Former classrooms in Gwinnett County will help feed the hungry

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. - A former school classroom trailer doesn't scream "kitchen," but for Chef Hank Reid, it screams: "Lettum Eat!"

That's the name of his nonprofit that has, since 2019, fed the hungry. 

"We knew need was already there, but we started shortly after the pandemic hit and exploded from there," he said.

The organization supplies hot and cold meals to those who needed it, and did so primarily through church kitchens.

"There were a lot of churches with underused kitchens. The pandemic was an opportunity. Now on the other side, churches want their kitchens back. We understand that," he said. 

That's why churches, Gwinnett County Commissioners, and architects have linked up with Lettum Eat! to help build standalone kitchens. The first three are expected to shape up in the form of old Gwinnett County School classroom trailers. 

It's all paid for by donors. 

The first sits in Loganville, not far from the organization's Snellville headquarters. Others will be positioned in food deserts, which is an urban area in which it is difficult to buy affordable or good-quality fresh food.

Chef Reid has experience flipping trailers into modular kitchens, as he calls them. He did something similar in Florida. 

Once finished, chefs will create hot and cold meals anywhere from 4 to 6 times a week.

"We operate out of Gwinnett but serve the entire metro. We do a lot of work with Trinity church in downtown Atlanta. We move where need is," Chef Reid said.

Before the summer, the first of those three Atlanta-area kitchens should be complete. They'll each have decks to provide ambiance as people dine. The inside will crank out the good eats.