Georgia Magazine - February 2025 - 34

Hometown HEROES
By Amber Lanier Nagle
Angel in a
truck: JoAnn
Tarnoff helps
the homeless
J
oAnn Tarnoff of Warner Robins spends
evenings driving a weathered pickup truck
through quiet streets and vacant parking lots
looking for people who may need assistance. These
nightly missions of mercy began a decade ago when
she was a volunteer with Purradise Inc., a group of
Middle Georgia women who help senior citizens and
homeless people feed and spay or neuter their pets.
" It was a cold, frigid night, " Tarnoff says. " I drove
by the entrance of a grocery store that had closed
for the night, and I spotted a young couple huddled
against the wall, desperately trying to warm
themselves. "
Tarnoff rolled down her window and said:
" Come on. Get in the back of my truck. "
She drove the couple to a hotel, paid for them to
stay for a few days and checked on them throughout
the week.
Fast-forward to a few months ago. As Tarnoff sat
in a parking lot, she saw a familiar face approaching
her old truck: the woman from 10 years ago.
" She told me that she and her husband were in
a much better place now and have never forgotten
that night and how I stopped and helped them, "
she says. " She kept saying, 'Thank you.' "
To many in her community's homeless
population, Tarnoff is known simply as " Mom. "
She knows their faces and names and listens to
their stories. Her 24-year-old truck has become a
recognizable mobile ministry, packed with food,
clothing, toiletries, over-the-counter medications,
hope and love.
She drives homeless people to appointments
and takes their dirty clothes home to wash, dry and
fold. Her kindness and dedication haven't wavered,
even after a violent assault and robbery sent her to
the hospital.
" My family thought I'd stop after that happened, "
she says, " but I can't. They need me, and I need
them. Serving fills my heart and soul. "
Though more cautious, she still works into the
early morning hours, supported by her church, All
34 Georgia Magazine February 2025
Haven Hope House, scheduled to open in spring 2025, will be the first full-service
homeless shelter in the Warner Robins area. Interested in donating to the shelter?
Make your check or money order payable to City of Warner Robins and on the
memo line, write, " Haven Hope House. " Send the donation to: City of Warner Robins,
Haven Hope House, P.O. Box 8629, Warner Robins, GA 31095.
Saints Episcopal, and a network of fellow homeless advocates.
" She's just so full of love, " says Nora Stephens, who lived next door to
Tarnoff years ago. " She cares about everyone she meets. "
Working alongside other " homeless helpers, " Tarnoff continues to
turn her truck's headlights toward those who live in the shadows of her
community.
" I think we're supposed to take care of one another, " she says.
" Everyone has the power to help those in need; it just requires a little
kindness and effort. "
Amber Lanier Nagle is a freelance writer based in Adairsville.
COURTESY MDT
Georgia Magazine - February 2025

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