Street Charity: How a $5 Meal Card Gives People Dignity, Choice, and a Hot Meal, with John and Antuanette Patton (Good2Give Podcast, Episode 20)
Street Charity is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Atlanta, Georgia, founded in 2021 by John and Antuanette Patton to address food insecurity among people experiencing homelessness and the working poor. After moving to Atlanta and seeing homelessness along routes like Buford Highway and Cheshire Bridge, as well as in areas such as Buckhead, they wanted a way to help in the moment that avoided the downsides of cash giving while still preserving dignity.
In this episode, the Pattons explain their simple, practical model: $5 Discover Network prepaid cards are coded to work at fast-food restaurants nationwide, giving recipients the ability to choose what they want, when they need it, and where they feel safe. The conversation digs into why “choice” matters in food insecurity, how portability helps people with high mobility, how partners use the cards in schools and campuses, and how Street Charity sustains operations while scaling through corporate and monthly donor support.
The Good2Give Podcast is presented by the Community Foundation for Northeast Georgia. John Ray and North Fulton Business Radio, LLC, an affiliate of Business RadioX® produce the show. You can find the full archive of shows by following this link.
Key Takeaways from this Episode
- A dignified alternative to cash giving: The cards are restricted to fast-food merchants, reducing misuse concerns while keeping the recipient in control.
- Choice is not a luxury in food insecurity: allergies, medical issues, missing teeth, work schedules, and cultural food preferences can make “standard” food pantry options a poor fit.
- Portability solves real-world constraints: Cards can be used across the U.S., which matters for people who move frequently, live in cars, or lack refrigeration and cooking access.
- Built for scale through existing infrastructure: Street Charity leverages the fast-food footprint as a ready-made distribution network for hot meals and safe indoor refuge.
- The model includes a “no wasted funds” mechanism: if a card is not used or not fully redeemed, funds return after expiration and can be redistributed through partner organizations.
- Clear ways to support: one-time donations, $35/month donors receiving four cards, and bulk orders for individuals, churches, schools, and corporate programs.
Topics Discussed in this Episode
00:00 Introduction and Welcome from host DePriest Waddy
00:40 Meet John and Antuanette Patton from Street Charity
01:12 The Birth of Street Charity
03:47 How Street Charity Cards Work
05:51 Addressing Food Insecurity
12:04 Partnerships and Community Impact
19:10 How to Support Street Charity
25:23 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
Street Charity
Street Charity is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Atlanta, Georgia, founded in 2021 by John and Antuanette Patton to address food insecurity among people experiencing homelessness and the working poor. John and Antuanette Patton’s motivation grew after moving to Atlanta and seeing homelessness along routes like Buford Highway and Cheshire Bridge, as well as in areas such as Buckhead. Both had prior experience volunteering through soup kitchens and meal handouts, but they wanted a method that reduced the downsides of cash giving while still offering immediate help. That led to the gift card model, built around a simple priority: address hunger in the moment.
Street Charity distributes $5 Discover prepaid gift cards that are redeemable only at fast-food restaurants nationwide, helping ensure donated dollars fund meals rather than drugs, alcohol, or tobacco while preserving the recipient’s dignity. The cards can be used at participating fast-food chains wherever Discover is accepted, and if a balance goes unused, the funds expire after a set period and are directed to support food banks and shelters.
Donors typically support the effort through a monthly subscription model, for example, $35 for four cards delivered every four weeks. Supporters can either receive the cards to hand out personally or let Street Charity handle distribution on their behalf. The organization also partners with community groups, including the Latin American Association, and has tested pilots in places like Cobb County schools. Street Charity emphasizes immediate relief rather than claiming to solve the systemic causes of homelessness, while aiming to scale the model more broadly and earning outside recognition such as mention in Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas Awards.
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The Good2Give Podcast celebrates the work of donors, nonprofits, and the causes they care about. DePriest Waddy is the show’s host, and the Community Foundation for Northeast Georgia is the presenting sponsor.
The Good2Give Podcast is produced by John Ray and North Fulton Business Radio, LLC, an affiliate of Business RadioX®. You can find the full archive of shows by following this link. You can also find the show on all the major podcast apps, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and many others.
At the Community Foundation for Northeast Georgia, everything they do centers around one purpose: improving the world through the power of philanthropy.
On a fundamental level, they do that through managing funds held in trust, donated by individuals, organizations, and businesses. Most funds are donor-advised funds, similar to savings accounts. These funds are pooled for investment purposes, and their income is used to make grants for a wide variety of charitable purposes.
But the Foundation’s goals extend far beyond managing funds. They desire to strengthen the communities they serve in Gwinnett, Northeast Georgia, and beyond by providing leadership, addressing community needs, and assisting individuals and organizations with their charitable giving.
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