The Hawks will "bring 4,000 meals a week, for four weeks, to approximately 1,000 health care workers who are taking care of COVID-19 patients at six Emory hospital facilities in metro Atlanta," according to Spencer & Figueras of the ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION. Partnering with their arena sponsor State Farm, the Hawks will "sponsor two area restaurants, Miller Union and Forza Storico, to prepare the meals using product from local farmers." The health care workers will "receive the meals (that serve two) five times a week," with the hope that "having readily available, free meals will ease their burden." Emory acts as the team’s health care provider, so that relationship was "already in place." Hawks CEO Steve Koonin said that he "hopes this program can expand, with more restaurants and hospitals involved." The Hawks also are "sponsoring pop-up grocery stores to help battle food insecurity," and "continuing to pay workers during the NBA hiatus." A source said that the "cost of this initiative comes out to about $100,000 a week" (ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, 3/29).
