Struggling families flock to metro Atlanta food bank for Thanksgiving staples

On a crisp Monday morning, several Jonesboro residents lined up outside a Clayton County food center to collect Thanksgiving-themed food boxes and other groceries.

They were eagerly waiting for the doors to open so they could pick out their supplies for the week at no cost and grab a holiday box, which included a turkey, stuffing, macaroni and cheese and other Thanksgiving staples.

The giveaway, hosted by the Atlanta Community Food Bank for over two decades, is just one event held by the nonprofit that distributes over 10 million pounds of food each month in metro Atlanta and North Georgia. The goal Monday was to ensure that lower-income families still have the opportunity to enjoy a Thanksgiving meal.

Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com

Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com

“It helps tremendously,” said Pamela Jones, as she headed out. She was the first in line Monday, and her family depends on the help.

Like many others, Jones said her income is too high to qualify for government aid but not high enough to cover the bills and groceries.

“It’s too much and then not enough,” Jones said. “It’s not right.”

But during her trip to the Jonesboro Community Food Center, Jones was able to get groceries and her Thanksgiving ingredients just in time for next week’s feast. Many others like her did the same, overjoyed with the realization that they’ll have a Thanksgiving this year.

Kyle Waide, the food bank’s president and CEO, said many families share Jones’ struggle right now. He said the organization has seen a 60% increase in need in the past two years, and not just around the holidays.

“A really important thing to know and understand is that this growth in demand is being driven by people who have incomes that are too high to qualify for benefit programs,” he said.

The demand among groups who do qualify for assistance programs is “not going up in the same way that it is for folks who, say, have $50,000 in annual income, and they’re spending an extra 100 bucks a week on gas and groceries,” Waide said.

“That’s 10% of their (monthly) income that they’re having to replace just to stay even with where they were two years ago,” he explained.

Tracy Smith recently experienced that kind of hardship. Her visit Monday was her first at the food bank since she lost her aid, which she said happened after she started working for a ride-share service to help make ends meet. Knowing she could get groceries at no cost was a huge relief.

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

“With us having the cost of food rising on us, and we’re not able to afford food anymore, this is a place that’s just helping people,” said Smith’s friend, Takisha Brown.

With so much demand, Waide said his organization, which primarily serves families and seniors, needs help from volunteers and financial assistance.

“This is an urgent problem in our community right now,” he said. “I think we all probably know somebody who is really struggling to make ends meet during this higher-cost environment.”