In January 2022, we had the pleasure of speaking directly with Mr. Afemo Omilami , the son-in-law to Hosea L. Williams Sr. and current COO of Hosea Helps. His wisdom, passion and love for the Atlanta community was brightly displayed in our conversation and will be shared below as we inquired about his current work within the Atlanta community through his calling.  

When Hosea L. Williams Sr. passed away in 2000, his daughter, Elizabeth (now CEO) and husband, Afemo Omilami  were naturally called to keep the mission of Hosea Feed the Hungry alive. Mr. Omilami shared, “It would take a husband and wife acting as ONE to bring this movement alive. It was our calling; we had no choice.”  

And to this day, Elizabeth and Afemo have kept the mission of Hosea L. Williams Sr., Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and many other Civil Rights leaders alive and thriving in Atlanta, surrounding states and in countries abroad.  

Who is Hosea Helps? 

Hosea Helps (formerly known as Hosea Feeds the Hungry) is a historic Atlantan-based foundation founded by Hosea L. Williams Sr.. Hosea was a civil rights leader, philanthropist and trusted advisor next to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Hosea Feed the Hungry was founded in 1970 when Hosea himself began to notice the people on the streets of Atlanta did not have readily available food during the holidays. Hosea led his initiative for 30 years until he passed in 2000. At that point, his daughter and son-in-law graciously accepted the gift to continue Hosea’s mission. Since 2000, the mission has grown from feeding the hungry on holidays to feeding the hungry year-round and even more community outreach in Atlanta and other cities, states and even countries.  

OUR MISSION:  

Our mission is to investigate and then raise public awareness about the many problems that are facing families and individuals that are at risk of slipping into poverty or that are living in poverty, and then to mobilize financial resources, products and volunteers to solve those problems and stabilize those households. 

What services does Hosea Helps offer? 

Hosea Helps offers a wide variety of Human Services to the community of Atlanta and beyond. From Their programs reach from Homeless Prevention, Services for Children, Holiday Dinner Events, Self-Sufficiency programs and US and International Disaster relief efforts.

Hosea Helps encourages its giving community to know and understand where their donations are going and how it is impacting the lives of so many.  Sponsoring a program allows you to determine the exact social impact that your financial gift will have. You will have a chance to understand the program’s goals and the communities it will impact. During the program, you can stay connected to outcomes, and get feedback from the people you helped. 

• Click here to learn more about Sponsoring a Program with Hosea Helps.  

Who is Hosea Helps proud to serve? 

Hosea Helps serves many individuals in the community, like Atlanta residents in need, local volunteers and their supporters. These three integral parts of the business is what helps their mission come to life every day. While Hosea Helps partners with companies like Publix, Kroger and other largge enterprises, Mr. Omilami  stated that the “majority [of support and donation] come directly from “regular” people.” And this is exactly what makes Hosea Helps so impactful through its mission.  

How does FoneLogix support Hosea Helps? 

Hosea Helps is very excited to partner with FoneLogix to help the business expand. Mr. Omilami shared that FoneLogix offers peace of mind to them, knowing that they (Hosea Helps) no longer has to worry about data and technology. Through proper data and technology management, Hosea Helps will be able to truly understand what is going on with the families they support, so they can support them further in their mission. Rather than being overwhelmed with information, FoneLogix helped design a suite of products allowing for a more productive and effective way to read data.  

Hosea Helps is also very proud to create a new and lasting relationship with FoneLogix. Mr. Omilami  shared they value creating relationships with their partners and are thankful for the donation that FoneLogix provided to support the local community. 

How has COVID-19 impacted Hosea Helps and the community it supports?  

In early 2020 when COVID-19 was first introduced into the community, Hosea Helps considered closing their doors due to resources and other critical factors. But after much prayer and consideration, Hosea Helps kept their doors open and shifted their operations as needed – and it’s a good thing they did! 

Mr. Omilami  shared that COVID-19 helped them “transform into the ministry they always knew themselves to be!” With the uncertainty of the economy, they ended up serving 3-4 times the amount of people than prior, and the services needed also increased. During COVID-19, they’ve helped the community with rent, food/medicine, utility bills, transportation, dinners, lunches for children during at-home learning and more! They transformed their daily warehouse services to drive-through only and continued to increase in volunteer numbers.  

“None of us are immune to these challenges. We should never let our pride get in the way… ASK FOR HELP!”, Mr. Omilami  shared. Hosea Helps has been called to serve the community in an even greater capacity than realized during the pandemic. And just like the rest of the world, they have learned to adapt and push forward to better the lives of the people they serve.