Youth Commission Kicks Off Can-Paign to End Hunger

Fulton County Youth Commissioners will kick off their sixth “Can-Paign to Fight Hunger” on Monday, October 6, 2014, to help feed hungry adults and children. The campaign, in partnership with the Atlanta Community Food Bank (ACFB) has a goal of filling 50 barrels of non-perishable food by November 7, 2014. Each barrel holds enough food to feed an average of 285 families, totaling over 14,250 individuals.

Youth Commissioners hope to fill 50 barrels of non-perishable foods

The continuing partnership with the ACFB focuses on the need to fill overwhelming gaps in food security for adults, seniors and/or families whose heads of households are unemployed, underemployed or living on fixed incomes that do not meet all of their economic needs.
The ACFB Hunger in America Study reports the following:

• Among all ACFB clients, 27 percent are children under age 18 and 19 percent are seniors age 60and older.
• The new report shows that 1 in 7.5 people, or an estimated 755,400 people, in metro Atlanta and north Georgia turn to food pantries and meal service programs to feed themselves and their families each year. This includes more than 164,000 children and more than 64,000 seniors
• For the Atlanta Community Food Bank service area, the report shows that 80,600 people are served each week by programs supported through ACFB, and that those clients turn to ACFB partner programs and pantries for help more than 6.1 million times over the course of the year. This means clients are visiting ACFB network programs an average of eight times a year

The 2014 Youth Commission “Can-Paign” is promoting friendly competition among high schools, faith based organizations, businesses and government departments.  Organizations are asked to initiate a competitive campaign to collect as many non-perishable foods as possible within their network.  When the campaign ends on November 7, 2014, the donated cans will be weighed at every collection station to determine the winning organization.  The winner of the competition will receive the H.O.P.E. (Helping Other People Everyday) Award that will be formally presented by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners

Interested organizations can register to participate and request a barrel (s) by emailing reginald.crossley@fultoncountyga.gov or calling 404-612-7386.  The Fulton County Youth Commission is a program of the Department of Aging and Youth Services, Office of Children and Youth.

Citizens in need of reasonable accommodations due to a disability including communications in an alternative format should contact the Disability Services Liaison at (404) 613-7944 at least 48 hours in advance. To obtain Georgia Relay Access, citizens should dial 711.