Georgia’s Hungry Children Could Fill 8,496 School Buses; Here’s How You Can Help

I’ve always found fundraising awkward. Even before a global pandemic and a war terrorizing 40 million people in Europe, I wondered, “How can I pitch one worthy cause over another?”

About a decade ago I grew committed to helping neighbors have enough to eat because it’s so basic—and because the problem is so acute here in Georgia.

The Georgia Food Banks Association reports that one in eight people in the state is “food insecure,” which means they don’t have consistent access to enough food to be healthy. The problem is worse for children, one of six of whom is food insecure.

The math is startling just for the children. Census data show that 23.6% Georgia’s 10,779,566 people are under 18. Using the one-in-six food insecurity proportion, that means there are 424,783 hungry children in our state.

You’d need six Mercedes-Benz Stadiums (71,000 capacity for football) to fit all those kids. Getting them there would require 8,496 school buses (50 kids per bus).

Overall, there are 1.35 million hungry people (19 football stadiums) in the state.

Fortunately, the efficiency of the state’s food banks makes it remarkably easy to help feed our hungry neighbors, most of whom have jobs that just don’t bring in enough money to balance food, energy, medical and other costs. A $10 donation buys $80 worth of groceries. A $100 donation buys $800 worth of groceries.

For 10 years as managing editor of the Daily Report, I gleefully abandoned journalistic objectivity for two weeks each April to report on and cheer on the Legal Food Frenzy. This event pits law firms, in-house departments and other organizations in the legal community against each other to see who can raise the most for their local food banks. It’s organized by the state Attorney General’s Office, the Young Lawyers Division of the State Bar of Georgia, and the Georgia Food Banks Association.

Over 10 years, the Georgia legal community has raised $4.2 million, enough for the efficient food banks to buy more than 16 million meals.

Of course, the need is persistent, so next month, Georgia’s legal community will start its Food Frenzy again. It’s easy to register—just go to this site for the Legal Food Frenzy. Dave Poston, our agency’s founder, CEO and general counsel, is a Georgia bar member, and we’ll have a team.

This effort is part of our agency’s commitment to the local philanthropic and industry organizations in which work. We regularly donate to and do pro bono work for organizations that fight poverty, racism, child abuse and support LGBTQ causes, the ACLU and the NAACP, among many other groups.

As I said in the beginning, there are endless numbers of people who need help, here and abroad. You certainly can’t go wrong helping neighbors in need. We hope you’ll join us!