Atlanta is full of promise, but people are going hungry. Let’s change that.
Metro Atlanta continues to grow economically, culturally, and physically. New businesses are opening, neighborhoods are developing, and the city is evolving.
Yet, even as opportunities expand, many families across our region still face challenges meeting some of life’s most basic needs: access to consistent, nutritious food, and just as critical, access to clean clothing and hygiene resources.
In Georgia today, a recent report from Feeding America estimates 1.6 million people, or one in seven residents, face hunger, including nearly 500,000 children.
But hunger isn’t the only hidden crisis. For many families, access to basic hygiene essentials, like laundry and soap, is out of reach — many go months without access to laundry because of broken machines, unaffordable costs and limited household income.
Students experiencing homelessness benefit from collaboration
Earlier this year MUST Ministries partnered with OxiClean and Kroger to host The Mess Express: Powered by OxiClean, a local community celebration benefiting students and families facing food insecurity.
Held at the Kroger Terrell Mill Marketplace on Powers Ferry Road in Marietta, the event invited attendees to bring nonperishable food items benefiting the Marietta Sixth Grade Academy. Along with family-friendly activities, this initiative served as an important reminder of the crucial role businesses and neighbors can play in addressing hunger.
In addition, OxiClean is working with MUST Ministries to donate a large quantity of its cleaning products to support an Atlanta-area school that serves more than 500 students, the majority of whom are experiencing homelessness. With this donation, the school can now offer students clean clothes through its on-site pantry, helping them feel more confident and prepared to learn.
These acts of support are significant to acknowledge as we commemorate Giving Tuesday on Dec. 2, a moment each year when communities come together around generosity and service.
“While MUST Ministries has done an exceptional job in addressing urgent needs, providing meals, housing, and support to families across Georgia for 54 years, we’re proud that OxiClean can play a small but meaningful role in restoring comfort through food donations and laundry supplies,” said Melissa Martin, vice president of marketing, OxiClean.
Donate generously on Giving Tuesday to worthy organizations
Thanks to the generosity of Kroger and the Marietta community, we collected over 200 nonperishable food items that will directly support local students and their families. Support like this demonstrates how local action at any time can create momentum during a season focused on giving back.
Events like this do more than fill pantry shelves. They raise awareness. They spark conversations. And they prompt the question we hear again and again: What can I do to help?
That question drives our mission.
We believe hunger is best addressed through community collaboration. By working with schools, faith groups, businesses and local governments, we help families access food and essential resources that support long-term stability.
Last year, we served over 70,000 individuals across eight counties in Georgia, offering not just meals, but also employment services, housing support and practical programs that meet people where they are — with dignity and compassion. In September, we will open the MUST Care Clinic to support our neighbors in need with behavioral and primary care services, ensuring that we can help them in nearly every capacity.
Giving Tuesday offers every Atlantan a chance to play a part, whether through volunteering, food donation, financial contributions or by spreading the word about the challenges many families still face.
As Atlanta grows, so must our commitment to ensuring no one is left behind. Thanks to partners like OxiClean and Kroger, we’re raising awareness and delivering real help, building a stronger, more inclusive Atlanta where no neighbor goes hungry or without access to clean clothes. This Giving Tuesday, we invite our community to stand with us and help ensure every family has the support and resources they need.
Dr. Dwight “Ike” Reighard is president and CEO of MUST Ministries, a nonprofit serving individuals and families across North Georgia with food, housing, employment support, and other essential services.
