Georgia Magazine - June 2023 - 38

Hometown HEROES
By Karon Warren
The Sandwich Project: feeding
those in need
I
n April 2020, Dunwoody residents
Lisa Hiles and Marcy Louza began
making sandwiches for The Shrine
of the Immaculate Conception church in
Atlanta and the nonprofit organization
CHRIS 180 to be distributed to people
living with food insecurity, a need that
was exacerbated by the COVID-19
pandemic.
" Making food was the fastest way to
help, particularly because people were
staying close to home, given all the
unknowns about COVID, " Louza says.
" By offering a way for people to drop
food off in their neighborhood and have
us take it to the recipients of the food,
people understood they could make a big
impact in a safe and contactless manner. "
Using social media to recruit help,
the duo grew their volunteer efforts
and, in August 2021, established The
Sandwich Project, a grassroots 501(c)(3)
nonprofit organization.
" I was just trying to make some
sandwiches, " says Louza, current
executive board member for The
Sandwich Project. " It's pretty amazing
the way a community comes together
during an emergency like the COVID-19
pandemic. It really touches your heart. "
Today, The Sandwich Project works
with more than 4,000 volunteers throughout
metro Atlanta who make sandwiches
and deliver them to those in need
through partnerships with organizations such as Atlanta-based
CHRIS 180 and Gateway Center, Eye Believe Foundation in
Suwanee and North Fulton Community Charities in Roswell.
Volunteers make and deliver sandwiches to one of 30 host
homes, and volunteers at these homes pass them on to drivers
who take them to partner organizations.
While The Sandwich Project does accept peanut butter and
jelly sandwiches for those with dental issues, the emphasis is on
fresh, nutritious food, so the preferred sandwiches are turkey or
ham and cheese. The organization also accepts fresh fruit and
protein bars; these, combined with the sandwiches, make for a
nice lunch, Louza says.
The Sandwich Project collects about 8,000 sandwiches per
week and has distributed about 850,000 sandwiches to 70
38 Georgia Magazine June 2023
The Sandwich Project's executive board includes (front row, from left) Vicki Tropauer, Marcy
Louza and Nancy Miller. With them are some of the project's volunteers.
organizations since 2020. Louza says they expect to surpass 1
million sandwiches this year.
" Initially, there was a clear need for food donations and a
strong desire among people to help, " Louza says. " What has
been particularly striking to me is how, even as life began to
return to pre-COVID normalcy, our organization has continued
to grow. Our volunteers have discovered that even a small
investment of resources can make a significant difference in
people's lives. "
Karon Warren is a freelance writer from Ellijay.
If you want to help The Sandwich Project, visit
thesandwichproject.org or email info@thesandwichproject.org.
JAKE BUSBY

http://www.thesandwichproject.org

Georgia Magazine - June 2023

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