During Thanksgiving week, the WFF Volunteer Corps joined forces with Hudson Grille to ensure individuals and families in Atlanta’s historic Westside could fully enjoy the holiday. This marks the fifth year of their impactful partnership, which provided hundreds of Thanksgiving meals complete with turkey, stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, desserts and rolls.
Hudson Grille has a long-standing tradition of giving back, beginning in 1991 at their original Juniper Street location. Community service has been at the heart of their business from the start. However, in 2020, the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic prompted a reevaluation of their distribution strategy. This led to a collaboration with Raquel Hudson, Director of Volunteer Programs at Westside Future Fund, forming a partnership that has continued to thrive and grow.
This year’s event took place in the two days leading up to Thanksgiving, distributing meals to hundreds of families in need. The program’s reach has expanded each year, making a tangible difference for countless households by ensuring they have a warm and hearty Thanksgiving meal.
“This partnership has become a cornerstone of our community service efforts for historic Westside families,” said Hudson. “Every family deserves a delicious meal during the holidays, and we’re honored to work alongside the Hudson Grille team to make that a reality.”
For the second consecutive year, WFF Volunteer Corps’ distribution efforts were led by interns from Integrity Home Solutions, a WFF community partner. These interns, aged 11 to 21, are employed through a Georgia Natural Gas-funded initiative as part of the Mayor of Atlanta’s Year of the Youth program. The program focuses on keeping young people under 25 engaged, employed and learning valuable job skills.
For Ryan, an intern with Integrity Home Solutions and Westside Future Fund, the experience of giving back has been deeply rewarding.
“I hope our efforts today bring joy to the families receiving these meals,” Ryan said. “For some, this might be the first time they’ve been able to share a complete Thanksgiving dinner, and it’s an honor to be part of that.”
As this partnership grows year after year, the WFF Volunteer Corps and Hudson Grille continue to exemplify the power of community collaboration in creating a brighter, more inclusive holiday season for all.
This incredible event is just the first of several that WFF will be participating in to support the community this holiday season. If you or someone you know would like to get involved, please visit https://volunteer.westsidefuturefund.org/.