Welcome to The
Hand, Heart + Soul Project
Serving as a boots-on-the-ground organization for healthy kids, families, and communities.
View our 2024 Impact Report
about us
The Hand Heart + Soul Project is a non-profit organization that provides children and families access to nutrient-dense foods and works with early childhood education programs to develop holistic programs focused on health, wellness, nutrition, and education. We celebrate with and advance the needs of our community. The overarching goal of the Hand Heart + Soul Project is to build strong, healthy communities through access to nutrient-dense food, community wellness, and policy maker education. Our programming supports the broader community through model demonstration sites, providing positive outcomes for young children and their families across Clayton County and beyond, particularly those facing economic challenges.
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ANNUAL REPORTS
Discover the difference we’re making together. Our annual reports provide a detailed look at how the Hand Heart + Soul Project is creating lasting change through health, wellness, and education. From advancing community-driven solutions to advocating for policy change, these reports highlight the stories, successes, and milestones that define our commitment to building stronger, healthier communities.
The story of clayton food access 2026
According to the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities…Clayton County has one of the highest rates of food insecurity (14.8%) in the Metro-Atlanta area. From February to August 2026, The Hand Heart + Soul Project hosted monthly Community Champion meetings to encourage local residents to practice community
engagement by listing activities that can improve health and wellness in Clayton County. We narrowed 9 ideas down to 3 and decided that a food map is a practical, tangible 3-month project to benefit local residents. Consisting of the cities of Ellenwood, Lake City, Jonesboro, Riverdale, Lovejoy, Morrow, and Forest Park, Clayton County Community Champions divided the research by city and contacted farms, farmers' markets, and food pantries during the summer of 2026. This map displays 20 organizations that agreed to be recognized as healthy and accessible food sources for Clayton County residents.
This data was collected from the websites One Clayton and Feed America, Google searches, word of mouth, and phone calls. This is not an exhaustive list of healthy food access in Clayton County; our map includes organizations that answered our phone calls and shared food as of summer 2026. We learned about a plethora of local gems, ranging from school-based pantries to organizations offering sanitation kits, mobile showers, and clothing pantries.
DISCLAIMER:
- Farms are homes and businesses–NOT open for random public visits. Tours may be open to the public by appointment only, based on the farm. Respect safety boundaries.
- Food pantries share what’s available from food banks. This is a first-come, first-served basis. Do not assume meat items are always available.
Compiled by Afro Agriculture LLC & Select Community Champions through SnapEd 2026 Project
DEFINITIONS:
- Food Pantry: Community organization that typically offers year-round food distributions, paid or free
- Farm: Business that grows food, whether meat or veggies.
- Farmers Market: Storefront that sells farm goods primarily for retail, whether meat, produce, or value-added products
Giving Back Through Experiences That Build Foundation
Hand,Heart + Soul Project is a non-profit organization that seeks to nurture, celebrate, and advance the needs of the people we serve by creating just access to quality educational, nutritional, and community resources.
"If they don't give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair."
– Shirley Chisolm
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