As part of its ongoing commitment to advancing health equity and celebrating 40 years of care in Georgia, Kaiser Permanente has awarded two $400,000 grants to the Atlanta Community Food Bank and St. Joseph’s Mercy Care Services. These investments will expand access to nutritious food and enhance medical respite care services for some of metro Atlanta’s most vulnerable residents. The funding is part of a broader effort to improve community health outcomes by addressing social factors that significantly impact well-being.

“Together, these grants underscore Kaiser Permanente’s mission to improve the health of the communities it serves, not just through medical care, but through targeted investments that address the social drivers of health,” said Corwin N. Harper, regional president of Kaiser Permanente in Georgia. “As we celebrate 40 years of delivering care in Georgia, we are proud to partner with the Atlanta Community Food Bank and Mercy Care, two organizations doing extraordinary work to serve our most vulnerable communities.”

Atlanta Community Food Bank: Expanding Community Food Centers Across Georgia

The Atlanta Community Food Bank will use the grant to support its “Increasing Access to Healthy Food in Georgia” initiative by operating and expanding four Community Food Centers (CFCs) in Stone Mountain, Marietta, Jonesboro, and Atlanta. The CFCs offer direct, consistent access to nutritious food in communities that experience high levels of food insecurity and limited social support infrastructure. 

"The Atlanta Community Food Bank is deeply grateful for Kaiser Permanente's continued partnership to increase access to healthy food across our region. This year the Food Bank will distribute close to 40 million pounds of fruits and vegetables in addition to dairy, grains, and lean proteins, said Kyle Waide, president and CEO of the Atlanta Community Food Bank. "By supporting our Community Food Centers in Stone Mountain, Marietta, Jonesboro and Atlanta, Kaiser is helping us ensure that families in these communities with particularly high rates of food insecurity receive the fresh, quality food they need to thrive." 

St. Joseph’s Mercy Care Services: Expanding Recuperative Care for Medically Fragile Individuals Experiencing Homelessness

St. Joseph’s Mercy Care Services will use its $400,000 grant to expand its Recuperative Care Program, increasing its capacity by 19–35 additional beds to serve more medically fragile adults experiencing homelessness in metro Atlanta. Once fully expanded, the program will have the capacity to serve up to 300 individuals annually. Funding from Kaiser Permanente will support ongoing operations, including staffing, case management, nursing services, and space for the expanded program. 

“Kaiser Permanente and Mercy Care have been partnering almost as long as we have been working in Georgia. As we both celebrate our 40th anniversaries, Kaiser Permanente is making a significant investment in Mercy Care’s recuperative care program,” said Kathryn Lawler, St Joseph’s Mercy Care CEO. “This will allow us to double the number of individuals we can serve who are ready to be discharged from the hospital but need a place to continue to heal and time to find stable housing. At a moment when Atlanta area hospitals need available beds and more individuals struggle to maintain both good health and safe housing, this is needed more than ever.”

Over the past 40 years, Kaiser Permanente has invested more than $1.5 billion in Georgia through grants, programs, and partnerships aimed at improving access to care, supporting mental health, combating food insecurity, addressing housing stability, and driving economic opportunity.