Local Veterans Accountability Court Supports MUST Ministries with Breakfast

Approximately 20 participants, judges, staff, and mentors from the Cobb County Veterans Treatment and Accountability Court provided a sumptuous breakfast for more than 65 residents – men and women — of MUST Ministry recently.

The senior director for emergency housing at MUST, Keo Buford, thanked the volunteers. “Since the pandemic,” he said, “it is nice to see the community coming back out to help.”

When Conrad Valcy, Cobb County Veterans Treatment and Accountability Court treatment provider was asked why he chose the residents of MUST Ministries emergency housing as the beneficiaries of the breakfast, his answer was to the point. “MUST Ministries has a history and the reputation of providing service to the community,” he said. “Cobb County Veterans Treatment and Accountability Court also has a history of collaborating with MUST Ministries to help in supporting the community.”

According to SM&P’s Victoria Turney, a Veterans Court mentor, the guests appeared to be enjoying the wonderful breakfast selection served. “It was a huge breakfast spread consisting of eggs — with and without cheese, grits, oatmeal, hash browns, biscuits, fruit, Danish, bacon, sausage, and more cooked and served by us — the volunteers from the Court — to the residents that morning.”

“I have not had a breakfast with so many options since Christmas breakfast as a child,” one of the MUST residents said between bites.

As is usually the case when people help others, the givers are as grateful as the receivers. “It is an honor to be allowed to participate in an event to help a fellow human being experiencing the human condition,” Conrad said.

Giving back is sometimes literal and direct. “It was but a few years ago that I was a resident of MUST Ministries,” a Veterans Court participant said.

Mary Montgomery, SM&P founding and managing partner, expressed support for the work of both the Veterans Court and MUST Ministries. “Both of these organizations do good work in our community. Together, their value is greater than the sum of their parts. There is real synergy there.”