Hawks Partner With City of Atlanta to Fight Hunger

The Hawks organization and the city of Atlanta are partnering with Goodr to to fight food insecurity during the COVID-19 crisis.

The Hawks have partnered with State Farm, the city of Atlanta, and Goodr, a local startup geared toward fighting hunger in Atlanta, to help provide food for those who need it during the ongoing novel coronavirus crisis. 

The Hawks announced the news on Friday afternoon, and the effort will primarily target the most vulnerable communities, including senior citizens and low-income students, who rely on subsidized meals on a daily basis. With the help of donations from the Hawks Foundation and the City of Atlanta Department of Parks and Recreation, Goodr will distribute food via five pop-up grocery stores -- three of which will take place at local basketball courts. Hawks principal owners Tony Ressler and Jami Gertz matched the contributions with donations of their own. 

Each store is expected to serve 300-600 Atlanta families within the first two weeks of existence, providing roughly 20 pounds of food to each family. 

"For many families who were able to provide food and necessities for their children this school closing seems like an extended spring break," said Jasmine Crowe, the Founder and CEO of Goodr Inc. "But for families who depend on free breakfast and lunch for their children this will be the longest break of their lives. For the Atlanta Hawks and State Farm to step up and make sure that families have access to food during school closures is phenomenal community work and will mean the world to these families." 

The pop-up stores will be at the following locations: 

At-Promise Youth Center

Martin Luther King, Jr. Recreation & Aquatic Center

Center of Hope at Central Park in Old Fourth Ward

Thomasville Recreation Center

C.T. Martin Natatorium and Recreation Center

Registration for new pop-up stores opens every Monday morning. Participants can register here, and will receive more information on dates and times for the stores. 

"This is the third time Jasmine and her team at Goodr has provided the Atlanta Hawks and State Farm with a platform and a means to help our more vulnerable neighbors during a critical time of need,” said Clarence Hearns, the Assistant Vice President of Human Resources for State Farm. “In the weeks to come, we hope what is shared at these Free Pop-Up Grocery Stores will be a source of nourishment as well as give the families a sense of reassurance in community.”