Marietta volunteers pack supplies to battle military hunger
Neighbors in Marietta stepped up to support troops on the front lines by transforming a busy grocery store parking lot into a hub for community giving.
MARIETTA, Ga. -A busy grocery store parking lot transformed into a hub of community support Sunday afternoon as neighbors joined forces to tackle hunger within the military community.
Leaders with Kroger and the United Service Organization hosted a “Stuff the Truck” food drive Sunday afternoon at the Powers Ferry Kroger in Marietta. Over a four-hour window, local shoppers filled carts with nonperishable food, personal care supplies and essential items to support service members and their families
The collected donations will allow the organization to distribute supplies quickly whenever military personnel are called upon. This includes supporting troops during natural disasters or those going through basic training
What they’re saying:
USO Senior Expeditionary Operations and Programs Manager Pennington Walker, a 20-year Army veteran, is using his personal journey to help fellow troops.
“That experience allows me to stay connected to the service members we’re supporting,” Walker said. “The interaction, the enjoyment, the camaraderie…it never ends, even after we retire.”
Tammie Young-Ennaemba, Kroger’s head of communication and public affairs for the Atlanta division, noted that food insecurity means being hungry without re
“The goal today is to collect as much as we can and kick hunger,” Young-Ennaemba said. “I hope that when they receive these donations, they know that they are not alone.”
Dig deeper:
Data from the latest Military Family Advisory Network report indicates that 1 in 5 military and veteran families face food insecurity. While 1 in 8 people deal with hunger generally, Feeding America Action reports that specialized military strains like lower junior enlisted pay, inflation and frequent relocations worsen the problem for service households.
What we don’t know:
<a href="https://todaytrendnews7.com/officials-release-preliminary-findings-in-u-s-senator-lindsey-grahams-death/” title=”Officials release preliminary findings in U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham's death”>Officials have not yet confirmed the final weight or total retail value of the items gathered during Sunday’s drive. It is also unknown when the next joint community collection event will be scheduled for the area.
Therovided by Tammie Young-Ennaemba, head of communication and public affairs for Kroger’s Atlanta division, and Pennington Walker, senior expeditionary operations and programs manager at the United Service Organization.
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