Our Story

In 1994, I was watching TV while my mom made dinner when a news story came on about a shelter that had been robbed—right before their holiday party. All the gifts for the children were stolen. I was heartbroken. My mom saw how upset I was and didn’t just say, “What a shame.” Instead, she asked, “Well, what do you want to do about it?”

With her help, I used my allowance to buy replacement gifts. The next year, after my bat mitzvah, I used my gift money to throw a holiday party of my own—so I could make sure the kids got their gifts. My mom called Jewish Family & Career Services, and together we hosted a party for 25 kids with food, crafts, gifts, and a few friends. That was the first Amy’s Holiday Party.

Each year, more friends, family, and shelters got involved. Even during college, I flew home every December to help. After I graduated and started teaching, I realized we had built something powerful. Teens wanted meaningful service opportunities, and families needed support. 

In 2010, we founded Creating Connected Communities (CCC) as a 501(c)(3), and our mission was simple: engage teens in meaningful service and reach more children and families beyond the holiday party.

With my background in education, I created a Leadership Development Program to teach Jewish teens that you don’t need age, experience, or money to make an impact—just passion, hard work, and heart. Our first new program, Fall Festival, brought Halloween fun to kids in neighborhoods where it wasn’t safe to trick-or-treat. From there, CCC grew quickly—building strong partnerships and empowering hundreds of teens to lead with purpose across Atlanta.

Looking back at those early grassroots efforts and seeing how we’ve grown into a vibrant organization with a professional team and dedicated board, I’m deeply proud and incredibly grateful. I’m honored to do this work and constantly inspired by our teens, staff, donors, and volunteers. Thank you for being part of the CCC story!