News Update
- Visit our Events page for details on upcoming meetings.
- We have several board positions open for the upcoming COVA year 2023-2024. Visit our Board Member page to learn more about our leadership.
- Please contact COVA President Debra Brook by email at president@atlantacova.org if you would be willing to serve or assist on a Committee.
Volunteer Spotlight
| 2019-2020 COVA Board Members at the 2019 COVA Conference
COVACON2019
COVA Conference attendees connecting with different agencies that support nonprofits and volunteer recruitment in the metro Atlanta area.
COVACON19 discussion
COVACON19 Keynote Speaker: Ciji Townsend of Balanced Not Busy sharing great tips and insights.
COVA Annual Award Winners
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Rob Hauser - Kate's Club Buddy |
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My name is Rob Hauser and I’ve been a proud Kate’s Club Buddy and Ambassador since 2019. This is my story of how I got involved with Kate’s Club and how it’s impacted me and my grief journey. In 2018, I was struggling with addiction and needed help. My life had become unmanageable.As my recovery journey began, I was tasked with writing my father a letter, who died when I was 5. This proved to be the most emotionally challenging work. It took me weeks to gather the courage to write simple words to him. Unmanaged grief had followed me my entire life up to this point. While in treatment, I saw a CNN’s Hero segment that inspired me. It featured Imagine Centers For Coping With Grief, in New Jersey. And how the children of the program were navigating their grief, something I had never done. I called them to get involved. | They led me to Kate’s Club. Even though I was in the thick of processing my own grief and confronting suppressed feelings, I needed to be a part of something that was bigger than me and my struggles. So I began taking the hour trip to the Clubhouse from sober living until I moved to Atlanta in 2020. My first clubhouse solidified my commitment as I recognized myself in these children. The Welcome Circle is such a difficult and powerful experience. I was envious of their emotional maturity as they shared who the person was that died in their life. Their ability to verbally express their grief is something I knew I had to continue to be a part of and support in any capacity I could. The work these kids do, that feels more like play, is remarkable. And although I recognize that I am truly valued as a Buddy, it only continues to heal that 5 year old in me who is now able to say out loud that “my name is Rob, and my dad died”. |
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Upcoming events
- No upcoming events
The Council of Volunteer Administrators of Metropolitan Atlanta, Inc. (COVA) was established in 1972 as a membership organization of volunteer administrators dedicated to advancing the professional management of volunteer services in Metro Atlanta. COVA provides its membership with an accessible forum for networking, knowledge-sharing, collaboration and leadership opportunities. COVA is an organization of Volunteer Administrators, Executive Directors, volunteer and community leaders, students, consultants, trainers and job seekers. Our purpose is to promote sound leadership and management practices and to support professional volunteer administration.
We stand engaged with everyone in the fight for a just and equitable society. The COVA Board wishes to thank you for your hard work and commitment to serving your volunteers and the community. As a member based organization we draw strength from our diversity and strive to build an inclusive culture. We commit to actively seeking out people as speakers, board members and members with different voices, perspectives, and backgrounds and then listening to them, connecting with them, and working with them to build change.