ATLANTA (August 19, 2013) – Sen. Renee Unterman (R- Buford) recently joined legislators from throughout the nation at the annual National Conference for State Legislators (NCSL) to collect food for needy families as part of the NCSL “Hunger Partnership Backpack Buddy Challenge.”
“Hunger is an incredibly important issue, and one that I care deeply about,” said Sen. Unterman. “Events like this demonstrate how much we can achieve when the public and private sectors work together. I am extremely proud of every state that participated and considered it an honor to receive the 5k Grant on behalf of the State of Georgia.”
Sen. Renee Unterman, co-chair of the NCSL Hunger Partnership, was one of the key organizers and speakers of this year’s event. During this statewide competition, legislators and volunteers representing all 50 states had the opportunity to stuff 1,000 backpacks of food for impoverished kids in the Atlanta area.
“The state that packed the most backpacks and received the 5K grand prize grant for their hunger relief charity was this year’s host state, Georgia. New Mexico and Utah were runners-up and each received a $2,500 grant. New Hampshire and Oregon also were awarded $1,000 each for the highest rates of participation.
The Backpack Buddy Challenge was presented by Yum! Brands, the parent company of Taco Bell, KFC and Pizza Hut. The collections from this year’s event will benefit the “Snack in a Backpack” program at Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church in metro Atlanta.
“We believe it is our privilege and our responsibility to lead the fight against hunger and to engage our associates, customers and partners to make a difference in the lives of the 1 in 4 children in the U.S. who are at risk of hunger,” said Laura Melillo Barnum, Executive Director of the Yum! Brands Foundation. “We congratulate Senator Unterman and all Georgia legislators for their leadership and commitment to hungry children in Atlanta and across the U.S.”
The National Restaurant Association and the Atlanta Community Food Bank sponsored the event and volunteer efforts along with several other national and Atlanta-based non-profits, including the Georgia Association of Food Banks and the Boys and Girls Clubs of America and Metro Atlanta.
Established in 2010 by the NCSL Foundation for State Legislators, the Hunger Partnership works to raise awareness and develop long-term strategies to reduce the prevalence of hunger nationwide. As one of the Hunger Partnership’s key founders, Sen. Unterman is one of Georgia’s top advocated for hunger relief and works to promote education, research and public policy recommendations at both the state and local level.
RELEASE
For Immediate Release:
August 19, 2013
For Information Contact:
Jennifer Yarber, Interim Director
Shawna Mercer, Sr. Communications Specialist
Shawna.Mercer@senate.ga.gov
404.656.0028