Phoenix Pass transition housing for homeless families recently celebrated its one year anniversary. Keynote speaker Carol Ingle, the 1981 Rockdale County Teacher of the Year, said "Home is where its safe and peaceful, and its where you’re going when you don’t know where else to go."

She drew the example of a mother whose child has plenty of toys with a visiting child that has no toys. "The mother of the house would say ‘share." She pointed out even those that make $25,000 a year are still in the top 10 percent of the globe and those who make $50,000 are in the top 1 percent of the globe. "It’s time to share, isn’t it?"

Light House Village board Chairman Jeff Beech described the Phoenix Pass First Thousand Families campaign that seeks 1,000 families to pledge $10 a month towards running Phoenix Pass.

Tim Carey noted the recent launch of the Family Promise interfaith hospitality network that provides temporary housing for homeless families and a network of 13 local churches.

County Chairman Richard Oden and Conyers Mayor Randy Mills issued a joint proclamation recognizing the work that Phoenix Pass has done.

Phoenix Pass board Chairman Ron Simpson said, "It’s a milestone." He described the path that he hoped families would take after graduating from the two-year stay at Phoenix Pass, including moving into their own home with the help of Habitat for Humanity, which is building homes on 30-plus lots in Olde Town.

Resident Erica Hanner (pictured center right) spoke about how the support and guidance she received at Phoenix Pass inspired her to switch her major at Georgia State University from journalism to social work. "When I came to Phoenix Pass, I was on my last leg." Staying at Phoenix Pass gave a stable place for her young daughter and enabled her to focus on her future goals.