The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
5K event raises money for summer lunch program
Idea for run came from former police chief in Powder Springs.
To promote recreation and fitness, the city of Powder Springs Police Department hosted the Run for Food 5K event at Lucille Trail. The event brought together the community to also raise money for MUST Ministries’ Summer Lunch Program.
“The idea came from former Police Chief John Robison, who wanted to find a way to give back to the community .... and one of the biggest concerns he had was our youth,” said Justin Arndt, community outreach officer. “They often have nothing to eat during the summer months because a lot of our children in Powder Springs receive free or reduced lunches due to family income. When summer comes, their resource for lunch is not there. Chief Robison wanted to help by getting these families the resources they needed to feed their children.”
The 5K raised over $2,200 for MUST Ministries Summer Lunch program. The money raised is used for the feeding program. MUST provides sack lunches to 7,000 children every weekday during the summer, in addition to stocking 24 school food pantries and operating three large food pantries. The ministry also provides 70,000 meals a year in the Loaves and Fishes Community Kitchen.
MUST Ministries Summer Lunch Program brings the whole com- munity together to help those in need. Volunteers provide a sack lunch each summer weekday to thousands of children. MUST can use volunteers who makeneighborhood deliveries, make the sack lunches, check and pack the bags, donate money and collect supplies. Donations also make the Summer Lunch Program a success.
Arndt added, “We run for food, the community and MUST. I hope all race participants realize what an impact they had on our community. Because of them, we are able to provide meals to our children in need.”
In other news: Soccer in the Streets was awarded a $24,000 grant from the U.S. Soccer Foundation, the national model for sports-based youth development programs in underserved communities. This grant is intended to fund the Station Soccer Club Program, an initiative to provide access to quality free youth programming utilizing mass transit systems.
Also: Clothes Less Traveled Thrift Shop in Peachtree City awarded a $25,000 grant to Christian City Children’s Village, a safe place for children who have been abused or abandoned. Clothes Less Traveled serves the needs of the community by operating a thrift shop where gently-used household goods and clothing are sold at fair and reasonable prices. The thrift store also provides an opportunity for volunteers to perform community service in a positive and productive way.