bUneke Magazine Issue 1

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FROM ANNA’S Heart , Sponsored by A.D.D. in Poetry By Mary Brotherton How many times have you seen a problem and thought, “Somebody should do something about that?” Atlanta native, Anna Okula said she saw a post on Facebook, a few years ago, about a woman in Seymour, Indiana who had started tying scarves to trees with a note that they were free to anyone who needed one. She said she told herself, “I totally want to do this,” and now, she has taken the idea a few steps beyond scarves. During the particularly brutal Atlanta winter of 2015, her friend, Rudy Fernandez had seen men living under a bridge near his office, so he gathered coats for them. When he told Anna about it, she wanted to help. A year later, she started tying scarves on trees and fences in Woodruff Park. In 2016, their mutual concern for their homeless neighbors evolved further. Anna is a vice president at Porter Novelli, a global public relations agency, so she had access to leftover conference totes, pens and notepads, which became the basis for her collections. All her colleagues, family and friends know Anna keeps a box in her office for donations. Her cousin knits dozens of hats and gives them to Anna. “I posted what I was doing, on Facebook and it took off from there! Some people donated money,” Anna said. “Family and friends went with me, downtown, in Atlanta and we just found people who needed these things.” Her friend Luke Hamilton frequently travels to Dubai for business. “I’ve been overwhelmed by donations,” Anna said. 18 “Luke brings me a massive box of travel-sized
toiletries after all his trips. Other people buy things on clearance. It’s a group effort.” Anna said ten to 15 people donate and help distribute more than 100 bags every holiday season. The reusable totes are filled with a combination of scarf or a hand-knitted hat or gloves, socks, a notepad and pen, toiletries, a toothbrush, toothpaste and a reusable water bottle. “I’d like to reach out to other companies for donations. Nicole McAfee, another woman I know who does this, calls hers Blessing Bags, but mine are just from my heart. I don’t have a name for them.” Anna has been asked if she could give cards for MARTA, Atlanta’s bus and train line , but hasn’t been able to find the funding for that, yet. “If some amazing angel who reads this wants to help, there are other things I’d want first. The amount spent for a single MARTA card could go much farther and potentially do more good but I won’t turn down any donations.” She would like to add granola bars or other nonperishable snacks, bottles of water and feminine supplies for women to her bags. “The people we give to are receptive. They’re very grateful and say they like the reusable bags. I always leave reminded of the things we all have and take for granted. I wish I could do so much more.” Anna said that friends with young children like to get involved. “They want their kids to see the act of helping others and being selfless, especially at the holidays. I have two friends now who want to make sure that their kids can help put together the bags and give them out in December.” If you would like to be a part of the Bags from Anna’s Heart, contact Anna Okula at 404-376-5739 or aokula99@gmail.com. , 19
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bUneke Magazine Issue 1

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