Exploring Life & Business with Cameron Turner of Atlanta Children’s Day Shelter

Today we’d like to introduce you to Cameron Turner.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I knew early in my life that I was being called to serve some of the most vulnerable people in our city. As a native Atlantan, serving others was an important part of my upbringing. Whether it was spending time with seniors in nursing homes, volunteering in our neighborhood, or gathering items for families in need, my family instilled in me the importance of giving back.

I majored in Nonprofit Administration at Kennesaw State University and began my career 25 years ago in foster care at Devereux Georgia Treatment Network. That first job opened my eyes to the systemic challenges facing our community. Five years later, I accepted a role at the Atlanta Mission, one of the largest providers of homeless services in our region. There, I began to see a connection I hadn’t fully understood before—we regularly served young adults experiencing homelessness who had aged out of the foster care system. Today, an estimated 35%–43% of youth who age out of foster care experience homelessness.

I am incredibly proud of my time at the Atlanta Mission, where we expanded services for men, women, and children working hard to overcome homelessness. After eight years there, I joined the Atlanta Community Food Bank to help increase access to nutritious food across metro Atlanta and North Georgia. For me, the fact that one in five children in Georgia experienced food insecurity was a call to action. I wanted to help ensure that families didn’t have to choose between paying rent and putting food on the table.

During my nine years at the Food Bank, we navigated many challenges, but none compared to the COVID-19 pandemic. In metro Atlanta alone, approximately 380,000 jobs were lost, leaving hundreds of thousands of households struggling to meet their basic needs. Yet our community did what it does best—it came together to support one another and ensure families had access to food during an incredibly difficult time.

In 2023, I was honored to be asked to lead Atlanta Children’s Day Shelter. This opportunity brought me back to the front lines, serving children and families experiencing homelessness. Over the past three years, we have deepened and expanded our services to better meet the complex needs of the families in our care, helping them build pathways toward stable housing, economic mobility, and brighter futures.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Like most careers, mine has included both smooth seasons and challenging ones. Looking back, I can honestly say that the difficult seasons have shaped me the most. They pushed me to learn more, work harder, and become a stronger leader. They also taught me the importance of empathy, grace, and leading with compassion—lessons that have helped me grow both personally and professionally.

I worked at the Atlanta Mission during the Great Recession of 2008. As the need in our community increased, funding became more difficult because many of our donors were experiencing financial hardship themselves. As an organization, we had to become more efficient, streamline our operations, and find innovative ways to continue serving more people with fewer resources. It reinforced the importance of resilience, adaptability, and staying focused on the mission, even in uncertain times.

COVID-19 presented another defining challenge. The needs in our community grew almost overnight, and we had to respond immediately. During the first 90 days of the pandemic, I remember many of our teams working 10- to 11-hour days as we worked tirelessly to secure additional resources and provide more food to families in need. That season stretched me as a leader. My team needed someone who could remain steady, encourage them, maintain morale, and create space for people to process everything happening in the world around us. It reminded me that leadership isn’t just about making decisions—it’s about caring for people through uncertainty.

Thankfully, there have also been seasons that were calmer and more predictable. I’ve learned not to take those moments for granted. They provide the opportunity to dream about the future, develop new strategies, strengthen programs and processes, and create space for innovation, creativity, and thoughtful risk-taking. I’ve found that some of our best ideas are born during those quieter seasons, preparing us to navigate the more challenging ones when they inevitably come.

As you know, we’re big fans of Atlanta Children’s Day Shelter. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Atlanta Children’s Day Shelter has been serving children and families experiencing homelessness for 40 years. What began as a small day shelter providing a safe place for children while their parents searched for work and housing has grown into a comprehensive, two-generation organization focused on breaking the cycle of homelessness.

What sets us apart is that we don’t just serve children—we serve the entire family. We know that if we only focus on a child’s early education without helping parents achieve stability, or if we only help parents without investing in their children’s development, lasting change is much harder to achieve. That’s why our two-generation model combines high-quality early childhood education with comprehensive family services, including housing stabilization, workforce development, mental health support, case management, and connections to community resources. We believe that when parents and children thrive together, families are able to build lasting stability.

We are also deeply committed to trauma-informed care. Every child and family who walks through our doors has experienced significant adversity, and we intentionally design our programs to foster healing, build resilience, and create opportunities for long-term success. Our goal is not simply to meet immediate needs but to help families create pathways toward self-sufficiency and economic mobility.

One of the things I’m most proud of is that our organization has never stopped evolving. Over the past 40 years, we’ve continually adapted our services to meet the changing needs of families experiencing homelessness. Today, we’ve expanded our mental health services, strengthened workforce development opportunities, enhanced parent supports, and invested in high-quality early learning because we know these are critical building blocks for long-term success.

At our core, we believe every child deserves the opportunity to reach their full potential, regardless of the circumstances they were born into. Homelessness should never define a child’s future. Every day, we have the privilege of walking alongside families during one of the most difficult seasons of their lives and helping them build brighter futures.

As we celebrate our 40th anniversary, we’re not just reflecting on where we’ve been—we’re looking ahead to where we’re going. Our vision is an Atlanta where homelessness is defeated and every child has a safe, nurturing home. We know we can’t accomplish that alone, which is why we invite our community to be part of the solution. Together, we can ensure that every child has the opportunity to thrive.

What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
The past 25 years have been filled with lessons, so it’s difficult to choose just one. But if there’s a lesson that has stayed with me throughout my career, it’s that lasting change always begins with relationships.

Whether I was working with children in foster care, adults experiencing homelessness, families facing food insecurity, or now parents and children experiencing homelessness, I’ve learned that people don’t just need services—they need someone who believes in them, listens to them, and walks alongside them. Programs and resources are incredibly important, but real transformation happens when people feel seen, valued, and supported.

I’ve also learned that no one organization can solve our community’s biggest challenges alone. The most meaningful impact happens when nonprofits, businesses, government, faith communities, volunteers, and donors come together around a common purpose. Some of the greatest successes I’ve been a part of weren’t because one organization had all the answers, but because many people chose to work together.

Finally, I’ve learned that leadership is less about having all the right answers and more about creating an environment where people can thrive. My role is to cast a vision, remove barriers, invest in my team, and empower others to do their best work. When people feel valued and supported, incredible things can happen—for employees, for volunteers, and most importantly, for the families we serve.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.acfb.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/acsatl/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AtlantaChildrensDayShelter/
• LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/atlanta-childrens-day-shelter/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheACSchannel