Volunteers pack meals to battle summertime childhood hunger

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - For a lot of children, the summertime is a time for fun, vacation, and relaxation. But that’s not the case for everyone.

Some children struggle to find their next meal when they are not enrolled in school. That’s why volunteers are spending their time packing meals on Wednesday.

There are so many families who rely on school meals throughout the school year. What happens to children when school lets out for the summer? That’s where Georgia’s Own Credit Union and HOPE Atlanta come in.

“Today we are kicking off our eighth season of partnering with HOPE Atlanta in the ‘Smart Lunch, Smart Kid’ campaign,” said Marin Kraushaar, executive director for Georgia’s Own Foundation.

Wednesday, the group of volunteers packed 1,800 meals and snacks for those kids who are food insecure. Volunteers with the program were able to pack these meals in just an hour.

“Food insecurity affects so many more people than you’d realize, your neighbors, kids at your children’s school,” she said.

Zach Wiedman felt it in his heart to volunteer his time because he knew who he was doing it all for.

“The families that are getting it, and the kids. I know for this specific group it’s going to go to kids over the summer who aren’t getting that food that schools would provide,” said Wiedman.

Their goal for the program is to get 10,000 meals packed over the summer that will feed 125 children. According to the Georgia Department of Education, 946,931 students were eligible for free or reduced lunch in the 2021-2022 school year.

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