Community Involvement,

Humanitarian Work and Charities

Gibbs Tillery is active in community outreach and believes that the strength of a community lies in its diversity and willingness to take care of the most vulnerable in our community. As such, Gibbs Tillery makes a weekly commitment to Concrete Jungle (https://www.concrete-jungle.org/) whose mission is to help families living in food deserts or those most impacted by Covid-19. Concrete Jungle's mission includes making sure families in food deserts have access to healthy sustainable foods. For those unfamiliar with the food deserts in the Atlanta metro area here is a link to an AJC article showing those areas (https://www.ajc.com/news/food-deserts-map/ ). It is mind boggling to think that in our greater metro community nearly 2 million Georgia residents, including about 500,000 children, live in food deserts around the metro Atlanta area. In fact, the USDA has classified more than thirty-five (35) food deserts inside the Perimeter. Gibbs Tillery believes everyone should have an opportunity to sit at the table and break bread together.

Other food and community based organizations that Gibbs Tillery are involved with include:

• Love Beyond Walls whose vision is to provide dignity to those most vulnerable by providing a voice, visibility, shelter and community in order to provide the skills needed for self-sufficiency: https://www.lovebeyondwalls.org/
• The Giving Kitchen whose mission provides emergency assistance to individuals in the food service industry. As you can imagine the need is now is greater than ever: https://thegivingkitchen.org/
• Chef José Andrés World Central Kitchen Organization whose mission is to feed those in need across America after natural disasters or currently with the pandemic: https://wck.org/
• The Common Market: Delivering local food for the common good.

Gibbs Tillery's team is also active with organizations that help animals as oftentimes pets support and aid us in times of sorrow and uncertainty as well as in times of joy. We support the following organizations:

• Rescue Ranch whose mission it is to save Boston Terriers and their friends. RR also runs a rural pet food outreach program. On a personal note, Jennifer has adopted two amazing pups, Figgy J. Newton and his sister Clarabelle, from this rescue and they have brought her much joy and laughter. https://www.facebook.com/therescueranch/
• Lifeline Animal Project who manages DeKalb and Fulton animal shelters and offers mainly community outreach programs. Jennifer successfully fostered two litters of kittens for Lifeline before foster-failing on the third batch and adopting, Ruby Gray and Coco Toes. https://lifelineanimal.org/

For 25 years Richard has served as an ophthalmic technician and surgical assistant for Dr. Rachel S. Benator, MD; traveling to remote villages around the world to perform eye examinations, provide prescription and reading glasses; and to assist in eyelid surgery for the correction of trichiasis. Richard has also built adobe stoves, assisted in construction of schools, aqueducts and water towers.

• May 2018 - Flying Doctors of America, Peru

• March 2017- Flying Doctors of America, Paraguay

• December 2012 - Choice Humanitarian, Nepal Mission

• June 2010 - Help A Friend Foundation, Solomon Islands Mission

• February 2003- Flying Doctors of America, Guatemala Mission

• June 2001- ASCEND: A Humanitarian Alliance (formally known as Chasqui Humanitarian Organization of the Andes), Bolivia Mission

• June 1999- ASCEND: A Humanitarian Alliance, Peru Mission

• December 1997- Ouelessebougou Alliance, Mali Mission

• December 1995-Ouelessebougou - Utah Alliance, Mail Mission