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Jaron said.
Other help came in the form of drivers
and vehicles.
In the spring, SHA lost most of its
400 volunteer drivers — 39 percent of
whom were age 60-plus. By July, some felt
comfortable enough to return and now
there are 150 active volunteers.
To help fill the void,
last summer SHA hired
some temporary part-time
drivers, and businesses
such as Goldbergs Fine
Foods loaned a few
employees to work as full
time drivers for SFLA for
six weeks rather than be
furloughed, Jaron said.
Mercedes-Benz USA
loaned SFLA five sprinter
vans to help with the
Kitchen Project, and
this fall the organization
received a donated van
from Whole Foods.
“People who have never had a need
before are suddenly in a position where they
need to ask for help,” Jaron said. “I think
that it’s incredible how the community has
come out to help not just Second Helpings
Atlanta but all of these different entities that
are trying to get food to as many people as
we all possibly can.”
Learn more at secondhelpingsatlanta.
org. 03
Manuel’s Tavern, Edgewood
Dynasty get financial support
from community after closure
notice, building disaster
By Collin Kelley
Two Atlanta restaurants — one an
institution and the other just opening —
received an outpouring of generosity in
December after a shock announcement and
an even more shocking building collapse.
Manuel’s Tavern, a Poncey-Highland
mainstay for 64 years, was on the verge
of closing forever due to the ongoing
COVID-19 pandemic when devoted patron
Angelo Fuster set up a GoFundMe account.
The original $75,000 goal was met in a
matter of hours. In less than 24 hours, more
than $100,000 had been raised. At this
writing, it was very likely the appeal would
top a staggering $200,000.
Owner Brian Maloof, son of founder
and namesake Manuel Maloof, penned an
emotional thank you on Facebook: “It has
been the most humbling and overwhelming
experience in my life. It will not be
forgotten, abused or taken for granted. I
have always known that Manuel’s is more
than a bar, it is a place of comfort peace
and joy, a place of humanity in a world of
chaos. Manuel’s is more than my family it is
the collective conscience of the people who
frequent it. My job has been to keep the
doors open and guide it into the future. I
was doing everything I knew how, and I was
failing. All of you stepped up and saved it.”
Recently added to the National Register
of Historic Places and a mainstay of
politicians, journalists, and locals, Manuel’s
was closed for several months at the onset of
the pandemic. Although Manuel’s reopened
for takeout in May, created a makeshift
patio in its back parking lot, reduced hours,
and expanded takeout business has been off.
In a Dec. 3 post on Facebook, Maloof
candidly said that Manuel’s was in “financial
trouble” and the pandemic caused an
average monthly reduction in sales of 62
percent. Maloof said the fundraiser helped
immediately renew the liquor licenses,
insurance, and cover payroll.
To make a donation, visit gofundme.
com/f/save-manuels-tavern.
At the same time the community
was rallying around Manuel’s, a new
restaurant and lounge set to open on
Dec. 3 in Old Fourth Ward was faced
with an unimaginable disaster: the partial
destruction of its building.
Greg and Noelle Johnson were just days
away from opening Edgewood Dynasty
Cake Social Bar in the former Sound Table
building when a construction crew working
on a new mixed-use development next
door undermined the historic building’s
foundation.
Large cracks appeared on the western
facade of the circa-1911 building at 483
Edgewood Avenue and on Dec. 2 the
entire wall of the two-story space collapsed.
The Johnsons said they would rebuild but
described the turn of events as “traumatic.”
A GoFundMe page has been set up to
help the Johnsons support staff and look
for a new home or perhaps rebuild. The
Atlanta Preservation Center has been on
site and has offered to work with the couple
on renovating the century-old structure.
Donations
Donations can be made at gofundme.
com/f1 edgewood-dynasty-disaster-fund. 03
Continued from page 27
Whole Foods allows our families to have
additional prepared meals which removes
one small worry for them when they have so
many other struggles to deal with.”
In another massive effort, SFLA
joined forces last spring with the Atlanta
Community Food Bank to launch the
Atlanta Community Kitchen Project.
The partnership connected hunger relief
agencies with commercial kitchens and was
funded in large part by members of the
Atlanta Rotary Club.
From May to October, more than
$1 million was donated to support the
initiative in which 10 kitchen partners
provided 465,780 individually packaged,
family style meals to 33 partner agencies,
' J!
The Buckhead Office
of Atlanta Fine Homes
Sotheby’s International Realty
welcomes
Pamela Handler
& Chris Phelan
HANDLER GROUP
Atlanta Fine
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Atlanta Fine Homes, LLC fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act.
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28 January 2021 | 33
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