Published: Nov. 18 2025Welcome to the first edition of the “Healthy Futures Feature” - the Cobb & Douglas Health Foundation’s quarterly e-newsletter! Each quarter we’ll be celebrating the remarkable work that’s made possible by YOUR generosity. Our community’s...
Healthy Futures Feature
Recent Newsletters
Published: April 8, 2026
April 2026 “Healthy Futures Feature”!
Your April 2026 Cobb & Douglas Health Foundation (CDHF) quarterly e-newsletter is here! Each quarter we’ll be celebrating the remarkable work that’s made possible by YOUR generosity. Our community’s support helps us advance our mission of building “healthier lives and healthier communities”.
Together, we’re shaping a brighter, healthier future for Cobb and Douglas residents, and we’re excited to share the impact you’re making!
FEATURED PROGRAM
Adolescent Health & Youth Development
The Adolescent Health & Youth Development program aims to empower youth, ages 10-19, in the Cobb & Douglas Public Health District to advocate for healthy life choices. Through collaborating with schools, faith-based organizations, non-profit organizations, and other government agencies, a network of community-based support has been developed to help adolescents improve health outcomes and succeed as they move into adulthood. Programs and services enhance life skills, healthy behaviors and activities, and reduce high-risk behaviors, such as violence, substance abuse, poor school performance, and sexual activity.
Our programs include:
- Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP): PREP is offered through a partnership between the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) and the Georgia Department of Families and Children (DFCS). It is an evidence-based program designed to prevent unplanned teen pregnancies and STDs/HIV among youth, ages 10-19. The purpose of the program is intended to increase positive healthy relationship behaviors and increase the percentage of youth who abstain from or delay sexual intercourse.
- Power in Truth (PIT): Power in Truth is a youth development conference that aims to empower youth with techniques to help increase healthy behaviors, avoid drugs, tobacco, and alcohol, and overcome negative influences. For more information and resources related to the Power in Truth Conference, click here.
OUR LATEST INITIATIVE
Power in Truth (PIT) Youth Conference
For 25 years, Power in Truth (PIT) has been a proven, community-supported program helping young people make healthy, life-shaping choices. Each year, PIT reaches thousands of youth with prevention-focused education (in person and digitally) that equips them to resist social pressure, navigate media influence, and avoid high-risk behaviors. This past year’s conference, held October 28, 2025, brought together over 500 students for a day of learning and empowerment focused on substance use prevention, bullying, healthy relationships, and mental health. More than information, PIT builds leadership, confidence, and decision-making skills that youth carry into their homes, schools, and futures. Because of donor support, PIT continues to be a trusted, impactful investment in the health and resilience of our next generation.
We are already planning our 2026 Conference!
YOUR GIFT MADE THIS POSSIBLE
Client Experience
Douglas County School Counselor, Debbie P., says “I saw firsthand how powerful the Power in Truth Conference is for our students. PIT gives young people something they rarely experience – honest conversations with individuals who have faced real challenges and found a way forward.” She went on to explain, “when students hear from speakers who look like them and share similar struggles, it breaks down barriers and opens the door to hope. Instead of avoiding difficult topics like vaping, peer pressure, and emotional instability, PIT confronts them head-on while empowering youth with truth, tools, and the reassurance that change is possible.”
The School Counselor brought a student in need of additional support to PIT and said “he was completely engaged throughout the day. There were no behavior issues, only reflection and growth.” The student said, “I didn’t know other people struggled with these things. I want to do better.” That moment captures the heart of PIT. It doesn’t just inform students; it helps them recognize right from wrong, see their own potential, and connect to resources and support. Debbie says “PIT offers students more than a conference, it provides a pathway to life skills, resilience, and a better future.” Thanks to donors like you, students are gaining the life skills, confidence, and real-world support they need to make healthier choices and build brighter future
Our Everyday Health Heroes
Health Educator, Dammie Ode-Martins shares why she’s proud to be part of this critical work.
