The Atlanta Community Food Bank

Hello,

My name is Tyus Williams, and I live in Alpharetta, Georgia. While many people know me for science communication as a wildlife biologist on social media (i.e., Instagram and Twitter), I also care deeply about activism and community outreach. Giving back to others and investing in people's lives to manifest more harmony and promote progressive change are some of my strongest values.

Since the earliest inception of the Covid-19 pandemic in the United States, the U.S. Congress has only issued one stimulus check to alleviate the financial impacts of losing work and the devastation of an economic crisis. Now, with over 300,000 lives lost from the pandemic, families are struggling to make ends meet. This only further implicates the livelihoods of low-income communities that are disproportionately affected by this pandemic causing job loss and familial loss due to Covid-19. This disparity complicates the ability of caretakers and parents to feed loved ones and children who are most affected under these circumstances.
Specifically, in the state of Georgia where I live (population: 10.62 million 2019), 13% of people struggle with food insecurity (1 in 8), and 16% of children struggle with food insecurity (1 in 6). The situation here is only worsened under the pandemic that we are currently under. Families shouldn't have to worry about how they are going to put food on the table during a pandemic, especially when holidays are already stressful enough. So, I'm creating a fundraiser and using my platform to speak up and raise money to help the residents of Georgia and make this holiday season a little less difficult. While this time poses financial constraints for many of us if you have the ability to contribute at all it will be greatly appreciated!

Thank you so much for your time and help with this effort, happy holidays to all of you, and stay safe.

Your friendly neighborhood scientist,

Tyus (@sciencewithtyus)

More information about The Atlanta Community Food Bank: The Atlanta Community Food Bank distributes food and grocery products to a network of more than 600 nonprofit partner agencies in 29 metro Atlanta and north Georgia. For every dollar donated, the Food Bank can provide 4 meals. The Atlanta Community Food Bank is a Charity Navigator 4-star rated charity. 95 cents of every $1 donated goes to serving our community. The Food Bank is one of more than 200 members of Feeding America, the nation's largest domestic hunger-relief organization.

In celebration of getting older again, I've decided I want to do some good. I'll be matching donations to the Atlanta Community Food Bank up to $1,000 for the next week. Now that it feels like there's a light at the end of the tunnel for the pandemic, it's important to realize that organizations like this need continuing support. Thank you for anything you can give to a good cause!

More information about The Atlanta Community Food Bank: The Atlanta Community Food Bank distributes food and grocery products to a network of more than 600 nonprofit partner agencies in 29 metro Atlanta and north Georgia. For every dollar donated, the Food Bank can provide 4 meals. The Atlanta Community Food Bank is a Charity Navigator 4-star rated charity. 95 cents of every $1 donated goes to serving our community. The Food Bank is one of more than 200 members of Feeding America, the nation's largest domestic hunger-relief organization.

TODAY, May 16th, George Lefkowicz and Sam Rose, two Grady High School juniors, are running 26.2 miles in 26 hours (one mile each hour) to raise funds for the Atlanta Community Food Bank which serves thousands of Atlanta families who face hunger as a result of  the pandemic. Please make a pledge in any increment of $26 (or ANY amount at all) to support this incredible organization.

If you're near Candler Park, check out George and Sam on the hour as they complete a one mile circuit around Candler Park.


More information about The Atlanta Community Food Bank: The Atlanta Community Food Bank distributes food and grocery products to a network of more than 600 nonprofit partner agencies in 29 metro Atlanta and north Georgia. For every dollar donated, the Food Bank can provide 4 meals. The Atlanta Community Food Bank is a Charity Navigator 4-star rated charity. 95 cents of every $1 donated goes to serving our community. The Food Bank is one of more than 200 members of Feeding America, the nation's largest domestic hunger-relief organization.

This is the time each year when we're frantically preparing for and sending out invites to our annual East Meets West Holiday Party.  It's always such an amazing time with dear friends and family as we kick off the holiday season, and the memories made during these parties stay with us year after year!  We're really going to miss seeing everyone's beautiful faces this year but East Meets West Holiday Party IX will be back next December - bigger and more festive than ever! 

While we can't come together in person this year, we can come together with purpose - to lend a helping hand to those in need.

This year, in lieu of our East Meets West holiday gathering, we're supporting the Atlanta Community Food Bank.  

The pandemic has created incredible hardship for so many people this year, including folks struggling just to put food on the table - for themselves and their families.  It shouldn't be that way.

Any amount, however big or small, that you can contribute to this incredibly worthwhile organization will help to provide food for others during these difficult times.  It's a great way that we can all be together in spirit and in purpose during this holiday season.

And next year, East Meets West will be back, and we will celebrate in person - with hugs and laughter and good cheer  for all those who mean so much to us.

