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Meet Our Team
The people who make e's Club possible
Becky Matthews
Program Director
"Ms. Becky" has worked with children throughout most of her adult life. She worked as a teaching assistant and music teacher at Kennesaw Methodist Children’s Academy for 11 years. She is also the coordinator of the Special Needs Ministry at Kennesaw United Methodist Church. As a parent of a high-functioning autistic son, she holds a special place in her heart for these amazing kids and their parents.
Elizabeth Carter
Program Assistant
Liz graduated from the University of South Carolina and went on to receive a Master’s degree in Professional Counseling from the University of Mississippi. She is currently an Associate Professional Counselor in the Greater Atlanta Area. When she is not counseling, Liz loves to spend her time playing tennis, or training her dog, George, to be an animal-assisted therapy dog.
Carlos Crutch
Program Assistant
Carlos is a behavioral therapist with over 10 years of experience working with groups and children with special needs. He has degrees in Psychology and Educational Psychology and Psychoeducational Testing. Carlos is currently completing his dissertation in School Psychology with a focus on Autism Spectrum Disorder and Applied Behavioral Analysis, and he is the Co-Owner of Core Connections Behavioral Associates.
Hunter Smith
Program Assistant
Hunter first started as a volunteer at e’s Club and immediately fell in love with the program. He has worked with children for nearly eight years as an after school teacher as well as a lead summer camp counselor. Hunter has a BBA with a focus on management; however, after a year in the business world he realized he could not help the community in a way that he wanted to, so he got his second degree in Elementary Education and is a 5th grade teacher in Cherokee County.
Gabby Adauto
Program Assistant
Gabby started volunteering at e's Club through the KSU education department. She loved it so much that she jumped at the chance when she was offered a job. Since graduating, Gabby has graduated and is a kindergarten teacher in Cobb County.
She loves her job and loves e's Club.
Anna Matthews
Program Assistant
Anna is currently a student at Georgia College pursuing her Bachelor’s Degree in Art with a minor in Music. One of her passions is serving the community, as she has been on the executive board of Gamma Sigma Sigma-the national community service sorority-for three years in a row. Her older brother is on the autism spectrum, so she has learned a lot through him and all of the e's club members. Anna hopes to graduate and return home to Acworth, GA, to work in graphic design as well as continuing her involvement with e's Club.
Our Board
The faces behind Erin's Hope for Friends
Board President
Mr. Kinkaid is retired after 37 years in the food service industry where he held leadership positions in Food Safety, Quality Assurance, and new product/process development for Burger King, Arby’s corporations and OK Foods. Mr. Kinkaid has supported mission work over the years and is a certified Stephens Minister.
Darren Horst
Darrell Kinkaid
Darren Horst
Co-Founder Treasurer
Mr. Horst is co-founder and board member. He has served in many executive capacities involving sales, marketing and general management in his career, working on major brands like Rubbermaid, Sevin, Amdro and in B2B environments. He and has actively served on multiple boards, committees and leadership teams for non-profits.
Darren Horst
Lorrie Wallace
Member
Lorrie Wallace has a Bachelor of General Studies with an Early Childhood Education Certification from Georgia Southern University via Armstrong Atlantic State University. She received a Master of Education in Educational Technology from Lesley University.
She has a Gifted Certification and is a Professional Development Specialist for the Childhood Development Association. Mrs. Wallace completed coursework for a Specialist Degree in Educational Leadership from Augusta University.
As the Education and Workforce Development Coordinator at Georgia Power, she is dedicated to enhancing economic development through workforce development and STEM education. With over 20 years of instructional experience. Lorrie is a passionate STEM-loving educator who specializes in instructional technology and believes that learning should be enjoyable and engaging. She is also actively involved in several workforce development committees.
She is the President of Citizens of Metro West, a Georgia Power volunteer group that serves families in the metro area. She serves as a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Connector at Georgia Power and is a prominent mentor for Women of Valor in Douglas County. She is an alumnus of Leadership Douglas, the Douglas County Citizens Academy and Douglas County Economic Development 101, The Georgia Academy of Economic Development, and United Way VIP.
Mrs. Wallace enjoys spending time with her husband of thirty years, her two daughters, one of whom has an autism diagnosis, her two godchildren, and her grand-dog. She resides in Douglasville, GA.
