11Alive's 41st annual Can-A-Thon is less than one month away. Each can you donate benefits the Salvation Army of metro Atlanta.
Some of those cans will end up inside a newly renovated food pantry in Decatur, where the shopping experience looks very different than your usual food pantry.
Michael Richardson went to check it out for himself this week. He grabbed some free cans of vegetables, tuna, and peanut butter for his family.
"This is helping the community -- people who are less fortunate, people that need help," he said.
Richardson is one of 160 community members who tend to use this food pantry at the Salvation Army Peachcrest Corps each month.
The pantry, which is located at 3500 Sherrydale Lane, just went through a special makeover in the spring.
Captain and Corp Officer Jamaal Ellis explained that it used to be a narrow corridor where only one person would fit at a time.
But in addition to a physical makeover, it also went through a makeover of the meaning behind a food pantry.
"When they step in here, it’s not just a person handing them something and saying, 'Have a great day.' It’s an invitation to come in, let’s journey together, let’s walk together, you’re part of this," Ellis explained.
Ellis said that now, community members grab their cart, pick the food they need, and pull it off the shelves.
"As opposed to our staff and volunteers putting boxes together," he explained. "It’s a unique experience that gives dignity back to the clients. That says, 'Hey! Shop for what you need! You know what your kids like. Do they want macaroni and cheese? It’s on that shelf!'"
Ellis said the number of people who are food insecure has grown significantly in recent years, and with that, so has the demand at this pantry, which is open to anyone in need every Monday and Thursday.
"We’ve seen the transition to where people who need food is not just people who are unemployed. Sometimes it’s people who go to work every day, but the cost of food exceeds what they can do with their budget," he said.
To feed those families, they rely on 11Alive’s annual Can-A-Thon to bring in donations and keep the shelves stocked throughout the year.
"The Can-A-Thon is huge," he said. "It's huge; I can’t emphasize it enough. It’s a huge part of what we’re able to do with keeping the shelves stocked. The volume in which people come out and give it supports us for the majority of the year.”
Those cans can help support families like Richardson's.
"It means a lot," Richardson said. "It means a whole lot."
Donate in person at one of the following locations on Friday, Dec. 1:
- Publix Shamrock Plaza (Decatur): 3870 N Druid Hills Road
- Salvation Army Lawrenceville (Gwinnett): 3455 Sugarloaf Parkway
- Salvation Army Marietta (Cobb): 202 Waterman St. SE
- Salvation Army Kroc Center (Fulton): 967 Dewey St.
If you're part of a school, office, church or club that has a large group stopping by a Can-A-Thon location for the 41st annual event on Friday, Dec. 1, to donate, please share more information on which location you'll be joining us at by registering here.
If you'd like to participate as a volunteer for this year's Can-A-Thon, you can sign up with The Salvation Army of Metro Atlanta.
For more information, click here.