Atlanta Hawks Player Opens Pop-Up Grocery Stores For Families
John Collins, the Atlanta Hawks forward, is pitching in to help ease the growing hunger in his city, as unemployment increases during the coronavirus pandemic.
The NBA player teamed up with the Atlanta Hawks Foundation, State Farm and Goodr to open three pop-up grocery stores in metro Atlanta.
“The city of Atlanta is my home, which is why it’s so important for me to help the local community and give back during these difficult times. I am especially excited that we are continuing to support our arena part-time staff, who often work additional jobs to make ends meet with these groceries,” Collins said in a news release. “I’m proud to be working with the Hawks Foundation, State Farm and Goodr to make sure people are getting the food and meals they need.”
Demand for free groceries has increased up to 40 percent in Atlanta because of COVID-19, said Kyle Waide, CEO of the Atlanta Community Food Bank.
"This crisis has been unlike anything we have experienced before. We've been through Hurricane Katrina, 9/11, the Great Recession, but this really exceeds all of them in scale and complexity," Waide told 11Alive.com.
The grocery stores that Collins is helping to open are targeted for seniors and low-income families. They expect each store to provide more than 300 families with enough food for two weeks.
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