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MAKING A DIFFERENCE
DAN WHISENHUNT
Ed Zito, a volunteer with
American Kidney Services,
points out the teal-
colored collection bins
that the nonprofit uses
to collect donated items
from around the metro
area. This bin is located in
the 6300 block of Roswell
Road in Sandy Springs.
Buckhead man networks
for kidney nonprofit
BY DAK WHISENHUNT
danwhisenhunt@reporternewspapers.net
At first glance, Ed Zito looks more
like a member of a corporate boardroom
than a volunteer activist.
The Buckhead resident wears a
pressed suit and keeps his salt-and-pep-
per hair neatly styled. He’s from New
Jersey and speaks in a polite, no-non-
sense tone.
Zito’s an entrepreneur, but these days
he spends much of his time volunteer
ing on behalf of the
nonprofit American
Kidney Services. He
treats it as though it
were a multimillion-
dollar account, mak
ing appearances at lo
cal chamber meetings
and in local media.
He can rattle off the statistics and as
surances. American Kidney Services col
lects 120,000 pounds of donated clothes
per week. In 2012, Consumers Digest
named its parent organization, Ameri
can Kidney Fund, as one of the coun
try’s top charities.
Zito said he was referred to AKS in
2010 because of his ability to network
and his business contacts. He’s been
president of three different firms and
currently works as a sales consultant.
“When I checked it out, I was very
impressed,” he said.
Locals will recognize the teal-colored
collection bins scattered throughout
the metro area. American Kidney Ser
vices will pick up donated items from
the bins and local homes. The nonprof
it then sells the items to Value Village
thrift stores, taking the proceeds and
sending them to the American Kidney
Fund. American Kidney Fund uses the
money to help defray the expenses of
people who have kidney disease.
Zito said he became interested in the
charity in part because of a family ill
ness. His wife was diagnosed with can
cer. Watching her go through the pain
of treatments reminded him of the toll
an illness can take on a family.
“Being familiar with a disease that
could take a life, it gave me a different
perspective,” Zito said. “I couldn’t take
things for granted anymore.”
People who have worked with Zito
say he has been able to put his business
experience to good use.
Greg Grisham, logistics coordinator
for American Kidney Services, said Zito
has been an effective spokesman in the
community for the nonprofit.
“Were a mem
ber of four different
chambers of com
merce,” Grisham
said. “It’s impossible
to attend everything,
and with me trying to
do that, I was getting
spread too thin.”
Zito stepped in and quickly learned
all he needed to know about the non
profit, Grisham said.
“He’s a people person, a nice as
set to have,” Grisham said. “He’s very
knowledgeable about what we do. He’s
had some great ideas as far as launching
commercials. He brought a lot of differ
ent knowledge to the table.”
Tom Mahaffey, president and exec
utive director of the Sandy Springs/Pe
rimeter Chamber of Commerce, said
he enjoys working with Zito in his role
as an ambassador for American Kidney
Services. “He seems to be very dedicated
and very loyal to his project,” Mahaffey
said.
Zito said he continues to think of
ways to innovate on behalf of the cause.
He said one problem facing American
Kidney Services is its dwindling list of
phone numbers. Many households no
longer have a landline telephone, and
it’s become more challenging to contact
people about donating items.
He said his primary mission these
days is education, helping people learn
more about how the nonprofit helps
others.
“If people have a little more knowl
edge, more people will get involved,”
Zito said.
Do you know an organization or
individual making a difference
in our community? Email
editor@reporternewspapers.net
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