In the heart of South Georgia, the Thomasville Community Development Corporation (TCDC) is planting the seeds of community resilience. With deep community roots and an eye toward climate justice, TCDC is doing more than just improving housing or access to local produce—they're restoring a neighborhood's spirit. 

Supported by a 2025-2026 Drawdown Georgia Climate Solutions & Equity Grant, TCDC is making bold moves in Dewey City, an underinvested neighborhood rich with history and untapped potential.

Watch the video above to hear more about how TCDC is working to bring climate solutions home to Dewey City. In this 30-minute Georgia Climate Digest video interview, you’ll hear from Consultant Earl Williams and Special Project Director Katie Chastain of TCDC in conversation with Eriqah Vincent of Drawdown Georgia.

Keep reading to learn more about the work TCDC is doing in the community, and how this organization is leveraging Drawdown Georgia climate solutions to build community and resiliency while preserving the important history of Dewey City.

Centering Community in Climate Work

“Dewey City was once a thriving part of Thomasville, Georgia,” said Earl. “In order for Thomasville to continue to thrive, we must restore it.”

TCDC’s mission centers on improving quality of life and creating wealth-building opportunities for the residents of Thomasville’s underserved neighborhoods. Their work combines affordable housing, access to healthy food, and renewable energy into a vision for sustainable community development. As Katie Chastain, who leads initiatives around housing tax credits and capital access at TCDC, put it, “Neighborhood development is resiliency work. And that’s what we want for our neighborhoods.”

Plant-Based Meals as a Path to Connection

One of TCDC’s most inspiring programs uses food as a bridge to better health, deeper trust, and stronger local economies. With support from the Drawdown Georgia grant, TCDC is delivering plant-based lunches to 40-50 seniors four times a week at a daytime senior center. But this isn’t your average meal program.

“We’re trying to introduce plant-based diets to this whole senior population,” explained Earl. “And at the same time, we’re running a business model with this program.”

The food supply chain is hyper-local. A neighborhood grocery store—recently reopened by a TCDC board member—sources produce from Black farmers in the region. That produce is turned into meals by a local caterer who lives in the neighborhood. Another local entrepreneur handles the delivery. All of them are graduates of the Spark Entrepreneurs Program, a nonprofit initiative that trains local minority business owners.

This program doesn’t just nourish bodies; it builds trust and fosters pride. And it keeps dollars circulating inside the community. “We’re teaching entrepreneurs how to work together and keep the money within their community,” said Earl. “That’s the beauty of what we’re trying to do here.”

Lowering Energy Burdens, One Home at a Time

Alongside their food initiatives, TCDC is making major strides to reduce energy burdens for Thomasville residents—especially seniors living on fixed incomes. Energy burden refers to the percentage of a household’s income that goes toward energy bills, and in Dewey City, it’s a pressing issue.

“People are paying as much in an energy bill as they are in rent or a mortgage,” said Katie. To address this, TCDC is combining weatherization upgrades and renewable energy solutions. 

Through a federal EPA Community Change grant, the organization is launching a home improvement initiative that includes large-scale weatherization—from improving airflow to insulation and indoor air quality. These changes will make homes more energy-efficient and more comfortable, especially during Georgia’s sweltering summers.

But TCDC isn’t stopping there. They’re also exploring rooftop solar for both new and existing homes. “If we can combine weatherization with solar energy, that will be even better,” said Earl. “We're trying to figure out creative ways to make housing more affordable.”

Honoring the Past, Investing in the Present

TCDC sees its work in Dewey City as an investment in preserving the history of this neighborhood that was one of the first places where Black families could own land after slavery was abolished. It's home to historic institutions, and more importantly, generations of resilience. “This community is worth bringing back up,” Earl said. “It has so many assets.”

Their approach isn’t about charity or top-down development. It’s about lifting up what already exists—people, skills, stories—and helping them thrive. From garden giveaways of collard greens to partnerships with local chefs, the community is stepping up to shape its own future. “The elements are there,” Katie said. “They’re like diamonds. We just need to brush them off a little bit.”

Looking Ahead with Hope

The work isn’t easy. TCDC is a young organization, and trust-building takes time. But the response from the community—and the support from Drawdown Georgia and its network—has been energizing.

“It never happens that we get this kind of funding, especially for something like green energy,” said Katie. “If you provide a little bit of help, it seems like it goes a long way.”

As Earl sees it, the opportunity to lower energy burdens and promote healthier lifestyles is about more than emissions reduction—it’s about dignity. It’s about making sure everyone, whether they rent or own, can live safely and comfortably in the place they call home.

TCDC’s work in Dewey City is a remarkable illustration of what community-based climate solutions look like.

Bringing Climate Solutions Home

Are you ready to help scale climate solutions in your own corner of Georgia? Visit our library of free Climate Solutions Toolkits to learn more about everything from EVs and rooftop solar to composting and recycling.