Beloved Benefit supports nonprofits tackling Atlanta’s toughest challenges
Rodney Bullard has never forgotten the words of the late Congressman John Lewis: “We all live in the same house.”
Lewis often repeated the phrase — including at the first Beloved Benefit in 2019.
The annual event was the idea of Dan T. Cathy, chairman of Chick-fil-A and son of the chain’s founder. It is designed to bring Atlantans together across ZIP codes, income brackets and lived experiences.
To Bullard, a former Chick-fil-A executive, the phrase wasn’t just a metaphor — it was a mandate.
“You wouldn’t let one room in your house burn while you sat in another watching the Falcons,” Bullard said. “But we do that in this city.”
In 2023, Bullard turned Lewis’ message into action by founding The Same House, a nonprofit built on the late congressman’s call to unity and economic justice.
He brought the Beloved Benefit with him, and on Thursday, The Same House will host its Beloved Benefit gala at the Woodruff Arts Center.
Since its founding, Bullard said the Beloved Benefit has raised or leveraged more than $60 million to support local nonprofits tackling Atlanta’s toughest challenges — from housing and education to employment and mental health.
This year’s event blends culture with purpose, featuring appearances by Atlanta rap icons T.I. and Ludacris, alongside sports commentator Maria Taylor and comedian Rickey Smiley.
But beyond the star power lies a deeper mission: advancing economic mobility in a city that, despite its wealth and growth, remains one of the least upwardly mobile in the country.
“Particularly for children, it’s become one of the hardest places to climb out of poverty,” Bullard said, citing research by Harvard economist Raj Chetty. “That should disturb all of us.”
For Bullard, who grew up in South DeKalb and whose father pastored a church in Grove Park, the city’s cultural and economic divides aren’t just policy issues, they’re personal.
“I find myself now visiting neighborhoods like Chastain Park and Alpharetta for the first time,” he said. “And I realize how many people from those places have never been to South DeKalb Mall or Washington High School. And have no reason to go. That’s a problem.”
Part of closing that divide, he believes, is the power of shared cultural experiences.
“What brings people together in a home? Food, music, storytelling,” Bullard said. “That’s why we invite artists like T.I. and Ludacris. Music is a connector.”
The 2025 event will spotlight eight grassroots nonprofits working on the front lines of economic advancement: Atlanta Technical College, the Latin American Association, City of Refuge, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta, Morehouse School of Medicine, New Life Community Alliance, Partners for HOME and the Westside Future Fund.
“It’s not just giving back,” said Bullard, who after years as vice president of corporate social responsibility at Chick-fil-A left the private sector in 2023 to launch The Same House. “It’s giving forward and investing in long-term solutions that address systemic barriers.”
Among those solutions: Youth LEAD Georgia, a leadership program for high school students backed by the University of Georgia; and Tables Across America, a community-bonding initiative designed to bring people together through shared meals and open dialogue.
Though rooted in Atlanta, The Same House has already expanded to Indiana and Iowa with an eye toward national reach.
But Bullard insists that the real work starts locally.
“We have to get it right here,” he said. “Once the DNA is strong, we can replicate it. Our communities are not broken. They’re just underinvested. And they deserve more.”
About the Author
Ernie Suggs is an enterprise reporter covering race and culture for the AJC since 1997. A 1990 graduate of N.C. Central University and a 2009 Harvard University Nieman Fellow, he is also the former vice president of the National Association of Black Journalists. His obsession with Prince, Spike Lee movies, Hamilton and the New York Yankees is odd.
