Photo by Tabius McCoy/The Atlanta Voice
The Atlanta Hawks and State Farm brought thousands together at State Farm Arena on Saturday, September 27, for the fifth Million Meal Pack, a large-scale volunteer initiative to fight hunger across metro Atlanta.
More than 5,000 volunteers, including families, churches, sororities, fraternities, corporate teams, and community groups, rotated through five shifts to help pack more than one million shelf-stable meals. The event, held in partnership with U.S. Hunger, benefits nonprofits such as the Atlanta Community Food Bank, Hosea Helps, Midwest Food Bank, the Salvation Army of Metro Atlanta, and Sweetwater Mission.
Photo by Tabius McCoy/The Atlanta Voice
Since the program’s launch in 2019, the Hawks and State Farm have enlisted more than 21,000 volunteers and provided over 4.1 million meals to Georgians in need. The program did not happen during 2020-2021 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This work is core to being a civic asset,” said Alexis Roe, the Hawks’ vice president of community impact. “One in seven adults and one in five children live with food insecurity. Efforts like this remind families that this city embraces them, and that we’re committed to making their experience a little better by providing a meal.”
The atmosphere inside the arena contrasted with the sobering statistics. Volunteers streamed in through tunnels filled with smoke and music, energized by DJs and Hawks talent. Roe credited the team’s live entertainment staff, led Saturday by DJ Mohawk, for keeping the energy high across shifts.
Photo by Tabius McCoy/The Atlanta Voice
For many, the event was personal. Juanita Gibbons Delaney, a registered nurse from Southwest Atlanta, joined alongside her church, Historic Ebenezer Baptist, and her nursing sorority, Chi Eta Phi. “I believe in volunteering and giving back,” she said. “If anyone’s hungry in the Atlanta area, we’ve got one million meals here for you.”
Elizabeth Robinson, a longtime State Farm employee working in auto claims, originally from Illinois, volunteered as a table captain. She said she was inspired to step up after first participating as a packer last year. “I wanted to dedicate more of my time,” Robinson said. “Everyone comes in ready. I love to see the excitement when people walk through the tunnel, and the DJ hypes everyone up. It’s amazing.”
The effort reflects a strong partnership between the Hawks and State Farm. King Butler, a State Farm vice president based in Atlanta, said employees and agents eagerly sign up each year. “The feedback we get is that this is one of the best events we do all year,” Butler said. “They know it makes a difference, and they have fun doing it.”
The meals that were packed on Saturday did not sit idle. Pallets were immediately loaded onto trucks bound for food banks and pantries across the region. “These are shelf-stable, healthy meals, the kinds that food banks never have enough of,” said U.S. Hunger CEO Rick Whitted. “They’ll be in pantries and on families’ tables today and in the coming weeks.”
Photo by Tabius McCoy/The Atlanta Voice
For Whitted, the event was also about awareness. “As you’re packing, there’s a realization, this is real food, going to real people who need real help,” he said. “That energy inspires people to keep serving their neighbors long after the event ends.”
Hawks CEO Steve Koonin said the Million Meal Pack reflects the organization’s goal to be more than just a basketball franchise. “Sports bring people together,” Koonin said. “Seeing thousands of volunteers from all walks of life give back shows what this building can mean as a town hall for Atlanta.”
Organizers emphasized that while one day can’t solve food insecurity, the Million Meal Pack is a powerful step. For Robinson, the event’s impact was clear: “We’re here for a worthy cause,” she said. “Helping people who don’t have enough, that’s what it’s all about.”
Photo by Tabius McCoy/The Atlanta Voice
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