Second Helpings Gets Grant to Expand

Second Helpings Atlanta, which delivers surplus food to those in need, received a $50,000 grant from the James M. Cox Foundation. The grant will go towards expanding the organization’s operations and reach in the metro area.

“This significant grant allows us to sustain our growth in accordance with our strategic plan,” Sheri Labovitz, president of Second Helpings Atlanta, said in a release. “It is both a validation and a challenge for us to keep finding innovative ways to feed the hungry.”

Second Helpings, which also fights food insecurity and waste, is the official food rescue partner of the Atlanta Community Food Bank. It rescues more than 125,000 pounds of surplus fresh, perishable food every month. Started in 2004, the Second Helpings Atlanta network includes more than 80 food donors, 50 partner agencies and more than 470 volunteer drivers. It is expected to pick up more than 1.75 million pounds of healthy food this year.

Since August 2015, Cox has been a major food donor to Second Helpings and donates almost 75,000 pounds of surplus food a year from its corporate campus kitchens, including Cox Enterprises, Cox Communications and Cox Automotive. Cox is the fourth-largest food donor to Second Helpings Atlanta behind large grocery chains.

In January, a rotating group of Team Cox volunteers began delivering food from the Cox campus to a nearby food pantry.