Mayor Andre Dickens delivered Open Hand’s 35 millionth meal on Wednesday as part of the nonprofit organization’s 35th year of service to the Atlanta community.
“As we launch our Housing Help Center initiative, I am mindful of how important nutrition and nutrition education is to individuals moving from homelessness to housing,” Dickens said in a statement. “I am profoundly appreciative of Open Hand as we work together to address important social determinants of health initiatives and provide the support necessary to empower marginalized Atlantans to thrive.”
Open Hand clients receive weekly deliveries of free meals designed by Registered Dietitian Nutritionists to meet the medical needs of the recipient and improve health outcomes.
“We are neighbors serving neighbors, and we are thrilled to count Mayor Dickens among the thousands of volunteers who help us deliver meals to neighbors in need every day,” said Matthew Pieper, Executive Director, Open Hand. “We empower people to live healthier lives with dignity. Our experienced chefs create medically tailored meals that promote health and are approved by registered dietitians before they are delivered directly to our clients’ homes.”
Open Hand has delivered meals and education to people with severe, complex and/or chronic illnesses for 35 years. The organization began in 1988, when a small group of friends gathered to cook meals for their neighbors and loved ones disenfranchised by HIV/AIDS.
Since then, the organization has expanded to provide health-promoting food directly to the homes of people who need it.
Visit openhandatlanta.org to donate or register to volunteer.