Kroger‘s Atlanta Division, MUST Ministries and South Atlanta High School unveiled a school-based food pantry at the Atlanta Public Schools campus Aug. 27, expanding grocery access for students and families. The pantry is expected to support about 150 families each month.
The event included a ribbon cutting, pantry reveal and check presentation. Locating pantries inside schools lets families pick up groceries in a familiar and trusted setting, which the partners said helps students arrive in class ready to focus on learning.
“Through Kroger’s Zero Hunger | Zero Waste mission, we are working to ensure students have reliable access to nutritious food so they can focus on learning and thriving,” said Tammie Young-Ennaemba, head of communications and public affairs for Kroger’s Atlanta Division. “A school pantry can make a real difference for students and families by providing support right where it is needed. We are grateful to MUST Ministries, South Atlanta High School and our vendor partners for working alongside us to ensure children facing hunger have access to the food they need.”
Over the past three years, Kroger and its vendor partners have donated more than $428,000 to the MUST Neighborhood Pantry program, supporting the opening of six new school pantries in Cobb, Cherokee and Fulton counties, with more planned. Across its partnerships with MUST and other nonprofits, Kroger and its vendors have given more than $500,000 to school-based pantries in the region.
“We are deeply grateful for Kroger’s support of our Neighborhood Pantry program, which allows us to expand our reach and support hungry student families in the Atlanta Public Schools system,” said Ike Reighard, president and CEO of MUST Ministries. “MUST is grateful to partner with Kroger in this expansion of our Neighborhood Pantry program in the City of Atlanta and provide much-needed food to ensure these children are fed, even outside of school hours.”
MUST Ministries said earlier this year that Kroger and its vendor partners presented $339,432 to MUST and Caring for Others to expand school pantries across metro Atlanta, including at South Atlanta High School. MUST opened its first pantry inside an Atlanta Public Schools campus in April.
MUST Ministries has operated for 53 years, with facilities in Cobb and Cherokee counties and programs in other metro Atlanta communities. It served more than 54,000 people last year through housing and food assistance, workforce development, clothing and health care.
Kroger’s Atlanta Division covers Georgia, eastern Alabama and South Carolina and has 27,000 associates.