ATLANTA — The Atlanta Community Food Bank is among several aid organizations using an artificial-intelligence platform to get those in need food assistance.
Capacity, an AI-powered support automation platform, partnered up with FoodBridge, a benefits-enabled food access company, to launch a new hunger relief initiative on Tuesday.
According to Capacity, this partnership aims to streamline how individuals connect to food, services and support by combining AI-driven engagement with accessible food solutions. The initiative seeks to revolutionize pathways to economic sustainability for hunger relief organizations.
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The company said hunger relief organizations are currently operating in an increasingly complex environment, with shifting federal food assistance policies placing greater responsibility on state and local entities.
These organizations face significant challenges in coordinating intake, eligibility, benefits navigation and distribution across disconnected systems, often with limited staff and a heavy reliance on volunteers.
Capacity said many organizations also struggle to maintain sustainability amid declining donations, grants and other funding, while simultaneously experiencing increased demand and the growth of nutritional food deserts.
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The Hunger Relief & Social Equity Initiative is designed to simplify the experience and increase accessibility for both the organizations providing support and the individuals seeking it.
“Hunger relief organizations are doing critical work under increasing pressure, and too much of that effort is spent navigating fragmented systems,” David Karandish, CEO of Capacity, said. “This initiative is about creating a simpler way in, so people can access food and services more easily, and organizations can serve more individuals without additional administrative burden.”
The initiative integrates conversational, agentic and relational AI with food access tools to help food banks and community organizations better connect individuals to food, benefits and support.
The Atlanta Community Food Bank is one organization that Capacity said demonstrates how the company currently supports food banks.
By deploying conversational AI for intake and service navigation, Capacity said Atlanta Community Food Bank has made it easier for neighbors to access food assistance.
This approach also reduces manual workload for staff and volunteers, allowing teams to focus more directly on food delivery and serving their communities. Among the surveyed participants, 96% reported a four- or five-star experience.
Broader results from food bank and social service initiatives powered by Capacity include supporting 38 million health and social service interactions and facilitating 4 million food deliveries, according to Capacity. The platform has also completed 743,000 social program qualifications and contributed to a 15.2% increase in individuals transitioning out of social programs.
FoodBridge President Kevin Lyons said effective systems were a critical need for these efforts.
“Hunger relief organizations don’t need more technology; they need systems that actually work for the people they serve,” Lyons said in a statement. “What we’re building with Capacity brings together the pieces that have traditionally been disconnected, simplifying access to food and benefits while giving organizations the infrastructure to operate more efficiently and serve their communities at scale.”
The Hunger Relief & Social Equity Initiative represents the next phase of value by integrating benefits-enabled food access, e-commerce and delivery.
Capacity said the initiative will enable organizations to move beyond navigation to full-service support, resulting in broader access to higher-quality, lower-cost food for individuals.
The program is meant to help create increased revenue opportunities for organizations, while generating meaningful data to strengthen the case for government and community funding.
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