First Annual Turkey Day Dash

Two Small Coins, a local 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Peachtree City, Georgia, with a mission to bring hope and healing to young widows and their families, will host its first annual Turkey Day Dash on Thanksgiving morning, November 26, on the One Church cross country course. The race begins at 8:30am.

The race fee is $27, which includes a Turkey Day Dash T-shirt. Register online: https://runsignup.com/Race/GA/Fayetteville/TurkeyDayDash. Register by November 5th to receive a race T-shirt. Registration will be accepted on race day but a T shirt will not be provided. If you cannot participate but want to support the mission, visit our donation page https://www.twosmallcoins.net/donate.

Sponsors are needed to support the race and ministry. If your business is interested, email, Cindy Disharoon, [email protected] for more information. Proceeds from the 5K will directly support Two Small Coins’ mission of helping grieving families move from surviving to thriving.

Erin Drez, Executive Director and Founder says, “funds will help provide practical resources, peer mentorship, community programming, mental health support, and services for grieving children and families. They will also help us expand our ability to reach families throughout our community.”

In addition, she says “every registration, sponsorship, donation, and volunteer hour helps us say to a grieving family: You are not alone. Your community sees you. Your story isn’t over. And that’s really what this 5K represents. We aren’t just running a race—we’re running toward families who need hope, healing, and community.”

According to Drez, Two Small Coins, “was born out of loss, faith, and a desire to make sure no widow or grieving family has to walk through grief alone.” She adds, “I was widowed unexpectedly at age 38 with a 5 and 10-year-old, and I learned how deeply grief can affect every part of a family’s life. We realized there was a need for more than immediate help—we needed a community that would continue walking alongside families long after the funeral.”

The name Two Small Coins, Drez said, is inspired by the Biblical story of the widow’s offering (Luke 21:1-4). Jesus saw great value in what appeared to be small. She says, “That story reminds us that small acts of love, generosity, and faith can make an extraordinary difference. What began with one widow’s story has grown into a ministry serving hundreds of grieving families throughout our community.”

Two Small Coins helps widows of all ages but their focus is on younger widows (under 60) and their families. They walk alongside families in both practical and emotional ways. Their programs include peer mentorship, community gatherings, spiritual support, educational events and resources, and assistance connecting families with mental health services. In addition, they also create opportunities for widows to build relationships with others who understand their experience. Their goal is to meet widows, even those who are younger, where they are and help them take their next step toward healing, connection, purpose, and ultimately thriving. It’s more than just helping a family through a funeral, it’s about helping all widows and their families rebuild their life after the loss.

Drez added, “We don’t believe grief is something people simply “get over.” We believe grieving families need people who will stay—who will listen, provide practical resources, create meaningful connections, and remind them that their story isn’t over.”

This year, she says, “our goal is to move from simply responding to grief to building a stronger, more sustainable community-wide support system for grieving families. We want to expand our peer mentorship program, grow our mental health assistance through the Bridge to Healing Fund, increase our outreach to grieving children and families, provide more opportunities for connection and education, and strengthen our partnerships with churches, schools, businesses, and other community organizations.”

Two Small Coins exists to say, “we’re still here.” They want the local community “to understand that supporting grieving families isn’t just about helping someone through a funeral. It’s about helping a family rebuild a life.”

Drez wants Two Small Coins “to become a model for how communities care for grieving families—not just immediately after a loss, but for the long haul.” They want to “build a culture where grief is acknowledged, families are supported, and people are given permission and encouragement to discover what life can look like after loss.”

The local community can help in various ways which includes communicating to widowed friends, no matter their age, that Two Small Coins exists to bring hope and healing, becoming a mentor, (if you are a widow), donating monthly or yearly, volunteering or participating at an event, sponsoring a family, gifting the cost of counseling or inviting the mission into your church or organization. Local churches and businesses are invited to become community partners and help Two Small Coins identify families who need support.

Drez says, “sometimes the most important thing someone can do is remember the widow, remember the children, and keep showing up.”

Visit the Two Small Coins website: Two Small Coins – Hope & Healing for Widows and Their Families or their Facebook page for more information. One Church is located at 2130 Redwine Road in Fayetteville, at the corner of Bernhard and Redwine Road.