An Athens law firm raised more than $3,000 and 500 pounds of food for the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia. Blasingame, Burch, Garrard and Ashley recently took part in the Legal Food Frenzy.
The two-week food and fund drive competition is held in partnership with the Georgia Attorney General, the State Bar and Young Lawyers Division, and the Georgia Food Bank Association.
Kirsten Pickering Charles spearheaded this year’s effort.
“This year was by far our best year,” according to Pickering Charles. “My goal was 12,000 points, and you get points for food and donations and we ended up getting close to 20,000 points.”
According to Attorney General Chris Carr, more than 60 percent of children in the state are eligible for free or reduced meals during the school year. Additional stats cited: One in five children don’t know when their next meal will be, 73 percent of Food Bank clients say they’ve had to choose between buying food or medication, each dollar donated to a local food bank provides enough food for four meals, Food banks can stretch each dollar into $8 worth of groceries.
She says that help is essential at this time of year.
“Especially in the summer when kids aren’t in school and able to get those free and reduced lunches that they’re getting, breakfast and lunch. This food that they get at Food bank on these pick up days really could be the only food that they’re getting for the week, whether it’s a couple jars of peanut butter and jelly, or Spaghetti-O’s or rice or bottled water.”
Pickering Charles say the Food Bank also provides other necessities in addition to food
“The Food Bank also does practical stuff, they do detergent and pet supplies and stuff like that. I mean that just is one less worry for the parents who are trying to make ends meet.”
The firm’s contribution of $3,541 and 504 pounds of food is equivalent to more than 14,584 meals in the Athens community. Several employees donated their time by volunteering at the Food Bank.
Georgia lawyers have raised more than $1.5 million, the equivalent of 6 million meals, since the Legal Food Frenzy began.