Darren Horst
Darren Horst
Elena Mangan
Member
Elena is a mom to two boys, 13 and 14. Her oldest son has held an autism diagnosis since he was 8 years old. After graduating with a Business degree with a medical concentration, Elena went on to work in the healthcare industry on the supplier side for over 20 years holding positions in sales, contracting, and marketing. She currently works as Director, National Accounts, for Fresenius Kabi which provides essential medicines and technologies across Pharma, Biopharma, Nutrition, and MedTech sectors. She is married to her husband Rob of 17 years and resides in Cumming, Georgia, in South Forsyth County. She enjoys spending time outdoors with her family and goldendoodle, Belle.
Corrine Wells
VP
Mrs. Wells is a mom to two boys, 25 and 23. Her oldest son is autistic and has attended e's Club for over 2 years. Corinne is currently working with Johnson and Johnson as a Division Manager and with Mentor (J&J) as Regional Manager covering the southern states from South Carolina to Louisiana.
Stacy Horst
Co-Founder and Secretary
Stacy Horst is a wife of 33 years, a mother of two, a Co-founder of Erin’s Hope for Friends, a Realtor for 20 years, and a Board member of Nassau Habitat for Humanity.
Stacy's journey took a transformative turn when she and her husband founded Erin's Hope for Friends, a non-profit organization born out of love and tragedy. The organization's namesake, Erin, their beloved daughter, faced the complex intersection of autism, bullying, isolation, and ultimately succumbing to the weight of exclusion. In the
face of such heartbreaking loss, Stacy and Darren channeled their grief into a force for good. Determined to prevent other families from experiencing a similar fate, this 501c3 stands as a testament to their unwavering commitment to helping teens and young adults with Level 1 Autism and their families by creating a safe place, e's Club, where they can make lasting relationships through joyful interactions.
Stacy's life story is one marked by resilience, empathy, and an enduring commitment to turning personal pain into purposeful action. In every role she plays, Stacy stands as an inspiring example of how one person can make a difference in the lives of many.
Barbara Hoyt
Member and Bookeeper
After graduating with degrees in Sociology and Accounting, Barb Hoyt began her career in sales and management, focusing on accounting and project scheduling/cost management software sales. She later transitioned into nonprofit volunteerism, creating budgets, reporting on event and organization income and expenses, and preparing information for annual accounting audits. Fourteen years ago, she started her consulting company, which has grown to assist over 40 small businesses and high-net-worth individuals in bridging the gap between running their businesses and working with their CPA firms and attorneys. With her forever fiance, Tim, Barb resides in Amelia Island, FL, and enjoys golf, boogie boarding, biking, and entertaining.
Darren Horst
Aimedra Kelley
Member
Aimedra Kelley has close to 30 years of experience in communications, with the majority of it in nonprofit. She earned a bachelor's degree in communications from the University of Alabama and began her professional career in local news. Aimedra is also an experienced television producer and director. She resides in Atlanta with her husband Stephen, their two children, Gavin and Falon and their beloved Goldendoodle, Ali.
Our Mental Health Advisory Board
Dr. Jeffrey Jones
PhD, Clinical Psychologist and owner of Beyond Words Private Practice – a social coaching and advising therapy
Dr. Scott Davis
PhD, Practicing Clinical Psychologist specializing in helping Children and Teens
In the News
Learn more about the impact Erin's Hope for Friends has made on our community and see who's talking about us.
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Thank You to The Georgia Spa Company
November 15, 2018
We want to give a huge thank you to the Georgia Spa Company for their generous donation to Erin’s Hope for Friends. We were chosen to be their 3rd Quarter donation recipient, and they visited our Alpharetta location yesterday. Please help us thank them for the incredible gift they have given our kids & young adults by visiting their website linked below.
EHFF receives award from Mazda Drive for Good and NBC Universal
December 1, 2016
Erin’s Hope for Friends is excited to announce that we have been selected by the Mazda Drive for Good Campaign. This campaign recognizes and rewards charitable organizations doing exceptional work in their communities. “We are pleased and proud to be selected among so many wonderful groups doing good work. We will be using this award money to fund a second location sometime in early 2017, as we have over 170 kids now and can’t serve them all”
