FOCUS Ministries opens new facility in Hamilton

HARRIS COUNTY, Ga. (WRBL)— Saturday, one Harris County non-profit opened the doors to their new, 11,000 square foot building.

The new Philomena Family Center will house all of the operations of FOCUS Ministries in Hamilton including their food pantry, emergency services program, children’s programs like culinary, cosmetology, art, and music. Plus, it will house new services.

“We finally have everything in one place because we were scattered from Pine Mountain to Hamilton,” Dr. Kathy Carlisle, executive director of FOCUS told WRBL. “It gives us the opportunity to add really, really life changing programs.”

New programs include Life Healing Choices, a program that celebrates recovery. In addition, FOCUS will be launching a program for children with special needs and hosting Special Olympics Events on their 10-acre site.

FOCUS has been in operation for 40 years and are notably known for feeding hundreds of families with their pantry, including Angela Dallas who has been coming since 2017 to feed her 11 grandchildren.

“Even though I work, it’s not enough and without FOCUS, I wouldn’t make it,” Dallas said.

The facility also boasts a large gathering room with meeting classrooms set up on the side. The Gathering Room shares the name of David Aldrich, the late son of Warren Aldrich who purchased the first community center in Harris County in 1921 that later became FOCUS.

“I had no concept that it would ever grow as fast as it has grown,” Aldrich said. “But the community needs everything that [Carlisle] is going to offer.”

The facility is open to the public now. The FOCUS Thrift, Boutique and Furniture Store and the newly opened FOCUS Specialty Store in Hamilton will remain in their locations. Just this year FOCUS has awarded more than $30,000 to families in need.

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