--- title: HR 608. Metro Atlanta Coalition for Healthy Neighborhoods, Wholesome Wave Georgia, and Retaaza; commend collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr608 cite_as: HR 608, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr608 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr608.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr608/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71377 date: 2025-03-13 status: passed corpus_version: bills-2026-08-28 license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr607.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr609.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 131 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr608.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 608 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-03-13 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - Marvin Lim - Park Cannon - Doreen Carter text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR608/2025 upstream_id: 2006994 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - food insecurity - health equity - community organizations - legislative commendation --- # HR 608. Metro Atlanta Coalition for Healthy Neighborhoods, Wholesome Wave Georgia, and Retaaza; commend ## Text 25 LC 112 3367 House Resolution 608 By: Representatives Lim of the 98th, Cannon of the 58th, and Carter of the 93rd A RESOLUTION Recognizing and commending the Metro Atlanta Coalition for Heal thy Neighborhoods,1 Wholesome Wave Georgia, and Retaaza; and for other purposes.2 WHEREAS, the Metro Atlanta Coalition for Healthy Neighborhoods (MACHN) is a3 dedicated partnership of organizations, including the Lucky Shoals Community Association,4 working to address disparities in healthcare access, food secur ity, and overall well-being5 across metro Atlanta; and6 WHEREAS, Wholesome Wave Georgia is dedicated to increasing acce ss to fresh, locally7 grown food for the 1.4 million food-insecure Georgians who rely on federal nutrition8 assistance, thereby addressing the direct correlation between food insecurity, poverty, and9 diet-related health issues such as obesity and chronic illness; and10 WHEREAS, through innovative programs and partnerships with local farmers, Wholesome11 Wave Georgia empowers families by making healthy food choices m ore affordable and12 accessible; and13 WHEREAS, Retaaza is a social enterprise that reduces food insecurity by connecting local14 farmers directly with consumers, creating sustainable food pipe lines that provide fresh,15 H. R. 608 - 1 - 25 LC 112 3367 healthy produce to individuals and families in need while supporting economic stability in16 rural communities and preventing food waste; and17 WHEREAS, the American Heart Association (AHA), the nation's old est and largest18 voluntary organization dedicated to combating heart disease and stroke, has invested over19 $5 billion in research, making it the largest not-for-profit funding source for cardiovascular20 and cerebrovascular disease research aside from the federal government; and21 WHEREAS, the Fulton-DeKalb Hospital Authority (FDHA) was establ ished to ensure22 equitable access to quality healthcare for all residents of Ful ton and DeKalb counties23 regardless of socioeconomic status by working collaboratively with and community partners24 to close gaps in healthcare services and promote health equity; and25 WHEREAS, it is abundantly fitting and proper that these exempla ry organizations be26 appropriately honored during this special time.27 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that28 the members of this body recognize and commend the Metro Atlanta Coalition for Healthy29 Neighborhoods, Wholesome Wave Georgia, and Retaaza for their co ntributions on behalf30 of those in need as well as extend best wishes for continued success.31 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized32 and directed to make appropriate copies of this resolution avai lable for distribution to the33 Metro Atlanta Coalition for Healthy Neighborhoods, Wholesome Wa ve Georgia, and34 Retaaza.35 H. R. 608 - 2 - ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the resolution. Quote the text, not the summary. A Georgia House resolution commends three organizations, the Metro Atlanta Coalition for Healthy Neighborhoods, Wholesome Wave Georgia, and Retaaza, for their work addressing food insecurity and health disparities. ### Plain-language summary This resolution from the Georgia House of Representatives formally recognizes three groups working on food access and health equity in Georgia. It praises the Metro Atlanta Coalition for Healthy Neighborhoods for partnering with organizations like the Lucky Shoals Community Association to address healthcare access and food security gaps, Wholesome Wave Georgia for helping food-insecure Georgians afford fresh, locally grown food, and Retaaza for connecting local farmers with consumers to reduce food waste and support rural economies. The resolution does not create any new law, funding, or program. It simply states the House's recognition and commendation of these organizations and directs the Clerk of the House to prepare copies of the resolution for distribution to them. ### What it does - Formally commends the Metro Atlanta Coalition for Healthy Neighborhoods, Wholesome Wave Georgia, and Retaaza for their work on food security and health equity. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare and distribute copies of the resolution to the three named organizations. - Does not change any Georgia law, create funding, or establish new programs; it is a symbolic statement of recognition. ### Who it affects The resolution directly names the Metro Atlanta Coalition for Healthy Neighborhoods, Wholesome Wave Georgia, and Retaaza, as well as related partners mentioned in the text such as the Lucky Shoals Community Association and the Fulton-DeKalb Hospital Authority. ### Why it matters Because this is a commendation resolution, it carries no legal or financial effect. Its practical significance is symbolic: it gives public, official recognition from the Georgia House to organizations working on food insecurity and healthcare access in metro Atlanta. ### Key provisions - The whereas clauses describe the missions of the three organizations, including their work on food security, healthcare access, and support for local farmers. - The resolved clause states that the House recognizes and commends the three organizations and wishes them continued success. - A further resolved clause directs the Clerk of the House to distribute copies of the resolution to the honored organizations. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-03-13) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2025-03-13) - Sponsors: Marvin Lim, Park Cannon, Doreen Carter - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71377 > The history, votes, and amendments (131 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr608.md?full=1