Lessons of 2020 hone food groups’ focus, momentum - Atlanta Journal Constitution

When the threat of COVID-19 became a stark reality to Georgians last March, Atlanta Community Food Bank President and CEO Kyle Waide could not have fathomed that, by year’s end, the nonprofit would distribute nearly 90 million pounds of food as part of its pandemic response.

Likewise, Georgia Organics Executive Director Alice Rolls could not have envisioned that the organization would end up distributing $1,000 relief payments to 89 farmers in 51 Georgia counties, part of the nearly $100,000 in direct aid to growers since the onset of the pandemic.

Food Well Alliance also did its share to keep growers growing, and to provide that food where it was needed. In 2020, the 5-year old nonprofit delivered seedlings, bulk compost and labor support to dozens of community gardens; deployed nearly 1,500 hours of labor support to urban farms; facilitated the distribution of more than 330,000 pounds of excess food donated by metro area gardeners; and helped to activate idle school gardens to grow food for families in need.

Giving Kitchen, which provides crisis mitigation to Georgia food-service workers, saw more visits to its website during one week in March than all of the previous year, Executive Director Bryan Schroeder said.

The efforts to get food to families, keep the local food supply chain humming and support restaurants and the workforce were monumental in 2020. These initiatives continue into 2021, guided by lessons from an unprecedented year of need.

From ‘fog of war’ to focused response

Kate Conner was just a week into her new job as the senior director of strategic development for Food Well Alliance when the 10-person staff switched to working remotely. “We didn’t know what was going on,” she said.

“Were farmers going to be able to sell their products? Were farmers markets going to be canceled?”

The organization doubled down, focusing its efforts to “keep growers growing,” said Conner, who recently was named executive director.

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