Cobb COVID-19 Community Response Fund Still Responding

For some, the financial impact of COVID was just a blip on the radar screen.  For others, though, it was and is still devastating.  Thanks to the incredible generosity of our community, our COVID-19 Community Response Fund has been able to make sure that the food that is available through various programs continues to make its way to those who are food insecure.

One of the greatest challenges that has faced nonprofit food providers over the past year has been the logistics associated with receiving, storing, refrigerating and transporting food.  With the baseball season underway, Cobb Community Food Fleet is operating out of our “home away from home” at Cobb Galleria Centre where over 3,700 35 pound boxes of food are delivered each week.  The Fleet has borrowed and leased equipment to help with moving the 78 pallets of food each week, but the time had come when it made more sense to buy than than to rent.  Thanks to the support of the Atlanta Braves Foundation, we were able to award $10,000 to Noonday Association who sourced matching contributions to purchase a forklift and two electric pallet jacks for the Food Fleet’s use.

Marietta City Schools was having a similar challenge.  MCS had hundreds of meal kits providing 7 days of breakfasts and lunches, but no place to store the kits

pending pick-up.  We combined resources with the result being the purchased of a 40′ refrigerated container that now graces the parking lot of Marietta High School.  One of the organizations who picks up and distributes the meal kits is Marietta First Presbyterian Church.  We were also happy to help them with a grant of $1,500 to rent a truck once a week to make sure these kits make it into the hands of those who need it!  Many thanks to S.A. White Oil Company for making these grants possible.

Another organization that has been making sure our community has nutritious food available is the Metro Atlanta YMCA.  The food being distributed had been being donated to the Y, but that will no longer be the case effective June 1.  The Y was able to secure a matching grant, and we were happy to have our $5,000 contribution take advantage of that match so that their clients can continue to receive food boxes through the rest of the year.  We are grateful to Moore Colson for having made this grant available.

Thank you to our Corporate Community Champions and donors who are making sure that we can keep filling the gaps!