ATLANTA — A Buckhead couple said they were moved to do something in response to the homeless and hungry people they would see.
John and Antuanette Patton, the founders of Street Charity, said they wanted to help people get a meal with dignity.
“We knew that giving them dollar bills was not the answer,” Jon Patton said. “We wanted to help them actually get food.”
They made and handed out sandwiches, served in soup kitchens and took homeless people to eat with them, but they wondered if there could be a better way.
Their idea - a preloaded $5 card that could be used at any fast-food restaurant. It took nearly five years to create.
“Finally, we found a connection to Discover,” Antuanette Patton said. “They loved the idea from the very beginning and backed us up and said we can do this.”
They began handing out cards to people they encountered who could use a meal and now partner with organizations like the Latin American Association.
“To serve people that need meals that don’t have access to kitchens every night, I think that makes a heck of a lot of sense for us,” said Santiago Martinez, Latin American Association president.
A 2024 Atlanta Mission homelessness study showed a 7% increase from the prior year, and 40% of Atlanta’s nearly 3,000 homeless have a substance abuse disorder.
Unused funds go back to food banks and shelters.
The Pattons got the program off the ground using their own money, and they now look to donors and corporate sponsors to keep it going.
“It’s not like handing out a dollar,” John Patton said. “It’s giving people power, it’s giving people choice, dignity and true joy.”
The vision is to scale Street Charity worldwide. For now, you can donate and get cards to hand out or let them distribute the cards for you.
Find out more at their website.
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