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Hosea Helps delivers meals, toys to homeless
On Christmas Eve, dozens of volunteers with Hosea Helps spent hours delivering toys to kids and meals to people experiencing homelessness. FOX 5 Atlanta's Kim Leoffler talked to the CEO about their efforts and how the community can help.
ATLANTA - As families across metro Atlanta prepare to gather for Christmas Day celebrations, nonprofit organization Hosea Helps is working tirelessly to ensure those in need won’t go without this holiday season.
Volunteers at Hosea Helps’ headquarters in southwest Atlanta are busy preparing meals and toys for distribution to local families and individuals experiencing homelessness.
The organization is set to deliver 270 meals to three locations around Atlanta later today. While the number is lower than in previous years due to rising food costs and fewer donations, Hosea Helps' CEO emphasized the importance of providing more than just nourishment.
"When individuals living on the street see a volunteer deliver that food – somebody that gave up their time – there's a little bit more love that comes with the meal, and that message of love is really what we're using the food to transmit," said Awodele Omilami, the CEO.
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Hosea Helps getting ready to hand out meals
Hosea Helps in Atlanta is getting ready to hand out meals to homeless people around the city of Atlanta on Christmas Eve.
"It means a lot," one of the recipients of the Christmas Eve meals told FOX 5 Atlanta. "The reason why, because they don't have to do that. They've got food. They've got families. They've got vehicles. They have a place to stay. They could be doing anything they could possibly be doing besides this, and they take the time out to think about us."
In addition to meal deliveries, volunteers are preparing toys for 500 children in the Atlanta area, which will be delivered this afternoon. Despite these efforts, there is still a critical need for additional support, with 600 children remaining on the waiting list for toys.
"A decade ago, a family could have dropped from a two-income household to a one-income household, and it would have taken about six months to be in danger of homelessness. That same thing right now is happening in two to three months," said Omilami.
Tomorrow, Hosea Helps will host 120 families at its headquarters for a Christmas meal, continuing its long-standing tradition of providing hope and support to Atlanta’s underserved communities.
The nonprofit is calling for donations of toys or monetary contributions to meet the urgent need. Donations can be dropped off at the Hosea Helps headquarters or made online via their website.
The Source: Information for this article was gathered from FOX 5 Atlanta reporter Kim Leoffler's interview with Awodele Omilami, the CEO of Hosea Helps.