Georgia Magazine - September 2019 - 58
Hometown HERO
By Amber Lanier Nagle
Johnny Jennings
Ringgold man recycles for his favorite charity
AMBER LANIER NAGLE
J
58
ohnny Jennings still remembers a chance meeting with three
young boys from the Georgia Baptist Children's Home in
Hapeville in 1949.
"They threw their little arms around my knees and waist and
asked me, 'Will you be our daddy?'" 88-year-old Jennings says. "After
that day, I knew I had to help the children there."
The Hapeville home moved in 1968 and changed its name to
the Georgia Baptist Children's Homes and Family Ministries in 1985.
It now operates several homes in Georgia.
While leading a fifth-grade Sunday school class at Burning Bush
Baptist Church in Ringgold in 1985, Jennings suggested a service
project to help the children's homes.
"The boys in my class asked, 'What can we do to raise
money?'" he remembers. "I suggested we collect paper,
cardboard and aluminum cans to recycle. We earned $57
that first year and donated every cent to the
children's homes."
In the 34 years since, Jennings has collected
pennies and recyclables from his neighbors, local
businesses and churches; hauled the
products to a recycling center in Chattanooga;
and exchanged his loads for cash.
To date, he has donated more than $416,000
to the children's homes by collecting $29,799.65
in pennies and converting 500,000 aluminum
cans and 10,613,820 pounds of cardboard and
paper to money. He holds onto the crushed cans
through the summer and delivers them for cash
in winter, when aluminum conversion rates
are at their max. One year when the market for
recycled materials was particularly strong, his
efforts raised $35,000 for the homes.
"I still load the truck myself," says Jennings, a Marine
Corps veteran who served during the Korean War and a
North Georgia EMC member who worked as a welder before
retiring. "I had two mini-strokes a couple of years ago, and
they say I have Parkinson's [disease], but I'm still out here
recycling and doing what I can."
Do you know a hometown
"My favorite quote is 'The meaning of life is to find
hero like Johnny Jennings?
your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away,'" says JenEmail your nomination to
nings, quoting artist Pablo Picasso. "I believe that's true."
jim.jess@georgiaemc.com.
Jennings doesn't plan to stop his fundraising-or
Include the person's name
"friendraising"-activities any time soon.
and a short description
"I won't stop until the undertaker turns my toes up,"
of his or her work in the
he says, laughing. "This is my mission, and I will concommunity. We'll hightinue to serve as long as I can."
light selected nominees in
Amber Lanier Nagle is a freelance writer living in
future issues.
Adairsville.
Georgia Magazine
September 2019
Georgia Magazine - September 2019
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Georgia Magazine - September 2019
Contents
Georgia Magazine - September 2019 - Intro
Georgia Magazine - September 2019 - Cover1
Georgia Magazine - September 2019 - Cover2
Georgia Magazine - September 2019 - Contents
Georgia Magazine - September 2019 - 4
Georgia Magazine - September 2019 - 5
Georgia Magazine - September 2019 - 6
Georgia Magazine - September 2019 - 7
Georgia Magazine - September 2019 - 8
Georgia Magazine - September 2019 - 9
Georgia Magazine - September 2019 - 10
Georgia Magazine - September 2019 - 11
Georgia Magazine - September 2019 - 12
Georgia Magazine - September 2019 - 13
Georgia Magazine - September 2019 - 14
Georgia Magazine - September 2019 - 15
Georgia Magazine - September 2019 - 16
Georgia Magazine - September 2019 - 17
Georgia Magazine - September 2019 - 18
Georgia Magazine - September 2019 - 19
Georgia Magazine - September 2019 - 20
Georgia Magazine - September 2019 - 21
Georgia Magazine - September 2019 - 22
Georgia Magazine - September 2019 - 23
Georgia Magazine - September 2019 - 24
Georgia Magazine - September 2019 - 25
Georgia Magazine - September 2019 - 26
Georgia Magazine - September 2019 - 27
Georgia Magazine - September 2019 - 28
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Georgia Magazine - September 2019 - 31
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Georgia Magazine - September 2019 - 58
Georgia Magazine - September 2019 - Cover3
Georgia Magazine - September 2019 - Cover4
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