By: Ashley Cunningham
The Atlanta Hawks and UPS, the team’s official delivery and hometown Atlanta logistics partner, joined together with Goodr, an Atlanta-based social impact startup leveraging technology to reduce food waste and end hunger, to distribute Thanksgiving Day groceries to more than 400 families at the MARTA West End Station. On site to help distribute groceries were Hawks Head Coach Nate McMillan, Assistant Coaches Joe Prunty, Mike Longabardi and Nick Van Exel and Player Development Coach Tim Dather as well as the team’s rookie forward AJ Griffin. Also volunteering their time were various members of the Lady Hawks, a women’s auxiliary group comprised of the wives, significant others and mothers of Hawks players, coaches, basketball operations staff and management.
The event provided families with nutritious meals, including a choice of meat, produce, trimmings and desserts.Participants also received a special holiday note from Griffin, which also included a recipe for sweet potato casserole.
“We are beyond excited to partner with UPS to make a year-round impact in the community, especially during Thanksgiving,” said Hawks Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility Andrea Carter. “Coming together with Goodr for our ‘Thanksgiving Pop-Up Grocery Market’ helps ease the burden on Fulton County residents in need and helps them prepare a holiday meal that might have otherwise been unavailable to them.”
The meals were packed in a bag and placed into participants’ cars by volunteers from both the Hawks and UPS. Families received a turkey, ham, whole chicken, tea or lemonade, milk or a non-dairy alternative, mashed potatoes, canned vegetables, stuffing, banana pudding ingredients, cornbread mix, elbow noodles and cheese, cranberry sauce, sweet potato casserole ingredients, dinner rolls, eggs, and a produce bag which included collard greens, potatoes, sweet potatoes, bananas, peppers and onions.
In addition to the pop-up grocery market, Human Resources executives from the Hawks and UPS spoke to participating families about job openings at both organizations.
“Four hundred families’ Thanksgiving tables will be festive and full thanks to the Atlanta Hawks and UPS,” Goodr Founder and CEO Jasmine Crowe-Houston said. “It is an honor to continue to serve alongside these two organizations in such impactful ways, especially at this time of the year.”
Earlier this year, the Hawks and UPS teamed up with Goodr to provide a one-week supply of groceries and age-appropriate books for more than 300 families as part of their ‘Books and Bites’ initiative. Last year in Nov. 2021, the Atlanta Hawks and UPS provided Thanksgiving Day essentials to more than 350 families in Clayton County. The event featured Hawks coaches and players who were joined by UPS employees and volunteers to pack and distribute free groceries in time for the holiday.
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