Community Partner Spotlight
Atlanta Law Firms Feed the Need
H
unger may be hard to spot. It comes in many forms,
touching young and old alike. It isn’t always evident
when a mom skips dinner so her kids can eat,
sometimes saying, “No, I’m not hungry, I had a big lunch.” Or
when a senior has to choose between filling a prescription
or buying groceries. Yet, for too many Georgians, the threat
of hunger is all too common. One in every four Georgia
children and 20 percent of all Georgians are living in food
insecure households according to Feeding America’s Map
the Meal Gap Study released in June 2013.
For nearly 35 years, the Atlanta Community Food Bank
(ACFB) has been helping to feed people in need throughout
metro Atlanta and north Georgia in partnership with hundreds
of other nonprofit organizations with hunger relief programs.
ACFB began operating in 1979 from a small space at St.
Luke’s Episcopal Church and now has more than 600 partner
agencies in 29 counties, which access more than 45 million
pounds of grocery products each year.
“Thank you to the law firms that not only participate in Legal
Food Frenzy, but partner with us all year long,” said Sarah
Fonder-Kristy, VP of Development for the Food Bank. “We
rely on the tremendous generosity of the legal community to
help us meet the ever growing demand for food assistance
and nourish a stronger community.”
The 2013 Competitors included Atlanta Bar Association
member firms such as Atlanta Legal Aid Society, Inc., Ogletree
Deakins Nash Smoak & Stewart, PC, Rogers & Hardin LLP,
Balch & Bingham, and Hunton & Williams LLP to name a few.
This year’s Food & Fund drive competition begins April 21,
2014 and ends May 2, 2014. Online registration begins March
3, 2014 at galegalfoodfrenzy.org.
Learn more at acfb.org.
The Food Bank has doubled its services in the last five years
due to the impacts of the recession on our local economy.
Their goal this year is to distribute 50 million pounds of food
for the more than 735,000 people living in poverty in our
community. ACFB’s impact is far-reaching. Rated a four-star
Charity Navigator charity, for every dollar donated, the Food
Bank can distribute enough food for four meals!
ACFB also leads seven distinct programs that reinforce
its mission to fight hunger by engaging, educating and
empowering our community. Those programs include Atlanta
Prosperity Campaign, Atlanta’s Table, Community Gardens,
Hunger 101, Hunger Walk/Run, Kids In Need and Product
Rescue Center.
Our supporters span across all sectors of the community. The
legal community, in particular, makes a significant impact on
the Food Bank’s ability to feed more people. Metro Atlanta
law firms volunteer their time to help sort and pack food boxes
in the Product Rescue Center, as well as donate funds and
sponsor fundraisers hosted by ACFB.
In 2012, the partnership grew even bigger with the launch of
the Legal Food Frenzy. This competition between lawyers
across the state collects food donations and raises funds
for the Atlanta Community Food Bank and other food banks
that belong to the Georgia Food Bank Association. With the
support of Attorney General Sam Olens and the Georgia Bar
Association Young Lawyers Division, the first event was a
great success. In the two years the event has been held, ACFB
has received 50,000 pounds of food and more than $250,000.
The Official News Publication of the Atlanta Bar Association
March 2014
THE ATLANTA LAWYER
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