Creating Healthy Choices with Omar King!

We’re excited to introduce you to Omar King, a member of our Civic Leadership Program leading the charge against food insecurity and preserving greenspaces! He describes himself as warm hearted, inquisitive, and genuine person, and these attributes ring true throughout his service in our city. In addition to volunteering, Omar is young professional working as the Finance & Accounting Systems Supervisor at UPS. We’re excited to watch him continue doing good in Atlanta, and inspiring others to join in the fun!

Read more about Omar in our interview below!  

Which Nonprofit Organization(s) do you volunteer with?  

Over the last eight months I’ve exclusively volunteered with The Center Helping Obesity In Children End Successfully, Inc. (C.H.O.I.C.E.S.) but I also enjoy volunteering at the Truly living Well and Wylde Center community gardens whenever possible. 

What impact areas or pressing needs facing Atlanta do you care about most? Why?  

Food insecurity is a cause close to my heart. The sobering fact that 30% of black children in America lack reliable access to food drives me to seek ways to make a positive impact. Consequently, much of my volunteer work has revolved around food distribution and community gardens. I believe that food distribution efforts are crucial for addressing immediate hunger needs exacerbated by systemic barriers to economic progress, which perpetuate poverty levels in our communities. Community gardens, on the other hand, offer a path forward by empowering former food desert communities with education on food cultivation and nutrition, enabling them to become self-sufficient. Unfortunately, our communities face significant health challenges like diabetes and high blood pressure, directly linked to limited access to healthy foods and education about nutritious food options. Moreover, inadequate access to food hampers children's ability to learn in school. These are the reasons why my involvement with The Center Helping Obesity In Children End Successfully, Inc. (C.H.O.I.C.E.S.). has been profoundly meaningful to me. 

What do you love most about an organization you volunteer with? Why do you volunteer with them?  

For the past eight months, I've been fortunate to volunteer monthly with The Center Helping Obesity In Children End Successfully, Inc. (C.H.O.I.C.E.S.). Under the guidance of the remarkable leader, Chef Ashley, I've observed firsthand how she harnesses the talents of all volunteers to serve the community effectively. Whether orchestrating large or small food distribution drives or soliciting donations at events like MLK Sunday Supper, Chef Ashley demonstrates dynamic and innovative problem-solving methods that are truly inspiring. Witnessing these approaches has been the highlight of my volunteering experience. 

How has volunteering impacted your personal/professional life?  

Volunteering has provided me with an additional avenue to connect with people in both my personal and professional spheres. Each April, during Global Volunteer Month discussions, I eagerly step forward to take on coordination responsibilities. On one occasion, I spearheaded a corporate UPS Marketing team event at the Truly Living Well Urban Farm in Atlanta, GA. Here, twenty-five dedicated colleagues joined forces, dedicating three hours to tasks such as compost processing, flower bed cultivation, landscaping, and seedling planting and watering. Our collective efforts aligned with TLW's overarching goal of ensuring communities have reliable access to fresh produce, particularly for those facing financial constraints. Through these experiences, I've come to appreciate the significance of integrating volunteering into my personal and professional identity. I believe it enhances the perception of being a collaborative individual, willing to roll up my sleeves—both literally and figuratively—to accomplish tasks effectively. 

What skills have you honed or what have you learned through your experience as a volunteer?  

Throughout my professional career, I've mainly held analytical roles that required intense focus and solitary work to complete tasks. While there were opportunities to present my work, my role as an individual contributor limited my interactions with others and hindered the development of my interpersonal skills. That's why I decided to start volunteering—to seek out leadership opportunities and improve my public speaking abilities. During our annual Thanksgiving Food Distribution event at Atlanta Tech, we had the opportunity to provide meals for 2500 families. In these volunteer roles, I took on responsibilities such as directing other volunteers. One memorable occasion during the Thanksgiving event highlighted the need for quick thinking and coordination. While we had enough food for families in our standard line, we faced delays in staging meals and lacked volunteers to assist with the Door Dash line, which served families unable to attend in person. Coordinating incoming volunteers and orchestrating the logistics to redistribute food and manpower to the lagging part of the operation was challenging, but we successfully resolved the situation within the hour. Managing the event operations and navigating the diverse personalities of the volunteers tested my problem-solving, communication, and collaboration skills. 

