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The Atlanta Community Food Bank was founded in 1979. They provide food and other donated products to more than 700 nonprofit partner agencies serving 38 counties in the Atlanta region and North Georgia. Distributing these donations to low-income Georgians, the partner agencies provide dynamic links among the local community, the Food Bank and their supporters. In addition to the core business of food distribution, the Food Bank has a number of projects that help build community.
Recipients
From children and the elderly to the working poor, the Food Bank supports a wide range of people in need. In times of economic uncertainty, which bring high unemployment and increased need from those earning low wages, our role becomes even more crucial. The Food Bank focuses on community building, empowerment and excellent customer service. They creatively support partner agencies with food, information and technical assistance. More than 700 community-based, nonprofit organizations partner with the Food Bank to distribute hundreds of thousands of pounds of groceries and meals each month.
These partner agencies include food pantries, Head Start programs, childcare centers, nursing homes, Meals on Wheels, night shelters, community kitchens and other service programs.
Food Supply
More than 450 food manufacturers, wholesalers, farmer’s markets, retailers, brokers, caterers, local food drives and individuals donate food for distribution by the Food Bank. On average, over one million pounds of food is distributed every month to their partner agencies. Total donations have exceeded 230 million pounds over the past 24 years.
Product Flow
The process of getting food to the hungry is quite simple in theory:
Donors send us food; the Food Bank houses and distributes the food to member agencies; member agencies provide groceries and meals to people in need. But actually it is a bit more complex, requiring almost sixty full-time staff members and a fleet of trucks and vans. In addition, thousands of volunteers are needed to support eight projects, more than 150 events and hundreds of food drives annually.
Funding
The Food Bank is funded by businesses, private and national foundations, civic organizations, religious groups, schools, participating agencies, city and county government and individuals. They also rely on probono assistance for storage space, equipment, services and supplies. The Food Bank is a smart investment with healthy returns. For every dollar spent, a full 95 cents (including the value of all donated food) goes directly to services in the community.
Accreditation and Affiliation
The Food Bank is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization registered as tax-exempt with the IRS. They are one of more than 200 Food Banks and food rescue organizations affiliated with America’s Second Harvest, which solicits and enables donations of products at a national level for distribution to its members.
Get Involved
The Food Bank relies on the generosity of the community for donations of food and monies, as well as volunteers. Please consider getting involved by calling (404) 892-FEED or visiting acfb.org.
Community Projects
Using food as the tool for building stronger communities...
Atlanta’s Table
Created by the Atlanta Community Food Bank in 1987, Atlanta’s Table addresses problems of local hunger and unused prepared food in the Atlanta area food-service industry. Atlanta’s Table seeks donations of excess prepared food from the hospitality industry and delivers it daily to approximately 30 of metro Atlanta’s nonprofit, hunger-relief agencies. One of the first projects of its kind in the nation, Atlanta’s Table encourages other cities to develop similar programs through America’s Second Harvest national food bank network.
Community Garden Initiative
The Food Bank’s Community Garden Initiative helps neighborhood groups find locations for gardens, as well as plan and organize gardens to help build stronger communities one garden at a time. With over 150 gardens in the Atlanta area, the initiative is an ongoing, year-round project that empowers people to supplement their food supply by growing it themselves.
Hunger 101
Through this interactive education program, the issues of hunger, food security and
poverty are addressed on the national, state and local levels. The purpose of Hunger 101 is to fight hunger by building community awareness on these difficult issues while creating a vehicle to further the Food Banks’ mission directly: to fight hunger by engaging, educating and empowering our community.
Hunger Walk/Run
Founded in 1984 as a grassroots movement in response to the issue of hunger locally and globally, the Hunger Walk/Run now recruits over 6,000 participants who raise more than $200,000 each year for the Food Bank and local nonprofit benefiting partners.
Kids In Need
When children can come to school with a full stomach and the right school supplies, there’s no limit to what they can learn. This realization inspires the mission of Kids In Need: to provide learning supplies to students whose academic success is threatened by poverty. In the 5,000 square foot “retail store,” teachers “shop” for free school supplies. Every year, Kids In Need distributes thousands of pounds of brand new school supplies at no cost to teachers in low-income school districts.
Product Rescue Center
At the Product Rescue Center, nonperishable foods, donated from food drives and salvage centers, are inspected, packaged and delivered to the Food Bank’s warehouse for distribution to our partner agencies. This project is often considered the heart of the Food Bank and is the most popular volunteer efforts. Food moves in and out of the Product Rescue Center every day, with tractor trailers picking up and dropping off donated goods from food drives, grocery stores and manufacturers.
The Atlanta Collaborative Kitchen (TACK)
The Atlanta Collaborative Kitchen (TACK), a collaboration of Project Open Hand/Atlanta and the Food Bank, is an innovative program that fights hunger and unemployment by rescuing fresh, nutritious foods for those in need while training individuals for gainful employment in the food service industry.
Most Needed Food Items
In order to help our member agencies create and provide balanced
meals for their clients, the Food Bank strives to distribute a variety of well-balanced, nutritious foods. Focusing on high-protein food items, the Food Bank seeks to dispense foods that will enable people suffering the ill effects of hunger and poverty to feel strong and healthy. Some of the most needed food items are:
Peanut Butter
Canned Tuna
Canned Beans
Canned Soups and Stews
100% Fruit Juice
Powdered Milk
Canned Fruits and Vegetables
Macaroni and Cheese Dinners
Cereals
To make a donation, call (404) 892-FEED or visit acfb.org.
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