EAST POINT, Ga. — As the majority of residents enter into their second week of ‘shelter-in-place,’ many residents have had to deal with more than just a case of cabin fever.
Citywide ordinances have left many citizens unable to open their businesses due to COVID19 social distancing restrictions or just plain out of work due to cutbacks.
“Because I’ve been here in this city for six years, I was compelled to continue my relationship with my customers,” says Gilliam's Community Farm event coordinator, Lovey Gilliam.
Gilliam's Community Farm is a 3-acre farm is located in Oakland City in Southwest Atlanta, has become a regular fixture of the East Point Farmer’s Market for several years now.
Since its inception in 2016, the family-owned local farm has provided access to fresh fruits and vegetables for the communities surrounding their farm.
The Gilliam Mobile Farmer’s Market has focused its efforts on servicing lower-income and senior communities. Paying particular attention to areas that possess the most food access challenges.
“We felt the need to find out a way to serve the community. And we wanted to make that we provided fresh healthy alternatives to eat in a time of crisis,” states recently elected East Point Councilmember-Ward A, Lance Robertson.
Thus far, the initiative started by Gilliam’s Mobile Farmers Market and Councilmember Robertson has relied on crowd-sourced funds to pay for community farmers to harvest the crops necessary for their deliveries.
Anyone looking to offer donations can do so through Gilliam's Community Farm Cash App under the $Gilliamfarms or PayPal.
Gilliam tells My East Point News that they will continue to provide free produce for the community as long as they are able.
To learn more about Gilliam's Community Farm and Mobile Farmer’s Market, visit their website.
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