Breakfast on the Block is our annual celebration of community, collaboration, and the impact we achieve when we work together.
This year’s theme, “Stronger Together: Partnerships that Transform Communities,” reflects what our 47-year history has taught us. We cannot do this work alone, and thankfully, we don’t have to!
Just looking around the room was a beautiful reminder of that truth. It was packed with FCS team members, board members, neighbors, donors, sponsors, volunteers, and partners, all there because they care deeply about the flourishing of Historic South Atlanta and Thomasville Heights.
“Combo Blocking” for Community Transformation
We started the morning gathered around tables over a delicious meal catered by local favorite Artistic Soul Catering. Once everyone settled in, FCS President Marvin Nesbitt opened the program with humor and heart, sharing his own story about learning the importance of teamwork both on the football field and in community development.
“If I was ever going to have any type of success in football, it was going to be that combo block,” Marvin said. “And I’ve learned that if I’m ever going to be successful in helping neighbors transform their communities, I’m going to have to rely on the combo block.”
That “combo block” became a powerful metaphor for collaboration and the partnerships that help FCS and neighbors in Historic South Atlanta and Thomasville Heights create lasting change. From affordable housing and education to health, wellness, and economic vitality, FCS’s approach to neighborhood transformation is built on collaboration.
We were able to showcase that through a powerful partner panel, featuring four leaders representing the “combo block” partnerships that make community transformation possible.
Panelists included:
- Ayanna Gabriel-Turner, Vice President, Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta
- Rita Breen, Executive Director, Georgia Power Foundation
- Mike Davis, Executive Director, Purpose Built Schools Atlanta
- Yvette Humphries, Financial Advisor, Pinnacle Financial Partners
Each shared how their organization works alongside FCS to address barriers, invest in people and programs, and create lasting change. We will be highlighting more insights from each of our partners in the weeks ahead, but one moment from Yvette Humphries of Pinnacle Financial Partners captured the heart of the morning. She shared, “When someone asked me what this community means to me, I said family. That’s why we aim and strive every single day to be a partner to our communities.”
Honoring Community Champions
Next came a highlight of the morning: recognizing two remarkable individuals whose lives embody the spirit of service and partnership that define FCS.
Florida Ellis Community Champion Award: Jeff Stanciel
Presented by Young Professionals Board member Reginald White, the Florida Ellis Community Champion Award honors the legacy of longtime FCS supporter and former Board Chair Florida Ellis, a woman known for her humble, steadfast service and unwavering commitment to the flourishing of FCS’s neighborhoods.
Lifetime Achievement Award: Shell Stafford
The FCS Lifetime Achievement Award honors individuals whose vision, commitment, and sustained contributions have profoundly shaped our community over time. This year, that honor went to our very own Shell Stafford, our Housing Services Manager, for her incredible 40 years of service to FCS and the neighborhoods we serve.
From her early days of helping out in the office a few times a week to her current role helping families achieve safe and affordable rental and homeownership opportunities, Shell has been the heartbeat of FCS. She’s worked across multiple programs—family support, administration, bookkeeping, and now housing—earning the nickname “the Swiss Army knife of FCS.”
Former FCS President Jim Wehner presented the award via video, calling Shell “the face of FCS for so many of our neighbors, residents, and friends.”
In her own words, Shell shared what has kept her grounded all these years: “I enjoy being someone that families can count on. My favorite part of this work is handing over that final packet after a homeowner makes their last mortgage payment and seeing the joy when they realize they’ve done it.”
Her story moved many in the room to tears as her children and grandchildren stood beside her to receive the award, a powerful reminder of how faithfulness and love ripple through generations.
Stronger Together
Breakfast on the Block shows us that our work is strongest when we come together. We’re grateful for the many organizations and individuals who walk alongside us, bringing unique gifts, knowledge, and a shared heart for community transformation.
Thank you to everyone who attended, volunteered, and continues to support our mission in big and small ways every day. Your contributions make Historic South Atlanta and Thomasville Heights communities where everyone can flourish.
If you also believe in this work, we invite you to be part of it. Join our mailing list to stay informed. Follow along on social media. Visit FCS to see the work firsthand. And, if you are able, give generously to help sustain the partnerships that make transformation possible.
We are truly stronger together.
