Tag: Giving Kitchen

It’s been 10 years. Ten years since Jen Hidinger lost her beloved husband, Kara Hidinger lost her only brother, and chefs Chris Hall, Todd Mussman, Ryan Turner, and Ryan Smith lost a dear friend and fellow chef. It’s been just over 10 years since the Atlanta community rallied around Ryan Hidinger—known for his work at Bacchanalia, Floataway Cafe, and Muss & Turner’s—after he was diagnosed with gallbladder cancer, raising $275,000 for his medical expenses at what has since become an annual charity gala called Team Hidi.

From hostile customers to grueling hours to low wages, restaurant work has always been challenging. Those in the industry face high rates of anxiety and depression, as well as higher reported rates of substance use disorder than workers in other professions. In an industry beset with burnout, restaurant workers are paying more attention to their mental health. Their bosses are, too.

Atlanta is a city on the rise, always reaching for more and the next. That’s evident in the city’s economic growth, business innovation, and how it attracts the best and brightest talent from around the country. Thanks in part to challenges like GIVE Atlanta, it’s also a hotspot for generosity.

We asked young leaders in fields from business to transportation about the future of Atlanta

When the world began to split at the seams, Alicia Philipp, the longtime director of the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, was in a vineyard in Sao Pedro do Sul, Portugal, visiting family. From her vantage point, the deadly coronavirus, already tearing through Europe, was a real, if not necessarily immediate, threat to America.

Restaurants are scrappy and innovative—and overwhelmed. It’s going to take all of us pitching in to help them rebound.

How to help Atlanta's homeless, elderly, restaurant workers, animal shelters, and more

The origin story of nonprofit Giving Kitchen, which supports food service workers in times of crisis, has captured the hearts of Atlanta and beyond since its inception in 2013. Since its founding, Giving Kitchen has been dedicated to providing emergency assistance to food service workers through referrals and financial assistance.

Atlantans already know this, but the James Beard Foundation has made it even more clear: The work that Giving Kitchen is doing in Atlanta is some of the most important food-related philanthropic work in the country.

The best stories each week about Atlanta, from Atlanta-based writers, and beyond.