Just a few days remain until Thanksgiving and Hawks guard Trae Young got into the spirit of the season. On Sunday afternoon, Young partnered with a few local nonprofits to ensure members of the Atlanta community received meals ahead of the holiday.
“I mean, it’s always important every year to give back to the community, and especially during holidays,” Young said. “So yeah, this is important, and I’ve done stuff with them before. So it’s really cool that this time I can be here in person. Last time it was closed during COVID. So, I wasn’t able to go. So it’s cool, I get to do something and be in person this time around.”
Young partnered with Second Helpings Atlanta, a logistics nonprofit organization specializing in the rescue and redistribution of surplus food to deliver supplies for holiday meals. The food was delivered to Atlanta Mission, a homeless shelter in Atlanta serving more than 1,000 men, women, and children in Atlanta and Northeast Georgia every day.
Second Helpings rescues food from grocery stores, restaurants, event venues like Mercedes-Benz Stadium, State Farm Arena and Truist Park, as well as restaurants in order to provide food to over 100 nonprofit organizations across metro Atlanta.
To date, they’ve rescued and delivered more than 29 million pounds of food, saving partner agencies approximately $60 million in food costs over the last 20 years.
“Those pounds turn into meals, right?” said Mary Beth King, development director Second Helpings, Atlanta. “And it also saves the agency money, so the agency is not having to source food and pay for it or bring it in.”
Credit: Lauren Williams
Credit: Lauren Williams
The Hawks guard and his wife Shelby picked up approximately 800 pounds of food from Trader Joes in Sandy Springs and took it to Atlanta Mission. They then stayed and helped to serve food to single women, as well as women who were clients of My Sister’s House, one of the campuses of Atlanta Mission. It serves as an overnight shelter for women and children experiencing homelessness.
The nonprofit has three other campuses, including Restoration House, which is an emergency shelter for women and children, focused on serving those who have experienced trauma. There is also The Shepherd’s Inn, which serves up to 450 men every day to help transition them toward independent living. Atlanta Mission also has The Potter’s House, a residential recovery program, located in Jefferson.
But Sunday’s event at My Sister’s House reminded clients of Atlanta Mission that the community cares. Along with serving meals, Young chatted with clients at My Sister’s House, signed shoes of one of his fans and took pictures with some of the kids buzzing around the dining room.
“It provides a tremendous support and encouragement when the community steps up, with Trae and the Atlanta Hawks saying, ‘hey, it matters. You matter as a man, woman or child experiencing homelessness,’” Phil Barks, Director of Volunteer Services Atlanta Missions, said. “Here at my sister’s house, we have around 250 to 260 women and children. So children from babies all the way up to 18 18-year-olds and moms and singles, as well. Just tremendous. That shows that someone cares.”
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