The Laotian American Society, a Gwinnett-based cultural nonprofit, will commemorate its one-year anniversary of passing out free food boxes with its largest distribution event to date Saturday in Norcross.
Volunteers with the Laotian American Society will give out meat, milk, cheese, fruits and vegetables to at least 1,300 families at the M&J Foundation located at 4405 International Blvd. from 12-5 p.m. Anyone interested in picking up a food box can drive through the site without lifting a finger, as volunteers will load them into people’s cars, said Justin Rodriguez, public relations and marketing director of the organization.
The group, which celebrates and brings awareness to the cultural identity of Laotian Americans, hosts dances and other programs in normal times, Rodriguez said. But the Laotian American Society quickly pivoted to feeding families across Georgia and the nation during the COVID-19 pandemic, he said.
“It is a humbling and rewarding program that we’ve been able to secure this past year,” Rodriguez said. “COVID-19 has been hard on everyone, but we feel lucky that we’ve been able to grow outside of helping just our internal community and helping a greater community at large.”
The Laotian American Society has distributed about 23,000 food boxes over the past year through a partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, feeding about 164,000 people nationwide and 64,000 metro Atlantans, Rodriguez said. The organization has also delivered essential-care packages to the elderly and fed children through a lunch box program, he said.
The nonprofit will also hand out food boxes in three Midwestern cities on the same day as its Norcross event, Rodriguez said.
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