Since January 2017, Second Helpings Atlanta, the non-profit food rescue organization whose mission is to reduce hunger and food waste in the metropolitan Atlanta area by rescuing surplus food and delivering it to those in need, has added five new Food Donors.
They include
Aldi Peachtree Corners
Open Hand
Costco Wholesale Perimeter Mall
UPS
Target Woodstock
The food donated by these and the more than 60 other SHA Food Donors is picked up by a volunteer army of 355+ drivers who use their personal vehicles to deliver the food immediately to one of SHA’s Partner Agencies. All food is donated free of charge, enabling participating Partner Agencies to redirect money previously spent on groceries to core services.
In 2016, SHA rescued more than 1,350,000 pounds of (mostly perishable) foods from grocery chains, large retailers, corporate dining rooms, school cafeterias, restaurants and farmers markets. In the first seven months of 2017, SHA rescued 829,065 pounds of food, enough to provide over 690,000 meals to those in need.
90 Minute Model
“We match our drivers with routes that allow them to drive to a Food Donor’s location, pick up surplus food, transport and deliver it to a Partner Agency – and return home in 90 minutes or less,” explains Joe Labriola, Executive Director of Second Helpings Atlanta.
Nutrition and Sustainability
“The generous donations of fresh produce, dairy, deli, bakery, proteins and frozen prepared food by our Food Donors enables our Partner Agencies to supplement their food programs with healthy alternatives. In addition, redirecting surplus food reduces food waste and helps our Food Donors be more sustainable,” notes Labriola. “Currently, we are able to help provide meals for more than 3,500 people every day.”
New Partner Agencies
More than 20% of Georgia’s population experiences food insecurity, including one of every four children in Georgia. “Every day, they make tough choices between buying food or paying for housing, utilities, medicines, and transportation. Living with limited means often leads to choosing inexpensive, highly processed foods that result in chronic health conditions, including diabetes and obesity,” according to Labriola. “Right now, Second Helpings Atlanta works with more than 45 Partner Agencies who serve this population, and we have added twelve new Partner Agencies to our network since the beginning of this year.”
New 2017 Partner Agencies include:
City of Refuge
Loaves and Fishes Program
Lost N Found
North Atlanta Bible Chapel
Our House
Rocky King Enterprises
SafeHouse Outreach
The Salvation Army
True Worship Christian Fellowship
Urban Recipe
Veteran’s Empowerment Organization
Zaban Paradies Center
To learn more about becoming a Food Donor, Partner Agency or to join the Second Helpings Atlanta’s army of volunteer drivers, please visit www.secondhelpingsatlanta.org.
Second Helpings Atlanta: “Driving Out Hunger, One Mile at a Time.”
Second Helpings Atlanta, Inc. (SHA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit food rescue organization whose mission is to reduce hunger and food waste in the metropolitan Atlanta area by rescuing surplus food and delivering it to those in need. With an army of more than 355 volunteer drivers, SHA serves as the link between its network of 65+ Food Donors and the 45 Partner Agencies they work with who feed the hungry on a daily basis.
