Of Bread, Buses, and
Building Legacies
August 2026
Here we are in August, a month where summer’s heat feels endless, but school starts up and you realize the year is more than halfway gone, and the busy fall season with its headlong rush to the end of the year is just around the corner.
Despite the heat that can cloud vision, we continue on with our mission here at Toco Hills Community Alliance as Neighbors Helping Neighbors. Here, August is a month of contrasts:
- sweatiness of hard work and sweetness of hearty welcome,
- back to school for students and vacations for staff and volunteers,
- serving in the present and strategizing for the future.
In this time that Sylvia Plath calls odd and uneven, even as I keep my eye to the weather, I do find myself a bit reflective in odd and uneven ways. Here are just a few things I find myself reflecting on.
Bread (of Life and Community)
We take in and give out
hundreds of pounds of bread every day,
thousands of pounds of bread every week,
hundreds of thousands of pounds of bread every year.
All kinds of bread: sandwich loaves, rolls, tortillas, baguettes, whole grain, gluten-free, low-carb, quick breads, sweet breads.
To think about the amount of bread around us every day is staggering.
But, it’s not just bread:
it is nourishment,
it is dignity,
it is connection.
Each loaf represents someone’s care, someone’s generosity, and someone’s hope.
Back to School (Already)
The majority of schools around us are all back in school. It seems early to many of us. There is a reason, though, that schools have moved to this calendar. This way, the semester ends before Winter Holiday and with no end of semester exams looming, there is a real break!
Sometimes, there are reasons for change that are not apparent. Sometimes, there are not. But every change can be an opportunity.
Even as the buses roll with the kids off to school, we are taking this opportunity to make sure every child starts with what they need —
food on the table and encouragement in their heart.
Building a Legacy (That Lasts)
August is also “Make Your Will Month.” It’s a reminder to think about legacy — not just what we leave behind, but what we build while we’re here. By including THCA in your estate plans, you ensure that future generations in our community will always have a place to turn for food, hope, and support.
Another way to do that is through a Donor Advised Fund (DAF) — a charitable giving account that lets you make contributions now, receive an immediate tax deduction, and recommend grants to organizations like ours over time. It’s a way to keep your generosity working long after the bread smell fades and the school buses are parked.
August hasn’t quite slipped away yet, but it will. Heat will give way. Summer will turn into fall. Seasons will keep turning.
And, our neighbors will still continue needing us to be neighbors.
In fact, the newest Mind the Meal Gap study from Feeding America shows that 100% of counties in Georgia are home to people experiencing food insecurity, 16% of all Georgians. And, in our region, hunger among children is growing – from 1 in 6 children to now 1 in 5 children.
With your help, though, we will carry on, sharing hope and compassion in the form of food and welcome, facing every change and challenge, and working toward a future where everyone has their basic needs met.
When I think of all of the support you all give, I am so overwhelmed with gratitude for your generosity – and for the incredible ways your generosity is making a positive impact for our neighborhood.
- For unhoused neighbors who have hot meals at tables of acceptance and care
- For families who can send their kids off to school more ready to learn
- For seniors and disabled veterans who receive their delivered food boxes
Gratefully
Rev. Dr. Lisa Heilig
Executive Director
Beat the Heat
The Georgia sun has not let up this summer, but neither have our volunteers!
Through heat, humidity, and summer storms, they have kept on showing up for our neighbors and for one another.
Huge thanks to those of you who have donated sports drinks and kept them hydrated through the almost impossibly hot days.
Together, our volunteers and supporters and staff and board, keep the compassion flowing.
If you ever wonder what food and supply items we need most at THCA, we keep an updated list on our website. Food items need to be unopened. But, canned or boxed items can be accepted up to 6 months past the “Best By”date. We can also accept unopened frozen food items.
Because the heat is continuing, one of our highest priorities now is sports drink – Gatorade, Powerade, etc.
And, we always need, clean dry plastic grocery bags. We can re-use them to pack our groceries in.
Thank you all so much!
Copyright © 2026 Toco Hills Community Alliance, All rights reserved.
Our physical address is:
1790 Lavista Road
Atlanta, GA 30329
Our mailing address is:
2897 North Druid Hills Rd., #115
Atlanta, GA 30329
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