When it comes to the devastation caused by COVID-19, many celebrities are doing more than offering verbal support. T.I. and Killer Mike are about that action and made sure to suit up in order to help others in their native city of Atlanta.
On Wednesday, the Run The Jewels emcee and the Trouble Man himself posted up in front of Atlanta’s Bankhead Seafood Market—which they bought together in 2018—in order to distribute 500 meals to residents of the Georgia city. Of course, they adhered to the CDC’s guidelines and wore gloves and masks while providing the food, which was packaged up in brown bags.
“Mike and I are natives of the community, and this is our establishment,” T.I. told reporters at the event. “We’ve always had genuine and sincere passions to fill the gap, and this is just one of the many ways to do so.”
Along with the Atlanta-based, community support non-profit PAWKids, the duo has a goal to distribute 1,000 meals per week to families in need. The organization’s founder Latonya Johnston was also on hand to help assist in providing meals. During the event, she stated that they’ve already provided over 86,000 pounds of food, and they’re not close to being finished.
Johnston told GPB Radio News in Atlanta that the area where the market is located, Grove Park, is already considered a food desert. Additionally, the neighborhood’s Food Giant shut down, which left many citizens in the area without access to groceries and a place to fill and refill prescriptions. This makes the need for help even deeper and even more appreciated.
“T.I. and I went in and bought a business and wanted to keep it going. And in the middle of that, a pandemic happened,” Killer Mike said of the circumstances. “So, whether money is being made the priority is human beings and people. People need to eat...Giving back is not something you do just in times of pandemic...if we all do a little bit, no one has to do a lot.”
Kudos to everyone who has done their part to donate to those who need it most during these uncertain times. (This picture is tough, by the way.)