ATLANTA — State Farm Arena traded game-night traffic for assembly lines Saturday as more than 5,000 volunteers joined the Atlanta Hawks and State Farm for the 2026 Million Meal Pack, producing 1,002,402 meals for metro Atlanta households facing food insecurity.
A million-meal shift on the arena floor
The sixth edition of the Million Meal Pack brought families, schools, churches, businesses and community groups onto the State Farm Arena floor for the Hawks’ biggest single-day service project. Hawks players Kingston Flemings, Asa Newell, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Jalen Wilson worked packing stations alongside team and State Farm executives.
Dominique Wilkins, the Hawks’ Hall of Fame forward, was among the guests on hand, along with U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams, Atlanta City Council President Marci Overstreet, Council Member Matt Westmoreland and recording artist Pastor Troy.
- Volunteers packed 1,002,402 meals in one day.
- More than 5,000 people took part in the effort.
- U.S. Hunger provided operational support for the meal-packing operation.
- The meals are headed to families and community groups throughout metro Atlanta.
Hawks and State Farm Arena chief executive Steve Koonin said the turnout showed what Atlanta can do when residents take on a shared need. He said the six-year effort has now produced more than 6.1 million meals, calling the project a collective response to hunger rather than a one-day volunteer event.
Local food partners set to receive the meals
The newly packed meals will move through a group of local distribution partners: Atlanta Community Food Bank, Hosea Helps, Midwest Food Bank, The Salvation Army of Metro Atlanta and Sweetwater Mission.
The need remains substantial. Atlanta Community Food Bank estimates that one in eight Georgians experiences food insecurity, including one in six children in its service area.
Allyson Watts, State Farm’s senior vice president of Market Area, said fighting hunger requires organizations and volunteers to bring their resources and energy together. She said the partnership’s six-year milestone reflects the impact possible when more families can receive nutritious food.
U.S. Hunger chief executive Rick Whitted said every packaged meal offers help to a neighbor who may not have consistent access to healthy food. He said the Hawks and State Farm partnership turns large volunteer efforts into direct support that can help stabilize local households.
Six years of packing, with a zero-waste setup
Before Saturday’s event, the Hawks and State Farm had staged five Million Meal Pack drives — in 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025. Those events drew more than 26,000 volunteers and packed over 5.1 million meals.
- The 2026 event was the program’s sixth year.
- It was the fifth Million Meal Pack held at State Farm Arena under zero-waste conditions.
- More than 90% of event material was kept out of landfills, from setup through teardown.
- Packaging materials, including the cardboard used for meal boxes, were upcycled.
State Farm Arena is the first sports and entertainment facility to receive TRUE Zero Waste Platinum certification, and the meal pack continued that sustainability approach while the food was prepared for distribution.
Partnership work beyond the packing tables
The Hawks and State Farm began their partnership in 2018 and have continued to build community programming around metro Atlanta. Earlier this year, they held Good Neighbor Day, bringing young people from Good Neighbor Clubs and their families together for programming centered on physical and mental wellness.
The partners have opened 12 Good Neighbor Clubs across metro Atlanta. The newest site is at Pittman Park Recreation Center in Atlanta’s historic Pittsburgh neighborhood.
