April 26, 2024
MARIETTA — The Atlanta Braves recently honored Noonday Baptist Association's Howard Koepka as a Hometown Hero for his work in food distribution.
When the COVID-19 shutdown led to many hungry and in need of a meal, Koepka led others into action through his role as church consultant for Noonday.
"This man rose to the occasion in uniting non-profits and other organizations in Cobb County to provide food to those in need," a video by the Braves organization explained. “He led the charge in communicating and coordinating with more than 60 churches, school systems, government agencies, and nonprofits in making and distributing much-needed food.”
Before Koepka’s efforts, it stated, some groups had been over-served while others were not being served at all. That led to the establishment of five new distribution sites in Cobb County where food was needed but at that time not available. The work also included securing refrigeration trucks and facilities – such as the one at the Braves home field of Truist Park – for the nearly 5,000 boxes of fresh produce distributed throughout the area.
In July Koepka told The Index that he recognized early on a need to build an organized response.
“Around eight months ago we started to do more things in the south Cobb area. That led to collaborative meetings with businesses, churches, and government leaders. We’re coordinating now with the Cobb County Commission on how to distribute food throughout the county,” he said in the article.
“We’ve been doing this for four months, six days a week, more than 12 hours a day,” he added. “I may be tired, but God is doing a lot of great things through this and we’re able to take the gospel into areas that we weren’t able to reach before.”
The full video can be seen below.
