Quinn House Gives Food and Hope

Gene Brinkley stumbled into the in 1996 after a failed attempt to take his own life. He'd come to Georgia from Texas, trying to shake an addiction to drugs and alcohol. When that failed, he saw suicide as his only way out. Fifteen years later, Brinkley has turned his life around. He is now director of the Quinn House in Lawrenceville, a non profit Christian-based outreach program for the needy, food bank and drug and alcohol rehabilitation program.

The Quinn House began more than 25 years ago when founders John and Carol Quinn opened their Texas home to a woman they'd met at a nearby restaurant who had no place to go. The Quinn's started taking more people in. Soon after, they moved from Texas to Georgia and into an old house on South Perry Street in downtown Lawrenceville, which serves as the home base of the ministry.

The couple took Brinkley under their wing and he reluctantly entered the 40-day rehabilitation program. "I struggled with it for a long time, I didn't think I could ever have a stable life again," Brinkley said. "I was able to put it all back together and I’ve been here ever since trying to give back a little of what was given to me."

Today, the Quinn's legacy has expanded to a five building mini-campus, spread out in Lawrenceville, and it continues to grow. The main house includes the staff offices, kitchen and food pantry services. There are three homes available for housing of men and women, in addition to women with children. There's also a thrift store/distribution center that helps people in need with donated clothes, furniture, appliances and household items. All of the services are available free of charge. The is also a licensed Food Bank, and gives out more than one million food boxes a year to needy families and seniors on a fixed income.

The goal of the Quinn House is to not have anyone who enters the facilities leave the same way they came in. Every staff member has been through the program and uses their personal experiences to help build new lives. Patricia Travis started out as a volunteer, giving free hair cuts to the residents while attending beauty school. Soon after, her life started to unravel. "My husband got injured on the job and became addicted to pain killers," said Travis. A divorce followed. The Quinn's then invited Travis to move in with her 13 year-old son. "I didn’t really know how to reach out for help because I’d never needed help," said Travis. "I didn’t have to because Mrs. Quinn came and she offered to help me." 

Travis now serves as director of community relations for the Quinn House. She coordinates all of the outreach and holiday programs and continues to give free haircuts while her son is a youth pastor at Victory World Church in Norcross. "Our lives could have had a much different ending had not somebody cared," said Travis. "They reached out to me and loved me and I loved them. This ministry rescued my life."

The Quinn House operates under the belief that a relationship with God is the key to a a successful, happy life. The guests have to follow a strict schedule, which includes Bible studies, church services and counseling sessions. "A lot of people that come here don't know how to keep a schedule, they didn't learn those fundamental basic things," said Travis. "We have businesses that hire people that come through our ministry because they are so well disciplined. They know that they'll be to work on time."

Due to the slow economy, Quinn House staff are fielding more requests for food. Demands for meals and food boxes have doubled from last year. "People are hungry... children need to eat whether their parents have a job or not," said Travis. Donations are being accepted to put together meals for the upcoming holiday season. The Quinn House assembles and passes out full family holiday meals for Thanksgiving and Christmas. "We need turkeys, hams, canned goods, grocery gift cards...anything you can give," said Travis.

The highlight of the holiday season is the Christmas angel tree program. Travis started it two years ago out of necessity after donations started dropping off because of the economy. The Christmas wish lists of needy children are written out on colorful cardboard angels and placed in local stores and churches. A sponsor can adopt a child and purchase the gifts. Each child gets three presents, $30 and under. "The program has grown each year. I hope it gets even bigger this year so that we can help more children," Travis said.

"We're here to serve 24/7. It's our life. I don't know any other ministry like that," said Travis. "We aren’t just concerned with telling somebody that drugs and alcohol are bad. We’re there to show them how to get off them and to encourage and help them get on their feet." For Brinkley, overcoming his own hurdles fuels his passion. "When I see somebody get some of what I got, that just ignites me to do more and give more."

"What does a homeless person look like? You and I," said Travis. "It's your sister, aunt, uncle... most of America is just a paycheck away from being homeless." 

For more information on how to make a donation or sponsor a child for Christmas or phone: 770-962-0470.