ATLANTA (PRWEB) October 25, 2017
Soldiers’ Angels Hunger Relief Program will be hosting the inaugural Veteran Mobile Food Distribution on Friday, October 27th, 2017 at the Arcadia VA Clinic located at 250 North Arcadia Avenue, Decatur, Georgia, 30030. The event will provide food assistance to over 200 low-income, at-risk, and homeless veterans from the Atlanta Area. The distribution will be conducted in partnership with the Atlanta Community Food Bank.
To kick-off what will now be a monthly event, the Atlanta VA will be hosting a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony prior to the distribution. The ceremony will begin at 9:30 am and will feature: Dr. Anthony G. Cooper, PhD, Chief, Voluntary Service; Ms. Annette Walker, Director, Atlanta VA Health Care System; and Ms. Vicki Sarracino, Senior Director of Field Operations, Soldiers’ Angels.
Soldiers’ Angels Veteran Mobile Food Distributions have become a staple for the families served in other cities. Working with the local food banks at each location, the event provides approximately 50 pounds of food for the attending families. The food includes fresh fruits and vegetables as well as meats and non-perishables.
Typically, when introducing the event in a new city, Soldiers’ Angels has had to actively push for local veterans to register to receive the food assistance. On average, it would take the inaugural events around one month to fill to capacity. The response in Atlanta, however, was historic. The event was filled to capacity within 15 days, to include a full waitlist.
“We have been overwhelmed by the response from Atlanta veterans,” said Amy Palmer, President and CEO of Soldiers’ Angels. “In addition to the individuals that have registered to receive support at the event this week, we have had over 50 individuals provide us with their contact information in order to receive notices about future events.”
Cities such as Atlanta that have a high military presence also tend to have a high population of low-income veterans. Soldiers’ Angels recognized the need for this program in Atlanta after the huge success of the program in San Antonio, Texas, which also has a high population of low-income veterans.
“The program was created at the Soldiers’ Angels headquarters in San Antonio in September of 2015,” continues Palmer. “Although it took some time to get off the ground, the event has been held monthly and now, two years later, when we release the registration link to the 1200+ veterans interested in attending, the event is filled to capacity within forty five minutes. After the tremendous response we received from Atlanta veterans, we have no doubt that registering for the Atlanta event will soon be similarly competitive.”
Since many of the attending veterans have injuries, the distribution was designed to be completely drive-through and volunteers load the groceries into each car. If an attendee doesn’t have a car, they can walk through with a volunteer who will help them load a wagon with their groceries.
Soldiers’ Angels relies heavily on the support of sponsors and volunteers in each city to maintain the Mobile Food Distribution event monthly. Partnering with businesses, large and small, the event is a great opportunity to give back to veterans. If you are interested in becoming a part of this monthly event in Atlanta, Soldiers’ Angels will be continuously looking for volunteers and sponsors to help with the Hunger Relief Program. Contact Soldiers’ Angels at (210)629-0020 to learn more about assisting in this program. Or visit their website at http://www.SoldiersAngels.org
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About Soldiers’ Angels: Soldiers' Angels is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides aid and comfort to the men and women of the United States Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, their families, and the growing veteran population. Founded in 2003 by the mother of two American soldiers, hundreds of thousands of Soldiers' Angels "Angel" volunteers assist veterans, wounded and deployed personnel and their families in a variety of unique and effective ways. (Tax ID# 20-058-3415). Learn more at http://www.soldiersangels.org.
About Atlanta Community Food Bank: The Atlanta Community Food Bank works to end hunger with the food, people and big ideas needed to ensure our neighbors have the nourishment to lead healthy and productive lives. Far too many people in our own community experience hunger every day, including children, seniors and working families.
Through more than 600 nonprofit partners, we help more than 755,000 people get healthy food every year. Our goal is that, by 2025, all hungry people across metro Atlanta and North Georgia will have access to the nutritious meals they need when they need them. It takes the power of our whole community to make that possible. Join us at ACFB.org.