“I’m proud to be part of the Adolescent Health & Youth Development program because this work changes lives at a critical moment. Many young people feel unseen as they navigate peer pressure, family conflict, and difficult choices. Through partnerships with schools and community organizations, we deliver evidence-based programs that help youth build confidence, strengthen communication skills, and make healthier decisions. Every day, I see young people realize that their voices matter, and that realization can change the course of their lives.”
She went on to say, “One experience that truly stayed with me happened during a PREP session at New Manchester High School. A student opened up about challenges at home, and we worked through tools that helped him communicate more openly with his family. Weeks later, he returned to tell us his relationships with his mom and siblings had improved and that he felt more hopeful. Moments like this show us the real impact. When youth gain the skills to build healthy relationships and make positive choices, families grow stronger, and those stronger families help create a healthier, more resilient community for everyone.”
MEET OUR NEWEST HERO
Amazon
Amazon made a generous donation to our Cobb & Douglas Health Foundation to support youth development in Douglas County. The funding supported the Power in Truth Youth Conference held in October.
“At Amazon, we believe in investing in the communities where our employees live and work, and that starts with empowering young people to reach their full potential,” said Afrika Alsup, Community Engagement Manager at Amazon. “The Power in Truth Youth Conference represents exactly the kind of grassroots initiative we’re honored to support—one that addresses real needs and creates lasting impact. By partnering with CDHF, we’re helping ensure Douglas County youth have access to the resources, mentorship, and tools they need to build healthy, successful futures.” Alsup added.
“We are profoundly grateful to Amazon for investing in the potential of Douglas County’s young people,” said Lisa Crossman, Executive Director of the Cobb & Douglas Health Foundation. “The Power in Truth Youth Conference creates a safe and inspiring space for youth to strengthen their mental health, build resilience, and discover their purpose. Amazon’s partnership helps us extend that impact far beyond a single day—equipping students, families, and educators with tools and resources that support healthy, successful futures. This is the kind of collaboration that truly transforms communities.”
ABOUT THE COBB & DOUGLAS HEALTH FOUNDATION
Since 1994, the Cobb & Douglas Health Foundation has been dedicated to supporting Cobb & Douglas Public Health by providing financial, fundraising, and advocacy efforts in their mission “to promote and protect the health and safety of the residents of Cobb and Douglas counties.”
While tax dollars provide a foundation of support, they are not enough. That’s why over 40%—about $12 million each year—of Cobb & Douglas Public Health funding comes from fees and generous contributions made by individuals, businesses, civic groups, and foundations. These funds are essential to continue the work in protecting public health.
The Foundation Board takes a strategic approach to make the greatest impact where it’s needed most. Fundraising efforts are focused on critical health issues facing Cobb and Douglas County residents.
In 2025, The Cobb & Douglas Health Foundation secured over $290,000 to support Safe Kids, Babies Born Healthy, Adolescent Health and Youth Development, and Children 1st programs in addition to supporting the installation of a free outdoor exercise area at the Douglas Public Health Center once the clinic expansion is complete! We extend a heartfelt thank you to all our donors for their meaningful contributions! It takes a village, and we can’t do this work without you.
Ongoing ways to make a difference:
- $100 could provide a car safety seat to keep an infant safe during travel
- $125 could provide a portable crib for a baby without a safe place to sleep
- $1,250 could assure quality prenatal care through our medical partners for one uninsured woman
- $2,500 or more could provide a child with hearing aids (often not covered by insurance)
- $5,000 could provide a piece of exercise equipment at the Douglas Outdoor Exercise area
- $10,000 could fund the education equipment in one of our community classrooms
THANK YOU TO OUR RECENT DONORS!
Amazon
Capital City Bank
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
Cobb EMC Foundation
Elevate Douglas
Gallopade International
Georgia Power Foundation
Georgia Health Foundation
Georgia Health Initiative
Georgia Prevention Project
Greystone Power Corporation
Honda
Jesse Parker Williams Fnd.
John & Mary Franklin Fnd.
Kiwanis Club of Douglas County
Kiwanis Club of Marietta