Kroger and Mission Grounds Gourmet Coffee teamed up for the Back 2 School bookbag and school supplies drive from July 19 Aug. 4 to help over 5000 of metro Atlantas homeless children. At the carnival held on August 17th, book bags filled with school supplies were given out to over 5000 homeless children living in twenty nine shelters across Metro Atlanta. The children also were given new clothes and new shoes. Doctors provided free vaccinations and free physicals, nurses provided free eye exams and free eye glasses. Dentist gave out free dental care and barbers gave out free haircuts. A donor also gave them 12 free computers which were set up at various homeless shelters. The computers will help the kids with their homework and to do research. They can also be used by the moms to help with resume writing and job searching. " We feel really blessed to have received the new computers - it helps put our children on equal footing with the other children."
There was a free barbeque lunch, clowns snow cones and a band playing at the big eventKroger stores in 19 metro Atlanta counties served as exclusive collection sites for bookbags and other essential school supplies. Mission Grounds Gourmet Coffee, a nonprofit purveyor of gourmet coffee that provides aid to underprivileged children globally, gave all of its proceeds it receives from Kroger customers purchasing its product during the drive to buy new school supplies, books, clothes and shoes. . This is a wonderful program that offers a variety of ways to give, says Boake Moore, chief executive officer of Mission Grounds Gourmet Coffee. Whether Kroger customers purchase Mission Grounds Coffee or directly donate bookbags and school supplies, they can be sure their donations will reach the children who need them. Metro Atlantans can drop off bookbags and school supplies at Kroger stores in 13 Metro Atlanta Counties. Currently customers can purchase coffee in 65 Krogers and on line at www.missiongrounds.com According to the United Way, more than 3,500 children will live in a shelter or group home at some point during the 2008-2009 school year. In metro Atlanta, the Childrens Restoration Network estimates approximately 1,900 children are homeless each night. This number does not include children living in cars, with family friends or several families living in hotel rooms together.
It is astonishing there are so many homeless children in metro Atlanta, says Glynn Jenkins, director of communications for the Atlanta Division of Kroger. Kroger is dedicated to helping the communities it serves, and the Back 2 School program is an excellent opportunity to engage the community and give disadvantaged children a head start this school year. The stress of entering a new grade with unfamiliar teachers and classmates is compounded for disadvantaged children, who dont have the proper supplies needed to make the most of their educational experience. The Back 2 School program can help alleviate some of this stress, says Cliff Kinsey, chief executive officer of Childrens Restoration Network. Im thrilled to work with Kroger and Mission Grounds Gourmet Coffee on this years collection, says Kinsey. Our combined efforts will allow this organization to help more children in their pursuit of an education.
About Kroger Krogers Atlanta Division is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia and is one of the southeast largest retail grocery chains with over 215 stores covering, Georgia, Eastern Tennessee, Alabama and South Carolina. The Company focuses its charitable efforts on hunger relief, K-12 education, womens health initiatives and local organizations in the communities it serves. For more information about Kroger, please visit www.kroger.com
About Mission Grounds Coffee Mission Grounds Coffee offers gourmet coffee in simple bags that will make a difference. The company is a non-profit corporation that devotes 100 percent of its profits to support non-profit missions that benefit children. The company was founded by a small group of friends after returning from mission trips where they realized children suffer the most in poor economic conditions. The company helps children in Russia, Indonesia Kenya and South Africa, China and Sudan. To learn more about Mission Grounds Coffee, please visit www.missiongrounds.com # # #
