West Atlanta Churches Become Resilience Hubs with $2.5M Upgrade Project

Initiative aims to lower energy costs, improve home safety, and provide emergency power access for residents

Jan. 29, 2026 at 6:15am

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A new $2.5 million community resilience program in west Atlanta is upgrading 50 homes with energy-efficient improvements, creating four church-based resilience hubs that can provide power, heat, and other emergency resources when the grid fails, and including a workforce development component to train people for clean energy jobs.

Why it matters

The program is helping vulnerable west Atlanta residents reduce high energy costs, strengthening community infrastructure, and ensuring critical services remain available even during severe weather events that knock out power across the region.

The details

The Westside Resilience Corridor initiative is being led by the nonprofit Groundswell and includes partnerships with Georgia Power and several local churches. The resilience hubs at West Hunter Street Baptist Church, Providence Missionary Baptist Church, Atlanta Good Shepherd Community Church, and the Vicars Community Center are designed to provide stability and access to electricity, heat, and other resources when the power grid goes down.

  • The $2.5 million investment was announced in January 2026.
  • The program aims to upgrade 50 homes with energy-efficiency improvements over an unspecified timeframe.
  • The resilience hubs were operational and able to provide power and shelter during a recent severe winter storm that left many in the area without electricity.

The players

Groundswell

A nonprofit organization leading the Westside Resilience Corridor initiative.

Georgia Power

The utility company partnering on the home upgrade component of the program.

West Hunter Street Baptist Church

One of the four churches serving as a resilience hub and preparing to build its own hub as part of the corridor.

Allyson Smith

An Atlanta homeowner who participated in the program and saw immediate improvements to her home's energy efficiency and heating system.

Pastor Kevin Earley

Senior pastor of Community Church Atlanta, one of the resilience hub locations.

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What they’re saying

“A resilience hub combines solar and battery storage so that when the power goes out, a trusted place like a church still has electricity. People can charge phones, power medical devices and find heat.”

— Matthew Williams, Senior Vice President of Community Development, Groundswell (cbsnews.com)

“This is the first winter in probably three or four years where my heat hasn't gone out. I've seen my energy bill go down, and I don't have issues with my HVAC anymore. I thought paying $200 to $250 a month was normal. Now I'm finding it is not.”

— Allyson Smith, Atlanta Homeowner (cbsnews.com)

“Resilience is the plan C or plan D when the wheels fall off. This resilience hub gives us an opportunity to meet real needs. If the grid goes down, neighbors can come here, power medical equipment, charge phones and get support. It's really a service to the community.”

— Pastor Kevin Earley, Senior Pastor, Community Church Atlanta (cbsnews.com)

What’s next

Organizers hope the partnership between Groundswell, Georgia Power, and the local churches will encourage similar resilience programs to be developed across Atlanta.

The takeaway

By upgrading homes, creating emergency power hubs at trusted community institutions, and providing workforce training, this initiative is helping vulnerable west Atlanta residents reduce energy costs, strengthen local infrastructure, and access critical services even when the power grid fails.