ATLANTA – Christmas is a time many of us spend with our loved ones. But many people don’t have families or even a place to call home. The nonprofit group Frontline Response celebrated the holiday with a special dinner for its residents.

This is a special Christmas for resident, Quaquela Lewis.

“I’ve been out of work for two years,” she admitted.

Lewis lost her job and times grew tough.

“I was actually on the street,” Lewis said. “You’re out there, and you’re struggling to exist.”

She now stays at Frontline Response, and this holiday, Lewis has a roof over her head and a place to celebrate Christmas.

“It’s a blessing. It’s a time of rest. Having a place like this takes that pressure off,” Lewis said.

The nonprofit rescues people from sex trafficking and helps people experiencing homelessness get back on their feet.

“This is a wonderful place,” said a resident, who only wanted to be known as Alexander. “I’m just thankful this place has a wonderful program.”

CEO Terry Tucker, his son Jabari and several volunteers cooked dinner and set up for dozens of people who may not have had anywhere else to go or anyone else to share Christmas.

“It’s really good to be able to not just give food, but spend that time and really commune with people,” Tucker said. “There are a lot of people who get caught in circumstances that are not of their own making. A lot of them may not have any kind of dinner, let alone Christmas dinner.”

Tucker says the residents are more like family and that on Christmas, the greatest gift you can give is love.

“We want to make it special, not just another meal. What we try to do is create a place where people feel like there’s some sort of joy they’ve had over the season,” he said.

Learn more about Frontline Response here.

The Consulate General of Israel in Atlanta has created a new initiative in which participants can add names and photos of those still held captive in Gaza to create unique ornaments to raise awareness of and call for the release of the hostages. 

“As Christmas approached this year, a time when families come together, we wanted to use the opportunity to raise awareness to the fact that there are still 100 hostages, among them seven Americans, who should also be home with their families”, Anat Sultan-Dadon, Consul General of Israel to the Southeastern United States, told The Jerusalem Post.

The consulate has reached out to several prominent churches in Atlanta who have agreed to display the special ornaments on their Christmas trees. In addition, they produced an explanatory sheet through which individuals can also print the ornaments and hang them on their Christmas trees.

Details of the ornaments 

The ornaments include a photo of each of the 100 hostages still held captive by Hamas, which will be hung on the Christmas tree using a yellow ribbon associated with the struggle for their release.

“The First Baptist Church of Atlanta, a mega church, was the first to agree to the initiative,” Anat Sultan-Dadon told the Post.

“Israel is blessed with many supportive friends out there, and many of them don’t know how they can actively support Israel at this time. This tree is a way to encourage them to act and to use their voices for the hostages and for Israel.”

ATLANTA – A 17-year-old male is recovering after being shot in the foot on Christmas Eve, according to the Atlanta Police Department.

Officers responded to Grady Memorial Hospital around 10:39 p.m. on Dec. 24, after receiving a report of a gunshot victim. The teenager was being treated by medical staff for a gunshot wound to his left foot.

Preliminary information suggests the shooting may have occurred near 609 Thurmond Street NW. Investigators from the department’s Aggravated Assault Unit are working to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Authorities emphasized that details are subject to change as the investigation continues.