Coming together was the beginning;

Staying together was progress;

Working together is success.

“A Large Name With A Large Cause” was how the Conyers-Rockdale Emergency Relief Fund was described by the Rockdale Citizen in an article written in 1967. The agency was incorporated September 2, 1967 and established to provide financial assistance to this county’s citizens who found themselves in emergency situations. During 1968 the fund provided approximately $1,000 for food, fuel, medicines and losses due to fire.

Over the next 30 years the agency was managed by the Chamber of Commerce and the United Fund, respectively, and eventually became a member agency of the Metropolitan Atlanta United Way. As the county grew over the years, so did the needs of the community, which in turn drove the expansion of services at what had become known as Rockdale County Emergency Relief Fund, Inc., or more often, simply Rockdale Emergency Relief.

Over the past five decades of service, RER has continued to grow in our ability to serve the residents of Rockdale County, expanding our portfolio of services to include a full-service food bank, school break lunch program for children, holiday assistance program, referrals for emergency housing, as well as direct financial assistance. Rockdale Emergency Relief (RER) continues its long legacy of meeting the needs of Rockdale County residents experiencing temporary financial hardship due to unforeseen circumstances – such as a job layoff, medical emergency or long-term illness – in order to help them maintain stable housing and work towards regaining financial stability. Our work also addresses the urgent needs of families and individuals experiencing economic insecurity, hunger, housing instability, and/or homelessness, allowing them to get back on the road to self-sufficiency.