Greater Atlanta stepped it up this summer
Summer’s coming to a close and kids are back in school. They’re making new friends, learning new skills and growing like weeds. And to do all this, they need fuel. Like sunshine to a seedling, the food they’re getting during the school day is giving them the energy they need for their brains and bodies. While some kids may bring in a carefully packed lunch with every food group equally represented, others rely on federally funded free and reduced meals during their school day. In fact, more than 350,000 kids across the 13 counties of Greater Atlanta receive free or reduced lunches during the school year. You might be wondering: Where do these kids receive lunch during the summer months? Sadly, without access to school lunch programs, many were at risk of missing a meal or more each day.
Here are a couple of other facts you probably didn’t know:
- 16 million kids in the U.S. face hunger
- 1 in 5 kids in either a free or reduced meal program during the school year will lose their school provided lunch over the summer
It’s numbers like those that inspired United Way of Greater Atlanta to create Silence the Growl. We just completed our third campaign rallying Greater Atlanta behind hungry kids in our community. This year’s campaign by the numbers:
- More than 46,000 meals provided
- More than $65,000 raised
- More than 600 volunteers
That means that 46,000 kids didn’t have to worry about when their next meal was coming from this summer. It means Greater Atlanta stepped up to help kids do what they do best – be kids. Thank you Greater Atlanta for both your generosity and dedication to the future of our thriving community. And remember, next summer, we’ve still got work to do!
Breanna Cannon is a senior design manager at
United Way of Greater Atlanta.
