Canopy Atlanta

If you're doing community work in metro Atlanta, this training was built for you.

Neighbors Together is a free, half-day leadership event happening Saturday, June 6 from 10a to 2p at St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Atlanta. Hosted by the Atlanta Neighborhood Development Partnership, this year's theme is Thriving Together, with a focus on connecting the people, partnerships, and resources already within your community.

The 2026 CLI Team will lead a panel covering health equity, food access, youth engagement, neighborhood organizing, and building partnerships across faith-based and civic organizations.

Attendance is free and includes program materials, breakfast, a boxed lunch, and a drawing for door prizes including an iPad and five $100 Home Depot gift cards.

Register at www.andpi.org/nww2026.

Six years ago, Canopy Atlanta started telling stories that don't usually make the news—and the community showed up.

NeighborFest ATL is our way of saying thanks, and of imagining what's next. Join us Saturday, June 13th from noon to 3pm at CreateATL for a half-day gathering featuring a keynote conversation, community sessions, and recognition for our journalism fellows.

This event is free and open to everyone. Come ready to connect.

🎟️ Register here: bit.ly/neighborfestatl

New reporting on a Clayton County Board of Commissioners meeting by Dominique Huff: Clayton County Police acquires an AI platform service to assist with their investigations, reducing research time.

Clayton County Board of Commissioners - Regular Business Meeting | Documenters.org The board is charged with the responsibility of providing a system of local government services designed to protect the health, safety, and welfare of Clayton County residents. The board considers items ranging from budgetary issues to road issues, to grants and local programs.

New reporting on a Atlanta City Council meeting by Dominique Huff: ATLDOT reports a 10% decrease in fatal crashes, surpassing the Vision Zero goal of 7% citywide.

Atlanta City Council - Budget Hearing FY27 - Transportation | Documenters.org The Atlanta City Council makes the laws governing the City of Atlanta. It develops policies that serve as operational standards and establishes the parameters for the administration of city government. https://citycouncil.atlantaga.gov/other/about-city-council

Georgia candidates spent more than $100 million on TV ads ahead of Tuesday's primary. With several races heading to a runoff, the ads aren't done yet.

Before you hit skip on the next one, it's worth knowing what those ads are actually designed to do. Canopy Atlanta Fellow Jack Rose reported on the science and strategy behind political advertising, talking with voters, a political science professor, and advocacy leaders about why campaigns spend millions on ads that most people say they hate.

The short answer: exhaustion and frustration are features, not bugs. The longer answer is in the piece.

✍️ Jack Rose
🎨 Khoa Tran

Read the full story here: https://canopyatlanta.org/2024/10/29/skip-ad-the-price-pain-and-purpose-of-political-advertising/

Less than 9 percent of Georgians eat the recommended amount of vegetables. In majority Black neighborhoods across Atlanta, only 36 percent of small grocery stores carry fresh produce at all.

Stone Mountain Community Garden has been working against those odds since 2009. Master Gardener Columbus Brown and a community of local growers donate an average of 100 pounds of fresh produce a month. But as Canopy Atlanta Fellow Jack Rose reports, the garden's most important work isn't growing food. It's changing the way people relate to it, one rattlesnake bean at a time.

✍️ Jack Rose
📷 Claudia Maturell

Read the full story here: https://canopyatlanta.org/2026/05/21/stone-mountain-community-garden

New reporting on a Clayton County Board of Commissioners meeting by Sirrus Darr: Clayton County Police Chief advocates for additional funding to recruit and retain officers, citing personnel losses to other police municipalities.

Clayton Board of Commissioners - Budget Meetings | Documenters.org The board is charged with the responsibility of providing a system of local government services designed to protect the health, safety, and welfare of Clayton County residents. The board considers items ranging from budgetary issues to road issues to grants and local programs.

New reporting on a Clayton County Board of Commissioners meeting by Sirrus Darr: Clayton County Magistrate Court claims it has not been budgeted to add staff in decades. The Chief Judge requests two full-time judges due to rising cases from HB 999.

Clayton County Budget Meetings | Documenters.org The board is charged with the responsibility of providing a system of local government services designed to protect the health, safety, and welfare of Clayton County residents. The board considers items ranging from budgetary issues to road issues, to grants and local programs.