ATLANTA — A group of nonprofits is now stepping in to make sure Atlanta Public Schools students are still being fed even while learning from home.
Kroger Company's Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation is contributing $100,000 to a school meal delivery fund.
“It is crucial that our children have access to fresh food, which would not happen without the Atlanta Public Schools meal delivery program. We are excited to be a part of the team that is helping to ensure that fresh meals can be safely stored and delivered to students,” wrote Felix Turner, the corporate affairs manager for Kroger's Atlanta division.
Atlanta Public Schools data shows that roughly 78 percent of the students rely on free or reduced lunch.
The donation, along with support from GENYOUth and in partnership with The Dairy Alliance, will go towards the purchase of insulated cooler bags to ensure meals can be safely delivered to students by school bus or through curbside pickup.
The foundation responsible for the donation has already directed more than $9.3 million to what it describes an "urgent COVID-19 response initiatives" which include GENYOUth's emergency school nutrition fund.
GENYOUth is a nonprofit that aims to create "healthier school communities" by increasing access to healthy school meals among food-insecure students. Its flagship program, "Fuel Up to Play" reaches more than 73,000 schools and 38 million students.
The Dairy Alliance is also a nonprofit and works with schools, health professionals, and others to promote dairy foods.