Public Hearing: YES ☐ NO ☐ Department: Chief Executive Office
SUBJECT:
Title
Commission District(s): All
Appropriation of $600,000 to the Atlanta Community Food Bank from Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security Act Grant
Body
Information Contact: Zachary Williams, COO/Executive Assistant
Phone Number: 404-371-2881
PURPOSE:
To appropriate $600,000 to the Atlanta Community Food Bank to address food insecurity throughout DeKalb County. According to the estimates from Feeding America, a national nonprofit with a network of more than 200 food banks, even before the coronavirus pandemic, more than 130,000 DeKalb County residents - about 18% of the population - were “food insecure. Food insecurity is a technical term used by the U.S. Department of Agriculture that refers to a household that does not always have adequate access to healthy food. The money for the food bank partnership will come from the $125 million in federal CARES Act funds that DeKalb County received in April.
NEED/IMPACT:
The partnership with the Atlanta Community Food Bank will allow them to increase distribution to 139 existing DeKalb food pantries by 30% over the next several months. “Mobile distribution capacity” will also be increased in areas that lack easy access to fresh food.
FISCAL IMPACT:
CARES Act funding $600,000
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommended Action
To approve the appropriation of $600,000 from CARES Act funding to the Atlanta Community Food Bank.