ATLANTA — Hosea Helps announced the beginning of its holiday preparations to provide meals for thousands of people across metro Atlanta.
For more than half a century, the nonprofit has been a beacon of hope for families during the holidays. This year, as in years past, the organization will provide Thanksgiving food boxes with all the essentials for a holiday feast.
“And we expect to bless thousands of people, thousands of families,” said Afemo Omilami, the chief operating officer of Hosea Helps.
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He told Channel 2’s Bryan Mims the organization will feed more than 30,000 people through the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend.
On Friday, the Kroger Company delivered a check for $60,000 to support the mission. But Omilami said about 60% of the nonprofit’s funding comes from individual donations.
“You are doing what Doctor King would want us to be doing, I really believe that,” Omilami said. “He gave his life for working people. So why would he not want to see them fed and being helped?”
Civil rights leader Hosea Williams founded the mission in 1970. Hosea Helps not only puts food on the table, but it also aims to prevent homelessness by providing rent assistance and help in finding jobs.
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Anthony Williams, 55, was helped a couple of months ago after losing his job and running out of money. He went three days without food before turning to Hosea Helps.
“When I came to Hosea, I came just before they closed and they gave me hope, they gave me food, they smiled, they spoke to me like I was human,” he said. “They gave me food for thought, they gave me food for inspiration,” he said.
Given the economy, inflation and the government shutdown, Omilami said the need is great. “We are the last refuge of a lot of people who don’t know what to do,” he said. “They’ve never been in that place before, so we are here for them.”
You can make donations online here or take food to the Hosea Helps headquarters at 2545 Forrest Hills Dr. SW in Atlanta.
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