From November 8–19, students at The Lovett School—home to Breakthrough Atlanta’s year-round programming—set out on a mission: collect 1,640 food items, one for every Lovett student, to ensure Breakthrough Atlanta students, their families and students at partner schools don’t go hungry over the Thanksgiving break.
They exceeded every expectation.
Lovett students didn’t just meet the goal—they smashed it. An incredible 2,100 food items poured in, allowing us not only to support Breakthrough Atlanta families but also to extend donations to three partner schools across the city.
One young Lovett student summed up his excitement when he shouted, “Yay! Food drive!”
We know learning becomes harder when students are hungry. For many, school meals are a steady source of nutrition, making extended breaks—like the week of Thanksgiving—especially challenging. This food drive helped fill that gap.
To make the process easier for families, Breakthrough Atlanta and Lovett volunteers packed and delivered boxes of food directly to accessible pickup sites, including Westlake High School, North Atlanta High School, and Sutton Middle School. At each stop, staff greeted our team with gratitude and surprise at the sheer volume of donations.
This effort is rooted in lessons learned over the past several years. During the pandemic, Breakthrough Atlanta responded to rising food insecurity by converting its summer meal budget to provide families with grocery store gift cards and connecting families with vital community resources. More recently, the federal government shutdown created new ripple effects—lost income due to furloughs, delayed SNAP benefits, and increased strain on households. After surveying families and hearing from a dozen in need, our team reached out to Lovett about hosting a small food drive.
Lovett responded with a resounding “yes”—and their community showed up in force.
Atlantans have a long history of taking care of one another, and Lovett students are learning what that looks like in practice: generosity, empathy, and collective action. Everyone needs support at some point, and we’re grateful to be able to offer it.
A heartfelt thank-you to the leaders behind this effort: The Rev. Colin Brown, Lovett Head Chaplain and the Chaplaincy Team; Fran Turner, Lovett Director of Civic and Global Engagement; and the Community Engagement Team.
Wishing you and your family a warm, joyful, and well-fed Thanksgiving!
