With the coronavirus pandemic affecting the economy and leaving many families with less income than usual, food insecurity has been at the forefront of many Atlantans’ minds this year.

The Atlanta Apartment Association (AAA), which consists of 370 companies managing more than 420,000 apartment homes, held their annual Food-A-Thon on Nov.

13 to gather food and funds for the Atlanta Community Food Bank to help those in need in the community.

“This year’s Food-A-Thon is quite different than our normal celebratory parade with hundreds of apartment industry volunteers in attendance,” said Jim Fowler, the president of Atlanta Apartment Association. “Instead, volunteers from many of Atlanta’s apartment companies and communities safely dropped off food and checks collected over the past several months during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The AAA Food-A-Thon began in 1986. Over the past 30 years, the Food-A-Thon has donated food and money to the Atlanta Community Food Bank to provide more than 120 million meals to residents across North Georgia.

“Balancing residents’ needs for financial accommodations and flexibility with the property owner’s own financial obligations remains the most challenging aspect of this crisis,” said Fowler. “AAA member companies are committed to working with residents impacted by this pandemic and are continually seeking new and meaningful ways to do so during these unprecedented times.”

This year’s Food-A-Thon provided 6 million meals to families in need and provided a surprise $1,500 gift to an outstanding food bank employee to cover their housing costs for a month.

WHO’S HELPING 

ATLANTA APARTMENT ASSOCIATION

■ Services: Through its annual Food-A-Thon, AAA provided 6 million meals to families in need this year.

■ Where supplies went: Each year AAA gathers food and cash donations for the Atlanta Food Bank. To date, it has provided more than 120 million meals to residents across North Georgia through the annual Food-A-Thon.

If you are involved in or know of an organization working to bring relief to the Atlanta community during the coronavirus pandemic OR you are with an organization with supplies that you don’t know where to donate, please email us at Shannon.n.Dominy@gmail.com.