ATLANTA — When the NBA suspended its season March 11 due to the coronavirus, the Hawks were left with 12,000 pounds of food they had ordered in preparation for upcoming games and events at State Farm Arena, according to CEO Steve Koonin.
With those either postponed or canceled, the Hawks donated what they could to those in need in Atlanta by partnering with Second Helpings and Goodr, which both focus on reducing food waste and instead delivering it to those in need.
Then, Goodr CEO Jasmine Crowe pitched the idea of holding pop-up grocery stores, which the Hawks and Goodr had teamed up to do once before in January of 2019. The Hawks agreed, wanting to help underserved communities throughout the city during this pandemic. Within about 24 hours, a plan started taking shape.
“We feel it’s our responsibility,” Koonin said. “(Hawks owner) Tony Ressler believes we’re a community asset and in times like these, we need to be an active part of the community. This isn’t about marketing and brand-building, it’s truly about us lifting and helping others.”
With donations from the Hawks Foundation and State Farm, Goodr will hold five pop-up grocery stores, operated similarly to a drive-through (or walk-through) so as to follow the CDC’s social distancing guidelines and avoid a large crowd. Families will receive a free large bag of food containing fresh produce, proteins and shelf-stable items, with each pop-up expected to provide 300-600 families (depending on family size) with two weeks of groceries, about 20-plus pounds of food. Milk, Gatorade and water will also be available, per Crowe.
For elderly people who cannot make it to the pop-ups in person, Goodr is able to deliver food to homes.
For locations and more information, read the full article on AJC.com.
This article was written by Sarah K. Spencer with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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