professor Peter Lyons, Interim Director of Georgia State’s School of Social Work. “This funding will allow CWTC to expand training among our community partners across the state, thus strengthening collaborations and expanding a shared understanding of the issues faced by vulnerable families. We are grateful to Congresswoman Nikema Williams for bringing attention and funding to a program proven to improve outcomes for these families, their children and the communities in which they live.”

“We are so happy and thankful to Congresswoman Nikema Williams’ office for submitting a request for federal funding for the Hosea Helps, Inc. Care Center Facility and Program Expansion project,” said Elisabeth Omilami, CEO of Hosea Helps, Inc. “This funding will allow us to expand our current programs by providing extended Human Services to underserved communities in Metro Atlanta and across the state of Georgia. The additional funding will also allow us to increase our warehouse space to accommodate the storage of in-kind donations from our corporate sponsors and lastly to expand our workforce in order to keep up with these impactful services.” 

“On behalf of Morehouse College, I want to thank Congresswoman Williams for her staunch support of the STEM Careers Pipeline program,” said Kendrick T. Brown, Ph.D, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs at Morehouse College. “Congresswoman Williams recognizes that science and technology fields are vital to Georgia’s and our country’s future growth. This initiative will ensure that young Black men can fulfill their potential by receiving a high-quality college education on their way to essential science and technology jobs that benefit our communities.”

“We greatly appreciate Congresswoman Williams’ efforts to advance the restoration of our lodge,” said Edward W. Bowen, Attorney/Developer Prince Hall Masonic Lodge Restoration Committee. “With her help, we are not only able to preserve a magnificent structure that is vital to Atlanta’s history, we can also tell a more complete story about the amazing civil rights achievements that transpired within its walls.” 

“We are grateful to Congresswoman Williams for the work that she has done to advance the request to fund the SpelREADS Literacy Program,” said Mary Schmidt Campbell, Ph.D., president of Spelman College. “If funded, Spelman will use this support to continue to provide our highly effective one-on-one literacy tutoring for students in Atlanta Public Schools. Thanks to the hard work and determination of our Spelman students who serve as literacy tutors for their local APS schools, community-based efforts like SpelREADS provide our K-12 students with the capacity to overcome the learning challenges created by COVID-19 and achieve academic success.”

“We are deeply grateful to Congresswoman Nikema Williams and the Georgia Congressional Delegation for promoting our agency to partner with the Small Business Administration to help entrepreneurs,” said Nancy Flake Johnson, President and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Atlanta. “Small businesses are the backbone of our communities. The SBA’s Small Business Accelerator Program will equip them to gain strength, access, and a cushion against the next economic crisis. Such support can make the difference between success and failure for thousands of entrepreneurs, many of them struggling from the pandemic that disproportionately hurt minority and women-owned enterprises that find it harder to get grants, loans, or contracts.” 

CONTACT: PressGA05@mail.house.gov