In June and July, we are filling the Outreach Baskets for Midtown Assistance Center. Here are some suggestions, if you're not sure what to donate. 

The most requested items are:
  • Mac and cheese
  • peanut butter and jelly
  • breakfast/snack bars
  • cereal
  • canned meat

Other items to keep the food pantry stocked include:
  • ​Canned salmon
  • Canned tuna
  • Beef stew
  • Chicken and dumplings
  • Vienna sausage
  • Canned fruit
  • Applesauce
  • Powdered juice mix
  • Peanut butter and jelly
  • Pancake mix and syrup
  • Grits
  • Hamburger or Tuna Helper
  • Lima, baked and pinto beans
  • Black-eyed peas
  • Canned greens
  • Cooking oil
  • Ramen noodles
  • Chicken noodle soup
  • Laundry detergent
  • Toilet paper
  • Paper towels
  • Hygiene (shampoo, soap, deodorant, etc.)
  • Disposable razors
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Midtown Assistance Center (MAC) 

​   In 1986, St. Luke’s joined four other Midtown Atlanta congregations to strengthen the safety net for the working poor in our neighborhoods. The idea was to coordinate some of their outreach efforts under one organization. Each congregation believed that many services offered to the impoverished in Midtown were being duplicated by other congregations. Knowing that using their resources more efficiently would enable them to offer better service to more people, these congregations created the Midtown Assistance Center (MAC),  a federally recognized, non-profit organization, qualifying under 501(c)(3) regulations.
   The Center opened with the mission of helping to sustain the working poor through a temporary financial crisis by providing assistance with rent, utilities, food, work shoes, tools, and public transportation. When MAC opened its doors, the center operated with a corps of volunteers and a part-time director. As the need for MAC’s services grew, it soon became necessary to hire a full-time executive director to run the program. Dorothy Chandler has served in that position since 1994. 
Today, as it celebrates 30 years of operation, the Midtown Assistance Center has the support of eleven congregations as well as the Midtown Alliance, many businesses, foundations, individuals, government entities, and volunteers. Members of its board of directors represent a cross section of the community.
   Although much has changed at the Midtown Assistance Center since 1986, its mission over these 30 years has remained the same: to provide emergency assistance to the working poor of Midtown and downtown Atlanta to prevent homelessness and hunger during periods of crisis. 
   There are lots of ways to help MAC. Currently, they are looking for volunteers to assist with data entry during the week. For more information about how to get involved at the Midtown Assistance Center, visit www.midtownassistancectr.org.