From a Community Garden to a Global Forum: Caring For Others Marks 28 Years of Service

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ATLANTA — A community garden, a grocery hamper and a large cooking pot may seem like small things beside the global challenge of poverty. But at Caring For Others’ anniversary gathering on October 17, each stood for a practical way to help families meet immediate needs and build toward greater stability.

Photos from Caring For Others’ anniversary gathering and International Poverty Forum in Atlanta, where speakers and guests came together to recognize the organization’s work supporting communities affected by poverty.

The morning marked 28 years of service by Caring For Others and a decade of the International Poverty Forum. Speakers looked back on work across communities and countries, then turned to what comes next: helping more people access food, education, clothing, shelter and opportunity.

A plan taking root in South Africa

One of the morning’s most personal accounts came from the Caring For Others South Africa team. The speaker described how a small circle of friends began organizing locally after connecting with Caring For Others and attending the International Poverty Forum in Atlanta in 2024. With funding in place, the group registered a nonprofit and began working with communities on food access and longer-term support.

The efforts described included grocery hampers, sandwich drives, winter soup, clothing distributions and community vegetable gardens. The team also helped someone complete an early childhood development course, an investment in skills and future opportunity as well as immediate relief.

Now, the group is preparing a new community meal project. It is sourcing 80-liter cooking pots and working with 10 communities to organize local teams and ingredients. The goal, the speaker said, is for each community to be able to prepare food for up to 400 people at a time, potentially reaching about 4,000 people across the communities.

The pots are still being sourced, but the idea is concrete: bring resources close to where people live, organize neighbors to cook together and make it possible to serve a meal at scale.

A mission shaped by looking back

Caring For Others founder, president and CEO Dr. Eslene Richmond-Shockley spoke about a life in service shaped by her own experience of poverty and by her grandmother’s words: when you become somebody, reach back and pick someone up.

That idea has guided the organization from its early beginnings to its international work. Caring For Others’ website says Richmond-Shockley began the organization in 2001 with $25 and a calling to help people living in poverty. Today, the nonprofit describes its mission as supporting individuals and families through food, education, clothing and housing-related assistance.

At the gathering, Richmond-Shockley reflected on helping people through disasters and hardship, and on the importance of offering hope when someone feels trapped in a dark place. She acknowledged that poverty may not be eradicated in her lifetime, but said the work can still make a difference in individual lives.

That work now extends beyond Atlanta. The organization lists international efforts in places including South Africa, Guyana, Antigua, Saint Lucia, Nigeria and the Philippines.

Turning an international conversation into action

Crystal D. Khalil, board chair of Caring For Others, welcomed guests and said a video from South Africa showed the people behind the organization’s work. She described the anniversary as a chance to celebrate progress while remembering that families and communities still need support.

The event included remarks from Saint Lucia’s Minister for Infrastructure, Port Services and Energy, the Hon. Sean Edwards, and Dr. Claudius Preville, Saint Lucia’s Ambassador-at-Large for Trade, Investment and Multilateral Issues. Edwards spoke about the role of community organizations and partnerships in reaching people whose needs governments cannot meet alone.

The International Poverty Forum is part of Caring For Others and aims to connect leaders, community groups and practical solutions. Its stated focus spans food security, clothing and housing, alongside health, education and economic empowerment.

Richmond-Shockley also announced a $10,000 grant to support children’s education in Guyana. She described the award as personal, reflecting her own experience of how education can help children build a stronger future.

The next International Poverty Forum is planned for Saint Lucia in 2027. The Government of Saint Lucia says the forum is scheduled for March 18–20 and will be hosted in partnership with Caring For Others.

The numbers behind the work

Caring For Others’ website reports that in 2025 the organization served 122,600 households, distributed 927,743 pounds of food and distributed more than 12.6 million pounds of products. Those totals point to the scale of the operation; the South Africa story showed what that support can mean at the community level: a garden, a meal, clothing for someone who needs it or training that opens a path forward.

The work is both immediate and long-term. Food and clothing can help a family through a difficult week. Gardens, training and community-led meal projects can help people build resources and routines that last beyond a single distribution.

At 28 years, Caring For Others is still asking what help can look like in each place it serves, and how local partners can make that help reach further.

The Best of Clayton County shares community stories, resources and opportunities to get involved.

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