Dragon Con Membership Newsletter August 29–September 1, 2014
Volume 3, Issue 2 Atlanta, Georgia
Our 2014 Official Charity Dragon Con takes its responsibility to the community seriously, and we give careful consideration to choosing our annual charity. Hunger has a tremendous and ever-growing impact on children and adults in Georgia, and so for 2014, we’ve selected the Atlanta Community Food Bank as our Official Charity.
Facts About Hunger in Georgia:
20 percent of the people living in Georgia are food insecure,
meaning that they don’t always know where they will find their next meal. This is up from 19.9% last year. 1 28.8 percent of Georgia children live in food insecure households. This is up from 28.3% last year and is well over one in every four Georgia children. The USDA defines food insecurity as the lack of access to adequate food resulting from the lack of money and other resources. (Click on the button for Child Food Insecurity Rates).1 Monthly allotments for food-insecure families receiving food stamps decreased beginning Nov. 1, 2013. $36 less each month for a household of four. 2 3 27.2 percent of Georgia’s children live in poverty – up from 26.3 % last year. The new number moves Georgia to the 6th highest childhood poverty rate in the U.S. 4 19.2 percent of Georgians are living in poverty – just slightly up from 19.1 percent reported in 2012. Poverty in Georgia increased from 12.9% in 2000 to 19.2% in 2012 – an increase of almost 1 million Georgians over the past 12 years. 4 From 2000 to 2010, the number of poor individuals in the Atlanta metro suburbs more than doubled, growing by 122%.4 As of 2013, Georgia remains one of only 4 states with minimum wage rates under the federal rate. Georgia’s minimum wage is $5.15/hour. 5
$9.21
ACFB is one of more than 200 food banks that are members of Feeding America, the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization. 2
$1.00
In fiscal year 2012-2013, volunteers served
In 2013, ACFB distributed worth of grocery products back into the community for every donated. 2
94 cents
of every dollar donated to ACFB (including the value of all donated food) goes directly to services in the community to help fight hunger. 2
106,418 hours in support of the ACFB mission - the equivalent of hours served by 52 full time staff members. 2
As the need has continued to grow, ACFB has been able to respond, thanks to an involved and caring community. ACFB distributed an overall total of more than 45 million pounds of food and grocery products in Fiscal Year 2012-13 compared to nearly 37 million pounds in the prior year. Over the past four years, ACFB’s distribution has increased by 85%.2
2013 Map the Meal Gap Study-Overall Food Insecurity; 2 Atlanta Community Food Bank;3 Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, Oct. 2013; U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey Profile. Data released Sept. 2013; 5 U.S. Dept. of Labor, Employment Standards Admin. 2013
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