Giving 'back to the community': Chick-fil-A Dalton Mall partners with Salvation Army through Shared Table program

Jan. 10—Each month the local Salvation Army's food program assists 400 households across Whitfield County with fresh produce and nonperishable food items.

In 2024, families in need will now have an opportunity to receive meals from a hallmark of Georgia-based fast-food: Chick-fil-A.

As part of Chick-fil-A's Shared Table program, Chick-fil-A Dalton Mall has partnered with the Salvation Army of Whitfield, Murray and Gordon County to provide individuals in the Salvation Army's local food program with unused and leftover food items to be included in supplied food boxes.

"We are really excited about this partnership," said Allie Pritchett, the marketing director for Chick-fil-A Dalton Mall. "Chick-fil-A started this to be able to give back to the community and eliminate the waste that we're producing. Any unused food that we have throughout the day, we take and we cool it down, bag it up and eventually freeze it."

Salvation Army food center attendant Andrew Estes picks up the leftover food items on Monday and Wednesday mornings in order to "feed the rest of our community," Pritchett said.

Arriving for the first pickup on Jan. 3, Estes said the Salvation Army is able to receive a "significant amount" from Chick-fil-A's Dalton Mall location.

"We're really excited about it," Estes said. "It gives (households served through the food program) the opportunity to have more food to eat."

"And everybody loves Chick-fil-A," said Leah Spuhler, the director of social services for the Salvation Army's Dalton Corps.

Pritchett said when the Dalton Mall location originally applied for the program, "Chick-fil-A then goes through and looks at the different nonprofits in the area and they partner you with someone. So that's how we got paired up with the Salvation Army."

Spuhler said the Shared Table partnership is a perfect match.

"(Estes) had been in contact with Chick-fil-A (Dalton Mall) after they had reached out wanting to partner with us through the Shared Table program," Spuhler said. "They were interested in serving the community and they were wanting to connect with an agency that was trusted and well-known and serves a significant part of the community. We definitely do that here at the Salvation Army."

Spuhler said the addition of items from Chick-fil-A's menu will "help to create more substantial quality food boxes for the families and individuals who come in to get food from us."

According to its website, Chick-fil-A, which is headquartered in Atlanta and specializes in chicken and chicken sandwiches, launched the Shared Table program in 2012 through a partnership with Food Donation Connection LLC "to support operators and bridge the gap between our restaurants and local agencies that serve the needy in our communities."

"Every day, over one-third of the food produced in the United States is thrown away," the website states. "As a restaurant company, Chick-fil-A has a significant opportunity to be a good steward of resources and show care for our communities by donating surplus food to local charities. These donations provide nutritious meals for the hungry while also diverting waste from landfills."

According to data from the website, 23 million meals have been served through Chick-fil-A Shared Table donations across 47 states, Washington, D.C., and Canada.

While the website states items can be reimagined into hot meals such as casseroles and soups, "with our guidelines for our food bank, we don't necessarily serve a hot meal," said Spuhler.

"With Chick-fil-A (Dalton Mall), each menu item is separated and some of the stuff we can give out in a bag," she said. "It might be 10 of their grilled chicken breasts, chicken nuggets and biscuits, that kind of thing. We're able to give the entire bag to a family, especially those who have maybe a larger household with three or five kids and many adults in the household, so it's great to be able to add that to a large family."

Spuhler said Chick-fil-A Dalton Mall is supplying soup items and fruit cups as well.

"Those we can give to individuals or families of any size, so it really does help create a well-rounded meal within their food box," she said. "They already get staple items like beans, rice, vegetables and other canned goods."

She said the Salvation Army's Dalton Corps owns a walk-in fridge and freezers, and receives donations "from Walmart and Food City, along with purchasing some (items) with our United Way funding and donations so that we can provide a food box that's lasting."

Dalton is home to two other Chick-fil-A's, one at 1429 W. Walnut Ave. and one at 1275 N. Glenwood Ave. Both, which are operated jointly, also take part in the Shared Table program through a partnership with Dalton's Greater Works.

Estes and Spuhler agree the partnership with Chick-fil-A Dalton Mall will help bring smiles to faces and full stomachs to those in need in Whitfield County for years to come.

"It is great to have food that's already prepared, even if it's just throwing it in the microwave or in an air-fryer or an oven," Spuhler said. "Those are some skills that we like to take advantage of, being able to cook and have easy access to make items. These items from Chick-fil-A are super easy for an individual or a family struggling with time, resources or even the knowledge of how to prepare meals."