Growing up in rural Mississippi, Kyle Waide witnessed firsthand the hardships faced by many of his fellow students and football teammates, many of whom also suffered from the inequities of a racially divided South. These experiences helped shape Waide’s worldview and instilled a desire to pursue a career path aimed at helping others.
Since assuming leadership at the Atlanta Community Food Bank, Waide has overseen an expansion of both physical plant and food distribution and his first strategic plan led to a successful $57 million capital campaign culminating in the construction of a new, state-of-the-art warehouse and distribution center, laying the foundation for growth and an ability to meet the sustained need in the community.
The Atlanta Community Food Bank is a nonprofit focused on addressing food insecurity and hunger in 29 counties across metro Atlanta and north Georgia. Its mission is to engage, educate and empower the community to fight hunger with a mission that all people in its service area will have access to the nutritious meals they need when they need them. The food bank works with a network of nearly 700-community based, nonprofit partners, including food pantries, houses of worship, schools, senior centers, healthcare facilities, shelters and more to distribute over 100 million pounds of food to neighbors in need.
“Unlike hunger, which is a physical response to a lack of adequate nutrition, food insecurity is a broader, psychological, emotional and even physical stress that any individual or family can feel when they don’t know where their next meal is coming from,” said Waide. “Many of our neighbors, whether individuals, working families, the elderly, physically disabled or un-or-underemployed lack sufficient resources to meet all their daily needs, including food, medicine, housing and utilities.”
Under his leadership, the food bank has doubled meal distribution from 50 million to nearly 100 million within eight years. “This achievement underscores his dedication to alleviating hunger and highlights his skill in mobilizing resources, forging partnerships and implementing effective strategies to maximize impact,” said his staff.
In addition to serving as president and CEO of the food bank, Waide currently serves as the vice-chair of the National Council for Feeding America and on the boards of the Southeast Regional Cooperative, Feeding Georgia, the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and Goodwill of North Georgia. He has been recognized by the Atlanta Business Chronicle as one of the “most admired CEOs” among nonprofit organizations.