Sioux Honey Co-op and Smoothie King donate 6,480 bottles of honey to Second Helpings Atlanta food rescue network
ATLANTA, Jan. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Sioux Honey Co-op and Smoothie King made a super-sized donation in Atlanta today – enough honey to coat an entire football field – and Second Helpings Atlanta is distributing it through its food rescue network to families across the area.
Sioux Honey, a co-op of 200-plus beekeeper families from across the United States, partnered with Smoothie King to deliver nearly 3 tons of honey to Second Helpings Atlanta, a nonprofit food rescue organization that saves healthy, nutritious surplus food and distributes it to those in need.
The donation was announced during a media event at Second Helpings' warehouse and distribution center and is part of Sioux Honey's ongoing "Sharing Sweetness" effort, which has included several large donations of honey to food banks, food rescue groups and other non-profits. To date, more than 75,000 bottles of Sue Bee® Clover Honey have been donated by the co-op and its retail partners.
For Second Helpings, the donation – three pallets with 540 cases holding 6,480 bottles of Sue Bee® Clover Honey – was more timely than ever.
"Food insecurity rates in many Atlanta‑area counties meet or exceed the national level of about 14.3% – especially for children and communities of color," said Paul Clements, executive director of Second Helpings, which has collected and delivered more than 32.6 million pounds of food since forming in 2004. "Inflation, higher food prices and shifts in public benefits have kept demand at record highs."
Epic shelf life
Honey is an ideal partner in the fight against food insecurity: it doesn't need refrigeration; it's an amazingly versatile food; and its shelf life is legendary. In fact, preserved honey was unearthed in another Georgia – this one in the Borjomi region near the village of Sakire – in the tomb of a noblewoman, discovered 20 years ago in ceramic vessels containing remnants of honey dating back approximately 5,500 years!
At Second Helpings, the honey won't last anywhere near that long.
"We've seen a 156% surge in demand for food aid," said Clements. "It will go fast, especially because it's such a healthy, natural food – and just one ingredient: honey."
Honey's health benefits – from antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties to taming coughs and soothing sore throats – make it a highly coveted item at free food services.
"At Smoothie King, we care deeply about every ingredient that goes into our blends," said Lori Primavera, VP of R&D and Product Marketing. "With 50 years focusing on making nutrition delicious, we design each recipe from the ground up, working with nutritional experts to balance nutrients and flavor. Honey is one of those simple ingredients that consumers trust and love for both its delicious taste and nutritional benefits."
Smoothie King, which operates more than 1,200 stores across the country, has a reputation for supporting and investing in the communities where their employees live and work.
"Our stores are neighborhood fixtures and supporting local families through this donation is one more way we live our vision to make the world a better place nourishing healthy habits in our communities," added Primavera.
Support for local food-growers
In a state where agriculture is an $83.4 billion industry, nearly 40% of what is produced by Georgia's farmers, much of which is fruits and vegetables, goes uneaten, Clements said. "And it's not because the food isn't safe or unwanted – farmers are struggling to sell their crops because of tough market conditions, labor shortages, or cosmetic standards."
Second Helpings saves as much of it as it can through its "Field to Fork" program that compensates Georgia's farmers at a fair price to help cover the costs of growing and harvesting their produce in exchange for fresh, store-ready produce that is given to families in need.
"We've rescued more than one million pounds of fresh, Georgia-grown produce through the 'Field to Fork' program, including corn, kale, tomatoes, cucumbers, citrus and more – it's the equivalent of approximately 833,000 meals," Clements said.
Supporting local farmers is deeply personal for Sioux Honey beekeepers.
"With our U.S. Farmed™ certification from American Farmland Trust, Sioux Honey beekeepers and their families stand with local, American farmers and sustainable agricultural practices," said Beth Love, marketing manager at Sioux Honey.
The 105-year-old Sioux Honey co-op harvested nearly one-fourth of the 134 million pounds of honey collected by U.S. commercial beekeepers last year, according to the USDA.
"Being responsible for roughly a quarter of America's commercial honey harvest is more than a fun fact – it's a responsibility we take seriously," added Love. "That same nationwide reach also makes it possible for us to keep giving back to communities by sharing sweetness in meaningful ways, as we were able to do today at Second Helpings Atlanta."
Sweet stats
To put the amount of honey donated today at Second Helpings Atlanta into perspective,
- It's enough honey to glaze an entire field at Levi's Stadium at next month's Super Bowl in Santa Clara, Calif.
- It weighs 4,860 pounds, 2.5 tons (the weight of four grand pianos!)
- With the Bank of America Plaza at 1,023 feet tall, if you stacked all 6,480 bottles of honey it would reach the top – three times!
EDITOR'S NOTE: If you would like to interview a representative from Sioux Honey, Smoothie King or Second Helpings, please contact Jim Minge, media/PR liaison for Sioux Honey Co-op, at 402-740-8188 or [email protected].
DOWNLOAD EVENT ASSETS: Sioux Honey Donation – Atlanta Google Drive Folder.
ABOUT SECOND HELPINGS ATLANTA: Founded in 2004, Second Helpings Atlanta is a nonprofit food-rescue logistics organization dedicated to ending hunger and reducing food waste across Metro Atlanta. The organization rescues surplus food from farms, grocers, restaurants, event venues, caterers, and distributors, free of charge, and delivers it to more than 130 non-profit partner agencies serving those in need across metro Atlanta. Since inception, SHA has rescued and delivered more than 35 million pounds of food, equivalent to 29 million meals, saving partner agencies approximately $60 million in food costs. For more information, visit secondhelpingsatlanta.org.
ABOUT SIOUX HONEY CO-OP: Founded in 1921 by five beekeepers near Sioux City, Iowa, Sioux Honey began with a simple cooperative model of sharing equipment, marketing and processing facilities. Today, the co-op has grown to more than 200 beekeeper families nationwide, some multigenerational and others just beginning their honey journey. Sioux Honey is proud to know each member by name and to produce pure, quality honey trusted for more than a century. Sioux Honey's Sue Bee® and Aunt Sue's® were also the first honey brands to earn the U.S. Farmed™ certification, underscoring the co-op's commitment to domestic farming and sustainable practices. For additional information, visit siouxhoney.com.
ABOUT SMOOTHIE KING FRANCHISES, INC.: Smoothie King Franchises, Inc., the original U.S. smoothie franchise, is a privately held, Dallas-based company with more than 1,200 units nationwide. It was founded in 1973 with the mission to help others achieve better health in a delicious way through smoothies. Today, it continues its mission to inspire a healthy and active lifestyle through its Clean Blends initiative, which focuses on great-tasting smoothies that are made with GMO-free fruits and organic vegetables and no artificial flavors, colors, preservatives. In 2025, Smoothie King introduced the Power Eats Menu, marking the brand's first nationwide addition of food items. Smoothie King also offers retail products that include sports beverages, energy bars, vitamins, supplements, and more. Repeatedly recognized as a top franchise opportunity, Smoothie King was recently ranked #17 in Entrepreneur Magazine's highly competitive "Franchise 500" ranking for 2026. For additional information, visit smoothieking.com.
CONTACT:
Jim Minge
Media/PR Liaison
OBO Sioux Honey
[email protected]
402-740-8188
SOURCE Sioux Honey
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