Attorney General Chris Carr visited the Atlanta Community Food Bank to survey the needs of Georgia’s regional food banks, honor our Georgia National Guard soldiers who are on the frontlines of the Coronavirus pandemic and reinforce the Georgia legal community’s commitment to supporting our food banks. While Georgians across the state are struggling with school and childcare closures, lost wages and layoffs, demand for food bank services has increased 30 to 40 percent since the onset of the pandemic. Governor Brian Kemp has identified Georgia’s eight regional food banks as essential services and part of the critical infrastructure, and he has authorized 162 members of the Georgia National Guard to aid the food banks in day-to-day operations.

“We know that around 16.2 percent of Georgians were food insecure before the Coronavirus pandemic, and now that number will grow exponentially,” said Attorney General Chris Carr. “I was honored to visit the Atlanta Community Food Bank today to thank our Georgia Guard soldiers and the food bank staff and let them know reinforcements are coming to food banks all across the state. Our Georgia Legal Food Frenzy, an annual competition, starts next Monday. The competition will be more important this year than ever before. It will be up to us to raise money that will keep inventory strong and support the long-term needs of our food banks. So, I’m calling on all of my legal colleagues around the state who are able to please join us this year. Visit GaLegalFoodFrenzy.org to sign up today.”

"Georgia's food banks saw an immediate increase in the demand for food when schools closed, and as more businesses close or cut back staffing, they ramped up distribution by approximately 40 percent across the board,” said Danah Craft, Executive Director of the Georgia Food Bank Association. “In the last two weeks of March, about 20 percent of the food banks’ distribution events ran out of food with people still in line - still in need.”

"As the demand for food assistance increases, the Atlanta Community Food Bank is distributing food at a rapid pace,” said Kyle Waide, President and CEO of Atlanta Community Food Bank. “We are growing our inventory and spending additional funds on new food purchases that will arrive over the next several weeks. We are grateful to have assistance from Georgia Guard members, who are helping with the surge of people seeking food assistance brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, I'd like to thank Attorney General Chris Carr for his visit to the Food Bank and for raising awareness of the increasing needs of our community."

Registration is now open for the 9th Annual Georgia Legal Food Frenzy, a statewide food and fundraising competition among Georgia’s lawyers to help end hunger across the state. The 2020 competition will take place April 20 – May 1, and is managed in partnership with the Office of the Attorney General, the State Bar of Georgia, the Young Lawyers Division (YLD) of the State Bar of Georgia and the Georgia Food Bank Association. Those who want to participate can register and learn more at www.galegalfoodfrenzy.org. Though the Legal Food Frenzy is traditionally timed to stock the food banks for the summer when need increases, this year, the competition will be even more critically important to sustain the unprecedented increase in demand for Georgia’s food bank services.

Out of an abundance of caution, the Atlanta Community Food Bank has temporarily stopped all volunteer shifts and, additionally, is not accepting walk-in food donations at this time. If you do not want to participate in the Georgia Legal Food Frenzy but would like to help the Atlanta Community Food Bank during this time, you may do so at www.acfb.org/donate. Gifts are helping to fuel the food bank’s emergency response, providing groceries to children and families who are facing the loss of school meals and wages due to closures, adding special mobile pantries in high-need locations around their 29-county service area and more.