Latest news with #MUSTMinistries
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Summer lunch program provides meals to thousand of metro Atlanta students
The Brief Must Ministries' Summer Lunch Program helps feed 8,000 children every week with its meal kits. The organization delivers the kits to children throughout nine counties and 29 host sites. The operation relies on donations and costs around $1 million to put on every year. ATLANTA - School is out and summer is here. While kids are celebrating the break from their pencils and desks, the time away from school can be a difficult time for some students, especially those who rely on school-provided meals. That's where MUST Ministries' Summer Lunch Program comes into play. The backstory For 30 years, MUST Ministries has rolled into neighborhoods across metro Atlanta to find the children most in need of a meal during the summertime. "The entire purpose of Summer Lunch started because some teachers came to MUST Ministries and said 'We have students who we don't think are going to be able to eat this summer. Is there any way you can begin a program?'" MUST Ministries president and CEO Ike Reighard said. That idea was the jumpstart of the program that now feeds up to 8,000 a week all summer long. "The way we do summer lunch is over a nine-county area, and we have to find the pockets through the local schools. They can tell us what communities have the greatest need. Then we can make sure that we're going into those communities and taking care of those children," he said. What they're saying It's called Summer Lunch, but the children walk away with more than a meal. "There will be five breakfast items, there will be five lunch items, there will be 10 snacks that they receive, some salty - potato chips, Fritos - different things like that so the children have something in the afternoon," Reighard said. A kit to feed a single child for a week costs about $11 each. That means funding the program every week can cost more than $80,000. "It is a million-dollar program to carry out Summer Lunch and it's not an option for us. If it's going to happen, we're going to do it. And sometimes it takes the miracle of a lot of people coming together," he said. Big picture view The impact isn't just feeding a child for a single day or even a week. It's about supporting the families, and the entire communities that need this help the most. "We know that children are going to be eating, they're going to get the nutrition that they need. It's going to take some pressure off the parents. And in these days where inflation is so strong and people are being challenged in their own personal budget, it's a tremendous relief to these parents to know there's going to be food in the house to help take care of their children this summer," he said. Reighard says it's a massive effort to make this happen, but each person they can help makes it all worth it. 'It's a noble work to be able to take care of people and you never know if your family could be one of these families one of these days will need the help," he said. What you can do This program runs on donations. They need all the food to fill those kits. If you'd like to help, MUST has an Amazon Wishlist where you can send items directly to the warehouse. You can also purchase shelf-stable items and donate directly to the warehouse or donate online. The Source Good Day's Lindsay Tuman reported this story out of Atlanta with interviews from MUST Ministries president and CEO Ike Reighard.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
New food pantry fights food insecurities for students and their families at Cobb Co. school
Students will be able to get fresh food for their families at a Cobb County school thanks to a new food pantry. MUST Ministries and Kroger hosted a grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new food pantry at Marietta's Dunleith Elementary School on Wednesday. The pantry will serve approximately 50 families each month, providing non-perishable items, fresh produce, and meat, as well as diapers and hygiene items to both students and their families. It's the fourth pantry supported by Kroger's $207,000 donation, helping MUST Ministries fight food insecurity. 'This new Neighborhood Pantry is going provide much-needed food and supplies to children who sometimes have to wonder when they will be able to eat next,' said MUST President & CEO Dr. Ike Reighard. 'We are very grateful for Kroger's continued support of the MUST Neighborhood Pantry program and their commitment to making sure no child has to go hungry.' [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] TRENDING STORIES: 'I have plans for that money': Woman says Truist Bank is holding $30,000 of her money hostage Kemp signs bill that could make Fulton County residents foot the bill for Trump's GA legal fees EPA announces rollback on forever chemical limits. What that means for your drinking water [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
MUST Ministries expand its food pantries in GA schools
MUST Ministries is expanding its food pantries in Georgia schools with a helping hand from Kroger. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Channel 2 Action News was at the ribbon cutting Wednesday morning at Cherokee County High School in Canton. Kroger presented a check for $205,000 as part of a donation. 'Fourteen million children are hungry in the U.S. In my mind a travesty in a country like this, do everything we can with zero hunger, zero waste and eliminate hunger in areas that we serve,' Kroger Division President Victor Smith said. TRENDING STORIES: Miller Gardner death: Family treated by doctor after dinner Worker who died after fall from 19th floor wasn't wearing a helmet or harness Ga. Army wife pleads guilty to killing 11-month-old who she wanted to be 'with Jesus and God' Kroger and MUST Ministries aim to end food insecurity for Georgia families. MUST Ministries estimates it gives away about three and a half tons of food daily. According to the Atlanta Community Food Bank, In Georgia, 13.1% of the population experiences food insecurity, with 18.4% of children living in food-insecure homes, and 12.7% of Georgians living in poverty. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
