For the first time since the pandemic began, the Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Arena are bringing back their largest service project.
The Million Meal Pack will return this summer on July 16. Channel 2′s Kristen Holloway learned the Hawks will need at least 5,000 volunteers to help pack all the meals.
With inflation, rent and other cost of living increasing, Andrea Carter, the VP of corporate social responsibility for the Hawks, said it was important to bring back the team’s largest community initiative to date.
The volunteers will put together nutritious, shelf-stable, dried Jambalaya mix that produces six servings when it’s prepared.
Once the meals are packed, they’ll go to eight non-profits like the Atlanta Community Food Bank, who will distribute the food to local communities.
Statistics provided by the Atlanta Community Food Bank show that nearly one in eight Georgians are living with food insecurity, including one in six children.
“The Hawks and State Farm, for us, fighting food insecurity is important,” Carter told Holloway.
Volunteers will work at least 90-minute meal packing shifts with about 700-900 volunteers during each shift to reach one million meals or more. The Hawks first held in the event in 2019.
“And this time we will once again be leaning on Hawks players, area celebrities and influencers. We’ll be looking at city and government officials to join us that day, alongside everyone in the community,” Carter said.
“Certainly we can win on the court where we deliver lots of wins X & O’s but we can also deliver wins in the community,” Carter said.
Everyone who volunteers will get a Hawks T-shirt and a voucher for two tickets to a Hawks game next season. Exact game dates will be available once the season schedule is released.
To sign up, visit hawks.com/mealpack.
