T.I. and Killer Mike have responded to the need for food, money and hygiene supplies during the COVID-19 outbreak by supplying all three to residents in Atlanta.
They did it with the help of Pawkids, an Atlanta based organization that provides a number of resources for families so they can be self-sufficient. The food was provided by Mercedes-Benz.
Both men headed to the parking lot of Bankhead Seafood on Atlanta’s West Side on Wednesday, May 6, and gave the food out. They distributed two weeks’ worth of food and hygiene supplies to a number of households, Nd when that was over, then gave some of those families $500 in cash.
Mike explained the importance of helping those in need and said it’s something that has to be ongoing, not just during times of crisis like the current contagion crisis.
“Giving back is not something you do just in time for the pandemic, it’s not something you do for just Sunday, feeling guilty you didn’t go to church, it’s not something you do only on holidays,” he said during the giveaway. “It is an essential part of the human existence that I learned living on the West Side. If we all do a little bit no one has to do a lot.”
T.I. told reporters that providing the food and grooming supplies was a no-brainer, since he and Mike are local business owners.
“Mike and I are natives of the community. This is our establishment,” he said. “We feel like to participate in business in this community and not give back is a travesty. We’ve always had genuine and sincere passions to fill the gap and this is just one of the many ways that we intend to do so.”
T.I. and Killer Mike followed other Atlanta rappers who’ve joined in on local COVID-19 relief efforts. 2 Chainz fed about 120 homeless people earlier this month instead of reopening his restaurants Escobar Restaurant and Tapas.
Atlanta rapper Offset held a virtual concert in recent weeks and gave the proceeds to Atlanta Community Food Bank.
