--- title: HR 1772. Drake, Laura; retirement from the Southeast Gwinnett Cooperative Ministry; commend collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr1772 cite_as: HR 1772, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1772 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1772.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1772/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/74235 date: 2026-03-18 status: passed corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13 license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1771.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1773.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 131 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1772.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 1772 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2026-03-18 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - Segun Adeyina - Gabe Okoye - Arlene Beckles - Akbar Ali - Dar'shun Kendrick text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR1772/2025 upstream_id: 2135881 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - ceremonial resolution - Gwinnett County - community service recognition --- # HR 1772. Drake, Laura; retirement from the Southeast Gwinnett Cooperative Ministry; commend ## Text House Resolution 1772 By: Representatives Adeyina of the 110th, Okoye of the 102nd, Beckles of the 96th, Ali of the 106th, and Kendrick of the 95th A RESOLUTION Recognizing and commending Laura Drake upon her retirement from the Southeast Gwinnett Cooperative Ministry; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, the Georgia House of Representatives takes great pride in recognizing citizens whose dedication and service have strengthened communities across our state; and WHEREAS, Laura Drake is retiring from the Southeast Gwinnett Cooperative Ministry after 18 years of devoted and exemplary service to the people of Gwinnett County; and WHEREAS, Laura Drake has a deep heart for serving others and has spent many years involved in community benevolence ministry; and WHEREAS, before being called to serve as director of the Southeast Gwinnett Cooperative Ministry, she volunteered with the Lawrenceville Cooperative Ministry, where she served as both a client assistance volunteer and later as president of its Board of Directors; and WHEREAS, in response to God's calling, she went on to lead the Southeast Gwinnett Cooperative Ministry, faithfully serving the community for 18 years and passionately meeting both the physical and spiritual needs of those facing hardship through food assistance and outreach programs; and WHEREAS, Ms. Drake worked tirelessly to create welcoming spaces where people are treated with dignity and compassion and has consistently demonstrated the belief that simple acts of kindness can reflect God's love in powerful ways; and WHEREAS, she has been blessed to serve alongside dedicated volunteers and has witnessed God's work in the lives of countless families, for which she remains deeply grateful as she prepares for retirement; and WHEREAS, Ms. Drake is a loving wife, mother of two young adults, devoted daughter-in-law, and grandmother—she nurtures her family, teaches children's Bible study, enjoys time with her dog, and continues her faithful walk with Jesus; and WHEREAS, the Southeast Gwinnett Cooperative Ministry began in 1991 when founder Don Ashworth united four local churches in southern Gwinnett County to create a centralized, Christ-centered response to emergency needs in the community; and WHEREAS, what began as a small, shared effort quickly grew into a trusted ministry model rooted in generosity, unity, and the belief that Jesus Christ is the hero of the story, meeting needs through His people; and WHEREAS, over the years, the co-op expanded far beyond its original four congregations, and today more than 25 churches, together with businesses, civic groups, schools, and individual donors, form the backbone of the ministry; and WHEREAS, a major milestone came in 2013 when the co-op purchased a 15,000 square foot facility in Grayson that supports food distribution, volunteer operations, seasonal programs, and administrative needs, and in 2014, the ministry moved into this permanent home, which—being fully paid off—allows for greater investment in serving families and strengthening programs; and WHEREAS, the co-op operates almost entirely through volunteer power-individuals, church groups, students, civic organizations, and even court-ordered volunteers—whose service to sort donations, pack food, pray with clients, and serve families with dignity is among the ministry's greatest strengths; and WHEREAS, the mission of the Southeast Gwinnett Cooperative Ministry is to honor and uphold the Lordship of Jesus Christ by reaching out to neighbors in need so they may experience encouragement, love, and hope, and every act of service is offered in His name; and WHEREAS, under Ms. Drake's leadership, the ministry has grown both financially and impactfully, serving thousands of families each year with food, emergency assistance, and spiritual encouragement. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body recognize and commend Laura Drake for her efficient, effective, unselfish, and dedicated service to the Southeast Gwinnett Cooperative Ministry and extend the most sincere best wishes for continued health and happiness. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized and directed to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to Laura Drake. ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the resolution. Quote the text, not the summary. A Georgia House resolution commends Laura Drake for 18 years of service leading the Southeast Gwinnett Cooperative Ministry as she retires. ### Plain-language summary This is a ceremonial resolution from the Georgia House of Representatives honoring Laura Drake upon her retirement from the Southeast Gwinnett Cooperative Ministry, a food assistance and community outreach organization in Gwinnett County. The resolution recounts her volunteer work with the Lawrenceville Cooperative Ministry before she led the Southeast Gwinnett ministry for 18 years, and it describes the ministry's history and growth since its founding in 1991. The resolution does not change any Georgia law. It formally recognizes and commends Drake for her service and directs the Clerk of the House to prepare a copy of the resolution for distribution to her. ### What it does - Formally recognizes and commends Laura Drake for her service leading the Southeast Gwinnett Cooperative Ministry. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare a copy of the resolution for distribution to Drake. - Creates no new law, funding, or regulatory requirement; it is a ceremonial statement by the House. ### Who it affects The resolution directly names and honors Laura Drake. It also references the Southeast Gwinnett Cooperative Ministry, its volunteers, member churches, and the Gwinnett County families the ministry serves, though it imposes no obligations on any of them. ### Why it matters The resolution has no legal or financial effect on Georgians; it is a symbolic gesture of appreciation. Its significance is limited to publicly recognizing one individual's community service and the history of a local charitable ministry. ### Key provisions - The resolution's whereas clauses describe Drake's 18 years of service and prior volunteer work with the Lawrenceville Cooperative Ministry. - The resolution recounts the founding of the Southeast Gwinnett Cooperative Ministry in 1991 and its growth to more than 25 partner churches. - The resolved clause formally commends Drake for her service to the ministry. - A further resolved clause directs the Clerk of the House to make a copy available for distribution to Drake. ## Status - Status: Passed (2026-03-18) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2026-03-18) - Sponsors: Segun Adeyina, Gabe Okoye, Arlene Beckles, Akbar Ali, Dar'shun Kendrick - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/74235 > The history, votes, and amendments (131 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1772.md?full=1