Understanding the Impact of Food Assistance on Food Security and Household Stability in Metro Atlanta

More than 800,000 Georgians in Metro Atlanta and Northwest Georgia struggle to provide food for themselves and their families. While the food insecure population is diverse, working families make up the majority of this group. As these families try to cope with their food needs, they are drawn into a cycle of tradeoffs between putting food on the table and using scarce resources to provide stable housing, consistent healthcare, or reliable transportation. The adverse economic impact of hunger in our region exceeds an estimated $3 billion per year, stemming from lost workforce productivity, increased costs to the healthcare system, decreased student performance, and the subsequent loss of future wages.

The Atlanta Community Food Bank believes that this unparalleled level of need demands an unparalleled response. Our Bold Goal is that by 2025, all hungry people in our service area will have access to the nutritious meals they need when they need them. In achieving this, we will provide 130 million meals per year, measurably increase stability in the lives of our clients, and reduce the economic costs of hunger in our region.

This presentation will touch broadly on the strategies the Atlanta Community Food Bank is employing to reach their bold goal, focusing specifically on their strategic priority to Invest in Reducing Need and Stabilizing Lives, and the work to create and test a "Food First" Pantry model geared at improving access to food for working families and increasing food security and household stability.

Presenter:

Alexis Weaver is Community Impact Manager for the Atlanta Community Food Bank, where she has worked for five years. Weaver currently manages the Food Bank's strategic initiative to understand the relationship between food security and household economic stability, and the food pantry's role in that relationship. Weaver’s passion is integrating the voices of the unheard and marginalized into systemic decision-making processes.

She has an M.S. in Community and Regional Planning from The University of Texas, a B.A. in Economics and Environmental Studies from Baylor University, and 10 years of experience working on poverty and community development initiatives. Weaver is chair of the Brockett Elementary School Principal’s Advisory Council and serves on the board of NETWorks Cooperative Ministry in Tucker.

Program starts promptly at 7:30 a.m. Serving breakfast and coffee.

It will take place at:
Center for Quality Growth and Regional Development
Georgia Institute of Technology
760 Spring Street, Room 235 | Atlanta, GA 30308

Click here for directions.

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The Healthy Places Research Group (HPRG), formed in 2003, is a collaborative effort of individuals interested in exploring the relationship between health and the built environment.

Join us monthly from September to May to discuss issues, exchange information, and hear presentations pertaining to health policy, impacts, and the built environment. Meetings are open to the public.