For Dr. Terence Lester, founder of Love Beyond Walls, the fight against poverty and hunger is deeply personal.

"I grew up on the southwest side of Atlanta," Lester said. "I was a high school dropout, had moments where I was on the streets, just trying to find my way. And then I started meeting people who would invest in me and tell me I could overcome poverty."

That encouragement from his community changed the course of his life, pushing him to earn a Ph.D. and dedicate his career to helping others overcome hardship. But now, Lester says, that same pathway out of poverty is slipping out of reach for many Atlanta students.

"Students come to school and they don't have on the proper size shoes or clothes," he said. "Sometimes they miss school not because they don't have the potential to learn but because their basic needs aren't being met."

To draw attention to the issue, Lester launched a new initiative this week from an unlikely spot: a sidewalk in College Park. Sitting beside an empty refrigerator, he's using it as a symbol of what many families face every day.

"Normally, a refrigerator would be inside the house," Lester said. "But it's outside for a reason. It's empty for a reason - because I'm raising awareness about childhood hunger."

As people stopped to donate or ask questions, Lester said the message is simple: child hunger is not a distant issue; it's happening right here, every day.

"People are hungry every single day, especially students," he said. "If we care about children, we need to collectively be seeking ways we can stand in solidarity and meet the needs of families."

For Lester, poverty has never been about a lack of worth.

"Sometimes people think to be poor is to be less than," he said. "But poverty doesn't mean you don't have brilliance or potential. I'm a living product of that."

Love Beyond Walls continues to provide food, clothing, and essential resources to families across Atlanta, one fridge, one student, and one act of community at a time