Feed People, Not Landfills

Partnering with Second Helpings Atlanta Fits Cox Enterprises’ Conservation and Sustainability Goals – 

Logistics and sustainability are just two of Cindy Gould’s passions. As the Executive Director of Supply Chain Management with Cox Communications, Inc., a division of Cox Enterprises, she and her department focus on developing and managing programs and solutions that align with Cox’s defined goals of conservation and sustainability. Company-wide, Cox aims for zero waste to landfill operations by 2024 and is committed to be carbon and water neutral by 2044.

Since August 2015, Cox Enterprises has been a major Food Donor for Second Helpings Atlanta, the non-profit food rescue organization whose mission is to reduce hunger and food waste in the metropolitan Atlanta area by rescuing surplus food and delivering it to those in need. Through 2017, more than 188,000 pounds of food, or more than 157,000 meals, have been donated by Cox’s corporate kitchens, including Cox Communications, Cox Manheim and Cox Technology. This makes Cox currently the fourth largest Food Donor for Second Helpings Atlanta, immediately following three large Atlanta-area grocery chains.

Late in 2017, when Second Helpings Atlanta met with representatives of Cox Communications to discuss growth strategies, Cindy decided to get more personally involved.

“Our department’s hashtag is #WeGetStuffDone, and so of course we jumped in!” she says. By January 2018, Cindy and her department had fully adopted Second Helpings Atlanta’s Tuesday route between Cox Communications and Malachi’s Storehouse, with a rotating group of Cox employees managing all aspects of the food rescues from their employee dining hall.

“I first shadowed the route in order to observe the process, and then I made sure that we had clear and easy instructions for our team. We organized the use of a dedicated fleet vehicle for each Tuesday delivery, and started keeping a journal with detailed notes and a tally of the pounds of food we rescue,” says Cindy. “Every week, I send out instructions and reminders to my team to make sure the Tuesday route runs flawlessly, and I am so happy to see that we have Team Cox volunteers from Supply Chain Management and other departments signed up through the year.”

Cindy, who “…cannot stand the idea of people going hungry in my backyard,” is working tirelessly to get the word out about Second Helpings Atlanta’s sustainable solutions throughout the entire company. She has helped to create the “Feed People, Not Landfills” page on Cox Conserves, where Cox Enterprises outlines its ongoing efforts to drive positive environmental change.  In addition, she promotes Second Helpings Atlanta’s mission and accomplishments internally through departmental and employee newsletters, and by meeting with in-house departments that too may wish to become more actively involved.

The dynamic mother of two young daughters who loves to create special travel and party memories with her family, Cindy also leads a Brownie troop, participates in the PTA, and is involved with her church. She appreciates Cox’s focus on work-life balance and the company’s efforts to help its employees be solid, good members of the community.

“This is a family-owned company, with strong family values, and Cox’s leadership encourages all of us to be engaged and involved with the world around us. Being a major participant in Second Helpings Atlanta’s food rescue program is just one way for Cox to give back, and to actively and thoughtfully pursue conservation and sustainability at the same time.”

About Second Helpings Atlanta: “Driving Out Hunger, One Mile at a Time”

Second Helpings Atlanta, Inc. (SHA) is a non-profit food rescue organization whose mission is to reduce hunger and food waste in the metropolitan Atlanta area by rescuing surplus food and delivering it to those in need.  With 450+ volunteer drivers, SHA serves as the link between its network of more than 70 Food Donors and the 40+ Partner Agencies who feed the hungry on a daily basis. In 2017, Second Helpings Atlanta rescued a total of 1,530,976 pounds of food. This total amount is the equivalent of 1,275,663 meals and represents a 13% increase over 2016.

Cox volunteers

To learn more about becoming a Food Donor or Partner Agency, or to join Second Helpings Atlanta’s volunteer drivers, please visit WWW.SECONDHELPINGSATLANTA.ORG.