The holiday season sees a surge in donations to local food pantries, but it is crucial to maintain this momentum far beyond the festivities. In Cobb County, the Cobb County School District (CCSD) stands as the second-largest school system in the state and the 23rd largest in the nation. Here in Cobb, the need to address food insecurity among children remains pressing.
According to the Georgia Department of Education’s November 2023 Free/Reduced Lunch data, a staggering 41.7% of students in Cobb County qualify for free or reduced-price lunches, and a large percentage of those students attend East Cobb Schools. This statistic underscores the significant number of families facing economic challenges, unable to provide their children with sufficient nutrition for an active and healthy life.
The FindHelp website provides valuable resources for those seeking information on food pantries and assistance programs in Marietta, offering a convenient plat form to connect donors with organizations that support the community’s food insecure population (www.find help.org/food/food-pantry–marietta-ga). Many of our East Cobb schools also maintain a food pantry that will service families not just from that school but their feeder schools as well. These schools often hold canned food drives to help stock their pantries and are the perfect way to donate locally.
The term “food insecurity” reflects the lack of consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life, coupled with the uncertainty of obtaining nutritionally adequate foods. Shockingly, 1 in 8 children in Georgia experience food insecurity, as revealed by a 2023 report titled “Map the Meal Gap 2023” by Feeding America.
As a new year begins, it is imperative that our community remains mindful of the ongoing struggle faced by families in Cobb County. The spirit of giving should not be confined to the holiday season; rather, it should be a continuous commitment to helping the lives of those less fortunate. Our neighbors and friends in Cobb County can contribute to the fight against child food insecurity by continuing to donate to local food banks, participate in food drives, and support organizations dedicated to ending hunger. By maintaining these efforts, we can create a lasting impact on the lives of children in Cobb County, ensuring they have access to nutritious meals, thus giving them the opportunity to thrive academically and personally.
Additionally, spreading awareness about the continued surge of food insecurity and its impact on children can motivate more individuals and business es in the community to join the cause. Collaborative efforts can lead to the development of solutions, such as community gardens, educational programs, and mentorship initiatives that address the root causes of food insecurity.
Finally, pledge to help us ensure that no child goes to bed hungry in Cobb County or anywhere else.
Heather Rees
Secretary, East Cobb County Council of PTAs (ECCC PTA)
Parliamentarian, Addison ES PTA
