Articles

National Hunger Awareness Day Comes to Atlanta Metro Community

Press Release, Atlanta Community Food Bank
Faith And The City e.Letter
Volume 3 Issue 5
April 28, 2004

"Hungry, famished, ravenous, starved" are words many metro Atlantans associate with the world's most foreign, famished and war-torn countries. They may envision sandy, barren deserts or silent ghost towns ripped apart by a violent uprising or a hostile takeover. And while their visions may be accurate depictions of global hunger, others just as accurately could include stately pines, a mild climate, a lush landscape and a bustling metropolitan region known for its business empires and the unlimited opportunities it offers.

It may be easy for many metro residents to forget many of their own neighbors suffer daily from hunger. But a coalition of local organizations, including the Atlanta Community Food Bank, Publix Super Markets and other corporate partners, have come around one big table in hopes that on June 3 -- National Hunger Awareness Day -- metro Atlantans and citizens across the country will realize hunger is as much of a domestic problem as it is an international one, and that there are convenient channels for the community to help ensure Americans have access to the nutritious foods they need to lead healthy lives.

"Hunger is a real domestic issue that affects thousands of real lives," says Bill Bolling, founder and executive director of the Atlanta Community Food Bank and chairman of a National Hunger Awareness Day affiliate committee. "This day is a national public-awareness initiative when thousands of hunger-relief advocates and volunteers across the country will launch campaigns within their communities to spotlight hunger and the situations that too many Americans -- and too many Georgians -- still face. Through our collective voices across the country, we hope to influence public opinion and inspire individuals to contribute their time, talent and resources or just spread the word."

With intractable unemployment, decreasing employee and retirement benefits and increasing housing, utility and medical costs, it became evident that increased community outreach would be required to meet the growing needs of millions of the country's hungry. America's Second Harvest, the nation's largest hunger-relief organization, launched the first National Hunger Awareness Day on June 5, 2001. Since then, America's Second Harvest affiliates around the country -- including the Atlanta Community Food Bank -- have worked to educate the general public about domestic hunger issues on the first Thursday in June.

Helping Hungry Georgians Is Critical During Summer

In support of National Hunger Awareness Day, Publix Super Markets is holding a two-week summer food drive May 29 - June 12 to collect the most needed nonperishable foods to benefit the Atlanta Community Food Bank. Publix customers can purchase a prepackaged bag of nutritious foods between five and seven dollars. Or they can donate individual items in the collection bins located at the front of each store.

Summer food drives are critical because the demand for food bank services increases dramatically during the summer months when school is out and children who typically rely on free or reduced-cost school meals -- which can account for up to half of the nutrients that participating children consume every weekday during the school year -- lean more heavily on local nonprofit organizations for food assistance. More than 500,000 Georgia children are enrolled in the free- or reduced-lunch program.

Food pantries are challenged to accommodate the spike in demand, and without summer food drives such as Publix's in support of National Hunger Awareness Day, tens of thousands of Georgia children may not receive nutritious meals consistently during the summer months.

"National Hunger Awareness Day is a celebration of the united front that's taking a stand against hunger in our community, and we're proud to be part of the coalition that's raising awareness and providing food for people who need it most," says Bob Moore, vice president of the Atlanta Division of Publix. "Through our regular collaboration with the Atlanta Community Food Bank, we continue to support underprivileged residents and bring assistance to the area's often underserved populations."

By the Numbers: Who's Hungry in Georgia

• More than 1 million people -- 12.7 percent -- of Georgians live in poverty¹;
• One in six Georgia children is food insecure, meaning they do not have access to enough food at all times to ensure healthy lifestyles²;
• More than 426,700 Georgia children and more than 139,100 female-headed households live in poverty³;
• One in five elderly Georgians lives in poverty or is at extreme risk of living in poverty; more than 6,000 Georgia seniors are on the waiting list to receive Meals on Wheels⁴; and
• More than 60,000 people receive food from food pantries each month in North Georgia alone<sup>5;


Founded in 1979, the Atlanta Community Food Bank annually distributes more than 14 million pounds of food to more than 750 community-based hunger-relief organizations in Metro Atlanta and North Georgia. In addition to food distribution, the Food Bank leads seven distinct community-building projects: Atlanta's Table, Community Garden Initiative, Hunger 101, Hunger Walk/Run, Kids in Need, Product Rescue Center and The Atlanta Collaborative Kitchen (TACK). For more information about the Food Bank, call (404) 892-3333 or visit www.acfb.org.

Publix is owned and operated by its 123,500 employees, with 2003 sales of $16.8 billion. Currently Publix has 816 stores in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama and Tennessee. The company has been named one of Fortune's "100 Best Companies to Work For in America" for seven consecutive years. In addition, Publix's dedication to superior quality and customer service is recognized as tops in the grocery business, most recently by an American Customer Satisfaction Index survey. For more information, visit the company's Web site, www.publix.com.

For more information about Hunger Awareness Day, visit www.acfb.org, www.hungerday.org or call the Atlanta Community Food Bank at (404) 892-FEED, Ext.254.

References

1. U.S. Census Bureau
2. Children's Defense Fund
3. U.S. Census Bureau
4. Atlanta Regional Council
5. Atlanta Community Food Bank</sup>