Agriculture Deputy Secretary Merrigan Highlights Obama Administration’s ’United We Serve’ Initiative in Atlanta

ATLANTA.- Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan today highlighted the Obama Administration’s ’United We Serve’ initiative by visiting the Atlanta Community Food Bank, touring the facility and thanking volunteers. Merrigan also noted that the Atlanta Food Bank has received 5 trucks of food as a result of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, totaling more than $200,000. Statewide, Georgia will receive more than $3.2 million of food between May and September 2009 through USDA’s Temporary Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP).

“President Obama’s ’United We Serve’ initiative is a challenge to all Americans to participate in building a better future for our country and I believe that there is no better place to start than working toward his goal of ending childhood hunger,” said Merrigan. “Many families in Atlanta and across our country are struggling to put food on the table right now and it’s the everyday efforts of USDA, together with donations from individuals across the country, are preventing these families from going hungry.”

The ’United We Serve’ initiative is designed make volunteerism and community service part of the daily lives of all Americans in order to help build a new foundation of service, one community at a time. The ’United We Serve’ summer initiative began on June 22 and runs through the National Day of Service and Remembrance on September 11.

The President’s call to participate in this program focuses on four key areas where everyone can have a continuing impact in their community: education, health, energy and the environment and community renewal. All Americans can create new service projects, find service projects in their communities and to share stories about projects that are making a difference, by visiting www.serve.gov.

The Atlanta Community Food Bank was founded in 1979 and distributes a large amount of food and donated grocery items each month to more than 800 non-profit partner agencies in 38 counties in Metro Atlanta and North Georgia. The mission of ACFB is to fight hunger by engaging, educating and empowering the community.