The Burton Sandwich Shoppe was full of many new faces this year! With the growth of our team throughout 2021, we welcomed 9 new sandwich makers to the team and were blessed with the additional helping hands from a local client, and a local contractor. This tradition has become one of our most favorite days, as a team. We were fortunate again this year to use the Parish Hall at Holy Cross Catholic Church, to spread out and utilize their walk-in fridge, to keep our supplies and finished sandwiches fresh. It becomes quite the operation, as team members embrace their roles of supply distributor, sandwich maker, or quality control and packaging. While we enjoy the camaraderie of our team while we make sandwiches, the real joy is knowing that we are providing some hope or encouragement to the person that will receive it.
This year, we teamed up with The Sandwich Project Atlanta and prepared 2,754 sandwiches, loaded down with either ham or turkey, and cheese. In addition to the sandwiches, Burton also donated a large variety of granola bars and breakfast bars. The Sandwich Project started as a grass-roots effort shortly after the pandemic hit, where friends began making, collecting, and delivering sandwiches for the homeless to a church in Atlanta. The Sandwich Project has grown into a non-profit and supports more than 15 organizations across the metro-Atlanta area that help feed the community’s neediest. They have more than 25 different contactless drop-off sites and collect every Wednesday, giving away 4,000 – 6,000 sandwiches each week, around Atlanta. They have now surpassed 280,000 sandwiches!
Community service can be a strange thing to talk about, as you don’t want to come across as bragging, but you want to share, in hopes that others will join you or find a project of their own that supports the community. For those that have known Burton for a while, they know that this is a part of us and our culture. We are blessed to have two Managing Partners that place a significant value on giving back, not just through monetary contributions, but time and service.
If you are interested in learning more, The Sandwich Project was recently featured in the Atlanta Journal Constitution: https://www.ajc.com/inspire/thousands-making-sandwiches-for-hungry-and-homeless/7IBIZEVF7JDQLGKRCDDYOMJOZU/ and additional information is found on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/783652755919659/