Can you share a memorable highlight or moment you've experienced that might motivate others to volunteer?  

They passed me the aux cord!!! I got to play DJ and control the vibe of the volunteer atmosphere as we packed and prepared the food for the morning’s distribution. That morning we had a bus load of volunteers from Morgan State in Baltimore who were on a men’s retreat in Atlanta and decided to volunteer with C.H.O.I.C.E.S while in the city. The first song I played was Kirk Franklin’s Stomp. You could feel the spirit lift in the room. Everyone was dancing and smiling and packing with purpose. As the afternoon went on, I tested the young men music knowledge by playing songs like Optimistic by Sounds of Blackness or Encore by Cheryl Lynn and they danced right along with everybody else. Form me, small moments like this build community and foster connection. Any small contribution you make at a volunteer event can help other people feel comfortable to be themselves as well! 

“The thing I love most about Atlanta is its green spaces! Atlanta is affectionately known as a “city in the forest.” My absolute favorite thing to do during the spring and summer months is to visit Piedmont Park. Whether it’s attending the annual Jazz Festival or weekly food truck crawl I know I can always count on having a great time in nature at the Piedmont Park/Atlanta Botanical Garden. I’m an annual cardholder at the Atlanta Botanical Garden and have volunteered to clean Piedmont Park so I feel invested in their success. Preservation of these green spaces is very important to me. ”

— Omar King

What advice would you give to someone who is interested in getting involved with volunteering?  

Approach volunteering with an open mind. If you tend to be organized and proactive, you might find yourself at a volunteer event that seems less structured, and you might feel tempted to take charge and improve efficiency. While there's certainly a time and place for such contributions, it's also important to recognize that volunteering is about more than just completing tasks. It's an opportunity for everyone involved to connect and learn from one another. So, in the downtime between your first task and when you are given your next time, ask a fellow volunteer what inspired them to be here today. You may make a new connection that makes your life better and our community stronger. 

Volunteering in April? Share where, when and if others can join you or how they can get involved.  

You can find me at the C.H.O.I.C.E.S. Mobile Food Pantry on April 11th and 12th at the Rosel Fann Recreation Center, 365 Cleveland Ave SE, Atlanta, GA 30354. We host this event on the 2nd Friday of each month. We are in need of volunteers to serve as Bag Packers to prepare food for distribution. As always, the vibe is to “Serve the community while having fun!” Generally, volunteers can sign up through Hands on Atlanta.

Please list anything else you think our community should know about you, your volunteer service, or your commitment to Do Something Good!  

ATLytics Data for Hope: I am an Instructor in The ATLytiCS Data for Hope Education Program. The program is a twelve-week training program committed to empowering ATL residents to pursue work in the data analytics field, subsequently providing new pathways to economic opportunity. I leveraged my industry experience, to provide students with hands-on demonstrations and instruction in a variety of Analytics technologies (Excel, Tableau, SQL), skills, and best practices through lessons, code-along, and interactive exercises. I was there to provide students in-class project support while coaching them through code debugging and technical problem-solving. In addition to the lessons, we also provided them real world interview case study examples and coached them on their resume and presentation skills.Audio Content Creator for GARRs: I’m a weekly contributor to The Georgia Radio Reading Service, Georgia’s premier provider of information for individuals who are visually impaired or otherwise print-impaired. I produce and edit audio recordings; the topics read aresourced from articles in the news, opinion, sports, business, living, and calendar sections of USA Today. I am also building my voice acting portfolio.