CDC Workers Feed Hundreds Amid Atlanta Food Insecurity

When public health workers faced one of the hardest years of their careers, they found healing in an unexpected place: making sandwiches for their neighbors.

A growing group of current and former CDC employees has been gathering in metro Atlanta since last fall to assemble care packages for people experiencing food insecurity. They've already distributed hundreds of sandwiches, healthy snacks, clothing, and other essentials through their "Compassion In Action: Saving The World One Sandwich At a Time" events.

The timing matters more than ever. With rising unemployment, growing housing instability, and federal safety net programs like SNAP facing uncertain futures, hunger is touching more Atlanta families than before.

Coorganizer Sharoda Dasgupta helped launch the project alongside nonprofits Compassionate Atlanta and The Sandwich Project. She says volunteers wanted to help their community while supporting each other through difficult times.

For the CDC workers involved, these volunteer days serve a dual purpose. Nearly 3,000 CDC employees lost their jobs in 2025 through terminations and forced retirements, according to KFF Health News data and the American Federation of Government Employees.

The agency also endured a devastating shooting in August 2025 that claimed the life of DeKalb County Police Officer David Rose. The emotional toll on the public health community has been profound.

The Ripple Effect

What started as a way for displaced workers to find community has grown into something much bigger. Each volunteer event brings together people who want to support both the hungry and the public health professionals who've dedicated their careers to helping others.

The sandwich making sessions have become spaces where former colleagues reconnect, where supporters show solidarity with scientists and health workers, and where everyone contributes to immediate, tangible good in their community. Standing shoulder to shoulder while assembling care packages, volunteers are rebuilding both community connections and personal purpose.

The project welcomes anyone who wants to help, whether by making sandwiches, assembling packages, or donating winter clothing and supplies. The next event happens Sunday, February 22, from 2 to 4 p.m. at Legacy Park in Decatur.

In uncertain times, these public health workers are doing what they've always done best: taking care of their community, one person at a time.