MUST Serves Two Millionth Meal to Local Children

Staff Report

In a generous outreach of compassion, more than 80 Chick-fil-A restaurants fed 7,000 children last week through the MUST Ministries Summer Lunch Program, according to MUST President and CEO Ike Reighard. Restaurant owners in eight counties came together under the leadership of Chick-fil-A Canton Riverstone and Chick-fil-A Canton Marketplace restaurant owner, Kevin Williams, to distribute hot sandwiches, chips, a cookie and bottled water to local children.

Restaurant owners and their teams not only provided the meals, but also drove the routes with MUST volunteers and staff, serving the meals at apartment complexes, mobile home communities and parks where children in need gather daily to receive a free sack lunch from MUST. Chick-fil-A also brought a “cow herd” – which includes several of their famous cow mascots – to many locations to bring even more joy to the children. In addition, Coca Cola donated 7,000 bottles of Dasani water during the hot summer mid-day meal.

Over the past three years, Chick-fil-A, Inc. and its franchised Restaurant Operators have given more than $68 million in contributions to over 700 educational and charitable organizations and have provided millions of dollars in food donations all across America.

Reighard stated, “Chick-fil-A is a great partner, as they are dedicated to not only providing delicious food and generous service – but also to partnering with their local communities to help those in need. MUST is honored to receive this support to reach the youngest casualties of poverty.” MUST serves 18,300 children a year of the 31,000 people helped with food, housing, employment and clothing.

MUST has been serving children through the Summer Lunch program for 20 years, working with the school systems to find pockets of greatest need. These students are on the free and reduced lunch program during the school year, but many have nothing to eat during the summer. “Children often tell us that our sack lunch is their only meal of the day,” Reighard said. “Without the generosity of the communities surrounding the MUST Summer Lunch Program, we would be unable to help thousands of children.”

Summer Lunch works because MUST selects “host sites” as distribution centers where lunches are donated by churches, families, civic clubs, businesses, scout troops, athletic teams, neighborhoods and other groups. The lunches are checked, packed and boxed for volunteer drivers to distribute the meals at key locations. Every week day, almost 7,000 children in Bartow, Cherokee, Cobb, Douglas, Fulton, Gwinnett, Paulding and Pickens counties receive nutritious meals, thanks to hundreds of dedicated volunteers.

On Fridays, the children also receive a free book of their choice, encouraging them to read and keep up their learning skills during the summer. In addition, some locations partner with the YMCA for activities and games.

MUST is distributing 10 percent more meals this year than in 2014. Already past the 200,000 meal mark, MUST will serve in each county until the last weekday before school begins. July 28 will mark the two millionth meal served in the 20 year history of the program.