Our love and best wishes to you and yours for a warm and wonderful holiday season.

Alan and Joe
Tik and Marq

This year for his birthday, Cooper wanted to invite “everyone in the city of Atlanta” to his birthday. I
kid you not, those were this soon-to-be-5-year-
old’s exact words. While it would be fun, and
costly, to throw a party for him in Piedmont Park, it wouldn’t be as costly to feed as many Atlantans as we could in this time of need. With all the uncertainty during these times, let’s not let food be one of those concerns. I’m asking everyone that can to join me in donating $5 (or as much as you can spare) for Cooper’s 5th birthday to the Atlanta Community Food Bank.

Just $1 provides 4 meals. That’s 20 meals per $5. 

Each year, an estimated 755,400 (or 1 in 7) people
in metro Atlanta and north Georgia turn to Food
Bank partner agencies for food. And more than 1
in every 5 Georgia kids live in a food insecure
household. In a time when schools are closed and
people are hungry, let’s feed “everyone in the city  of Atlanta!”

More information about The Atlanta Community Food Bank: The Atlanta Community Food Bank distributes food and grocery products to a network of more than 600 nonprofit partner agencies in 29 metro Atlanta and north Georgia. For every dollar donated, the Food Bank can provide 4 meals. The Atlanta Community Food Bank is a Charity Navigator 4-star rated charity. 95 cents of every $1 donated goes to serving our community. The Food Bank is one of more than 200 members of Feeding America, the nation's largest domestic hunger-relief organization.

Wow - We crossed $500 in a flash, let's see if we can get to $750! Thanks to everyone who's already donated!

Hello and Welcome!

For a host of reasons, I’ve recently found myself doing some earnest self-reflection. In the last few months, I've changed jobs, decided to move from Atlanta to Chicago, crossed into a new decade, and am nearing the completion of my 25th lap around the sun (oh and not to mention we're all weathering a global health crisis). What was it that Dickens was saying about the best of times and the worst of times?

Whatever the reason might be, I’ve felt an urge to mark this moment in time, both for its global and personal significance. Here’s what I’ve come up with:

The Event
On Friday, May 1, 2020, the day after my 25th birthday, beginning at 12 noon Eastern Standard Time, I’ll run 26.2 miles over the course of 24 hours. I’ll be breaking the event/torture up into hour-long blocks, and running the miles in a small loop around my neighborhood (with precautions for social distancing and general safety). Between the miles, I’ll be tackling different projects and activities to pass the time as well as filming the day to document the whole experience.

The Why
I’m hopeful this adventure will serve as a way to put a proverbial stake in the ground at this moment in my life. It’ll also serve to challenge me both physically and mentally, provide an opportunity to explore new skills (note the video watermark), pay homage to Atlanta, and allow me to take full advantage of a day (I’ll also finally be able to say something cool when someone asks what I did for my birthday).

For as much as I’ll be alone on this journey, I would love for you to be there alongside me. If you’d like to join, below are a few ways in which you can participate through a small donation. All proceeds will go to the Atlanta Community Food Bank’s COVID relief (more info on ACFB below).

The Collaboration
Tier 1 $5: Shoutout in the Video
Tier 2 $15: Tier 1 + Suggestion Box - What do you think I should do between the miles? I've got 50 minutes to kill between each mile. Give me some ideas, I'll do my best. Email me: [email redacted]
Tier 3 $25: Tier 1 & 2 + Join In - Join me six feet apart (or more!) or virtually for a mile, activity or just to say hi!
Tier 4: Love you Mom and Dad, I'm safe I promise.

Thanks for making it this far!


The Cause
The Atlanta Community Food Bank distributes food and grocery products to a network of more than 600 nonprofit partner agencies in 29 metro Atlanta and north Georgia. For every dollar donated, the Food Bank can provide 4 meals. The Atlanta Community Food Bank is a Charity Navigator 4-star rated charity. 95 cents of every $1 donated goes to serving our community. The Food Bank is one of more than 200 members of Feeding America, the nation's largest domestic hunger-relief organization.

PLEASE NOTE: System1 has pledged to match the donations to this campaign! Let's help a ton of people in need during these difficult times!

The Atlanta Community Food Bank distributes food and grocery products to a network of more than 600 nonprofit partner agencies in 29 metro Atlanta and north Georgia. For every dollar donated, the Food Bank can provide 4 meals.

The Atlanta Community Food Bank is a Charity Navigator 4-star rated charity. 95 cents of every $1 donated goes to serving our community. The Food Bank is one of more than 200 members of Feeding America, the nation's largest domestic hunger-relief organization.

Learn more about the food bank here.