RIVERDALE, Ga. – During the week before Thanksgiving, the Atlanta Hawks and UPS, the official delivery and logistics partner of the Hawks, teamed up with Goodr, Atlanta-based social impact startup leveraging technology to reduce food waste and end hunger, to provide ‘Thanksgiving Day essentials’ to more than 350 families in Clayton County.
The event, which took place in Riverdale, Ga., at the Virginia Burton Gray Recreation Center, featured Head Coach Nate McMillan, the 2020-21 NBA leader in rebounds per game Clint Capela and the team’s 2021 first-round draft pick Jalen Johnson. They were joined by team executives, various members of Hawks Entertainment including Harry the Hawk and the ATL Hawks Dancers as well as volunteers from UPS.
“We are grateful to join UPS and Goodr in hosting this special pop-up just before Thanksgiving,” said Hawks Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility Andrea Carter. “Having Coach McMillan, Clint Capela and Jalen Johnson carve out some time for this event to impact so many families in our community speaks to what it really means to be ‘True to Atlanta.’”
For nearly two hours on Thursday, they worked together packing and distributing free groceries to families in need. The grocery items included various options: tea, lemonade, milk (or non-dairy alternative), turkey, eggs, rice, rolls, chicken broth, canned vegetables, mac and cheese, cornbread mix, sweet potato casserole ingredients, banana pudding ingredients, dessert option, two breakfast items, one produce bag and one shelf stable bag.
UPS believes in giving back to communities and it’s a core value. “As we celebrate our 70 years of service in communities this November, we are proud to partner with the Atlanta Hawks and Goodr to move our world forward by delivering what matters during the holidays -- meals for families in need and seasonal job opportunities for extra income,” said Nikki Clifton, President, Social Impact and The UPS Foundation.
In addition to the free pop-up grocery store, human resources executives from the Hawks and State Farm Arena as well as the UPS Jobs team spoke to participating families about job openings at their respective companies.
Earlier this year, the Hawks and State Farm Arena opened the ‘True To You’ Career Center, as a workforce development center to assist the unemployed and underemployed in the metro Atlanta area. Located downtown at the arena, the ‘True To You’ Career Center offers vocational development workshops to help build skills around resumé writing, preparing for an interview, effective communication and customer service for those hoping to work at the award-winning venue and for those seeking employment elsewhere. To learn more about job opportunities with the Hawks and State Farm Arena, visit Hawks.com/TrueToYou.
UPS currently has seasonal full-time and part-time positions for package handlers, drivers, and driver-helpers. Seasonal positions have long been an entry point for permanent employment at UPS. Over the last three years, about a third of those hired by UPS for seasonal package handler jobs were later hired in a permanent position when the holidays were over. Qualified applicants can receive a job offer in as little as 30 minutes. Visit UPSjobs.com to apply for these seasonal opportunities.
UPS is committed to working with Goodr and other diverse small and medium businesses (SMBs). Diversity, equity and inclusion are central to UPS’s business strategy. In 2021, UPS launched its Proudly Unstoppable campaign to celebrate and amplify the voices of the Black, LGBTQ+, LatinX and AAPI communities by supplying $580K in grants to small business owners. And, since 2017, UPS has more than doubled its spend with diverse businesses.