By Kate Atwood

If you travel extensively for work, there are still ways you can give back even while just visiting.

I recently ran into a couple of Ringling Brothers Circus clowns at an event and was excited to learn the show was coming to town in February. This run-in also inspired me to learn more about how they give back, knowing they visit a new town every week.

First, I learned the key to their giving is to find a relevant and pressing matter that can have a lasting impact in that particular community. This ensures that their impact remains, even after they leave. Just last year, when the Ringling Brothers Circus came to town, they were able to make a donation to the KIPP WAYS Academy, after a fire gutted their building in 2010.  KIPP WAYS has a successful fine arts program and the fire destroyed all of their instruments and equipment. Understanding the impact of this devastation, the Ringling Brothers made a sizable contribution to the school and even had the show’s ringmaster visit the school to spend time with the students.

In every community they visit, Ringling Brothers performers also make time to visit institutions such as local hospitals, senior centers and schools to help engage these groups in fun and educational programming. Just putting a smile of someone’s face is certainly giving back joy and they do so to people who can’t get to the show.

When the Ringling Brothers Circus finds a community partner they can really get behind, the entire show commits to hosting them in each community. This is the case with the Center for the Visually Impaired and the “tactile tour” hosted at the arena.  This private experience on the arena floor allows visually impaired students to experience the circus through touch, sound and smell. I particularly love this idea for its creative approach that certainly improves the lives of those who otherwise may never get to experience “The Greatest Show on Earth.”

If you travel throughout the year and find it hard to give back to the local communities you visit, here are three tips you can take from the clowns and crew of the Ringling Brothers Circus:

• Check out a local paper and find a problem or issue that you can help address either through volunteering your time or making a donation.
• Identify the time you have available to help.  Building the activity around your schedule will help you commit routinely even if you do change cities.
• Find a cause that fits your “personality” – a skill or expertise that you can lend to a group or an individual in need.  Make this time away from home feel like home.

The Ringling Brothers Circus will be at Philips Arena Feb.15-20 and at the Arena at Gwinnett Feb. 23-26. More information on tickets and show times can be found by visiting RINGLING.com.

“With our coldest months still ahead and high unemployment rates, more metro residents will be in need of coats and blankets than ever before,” says Glynn Jenkins, director of communications and public relations for Kroger’s Atlanta Division. “This year, Kroger’s Atlanta Division has set out to collect 25,000 coats and blankets, and with the help of our customers and partners, we know we can help keep our friends and neighbors warm.”

To participate, metro Atlantans can place donations in the Project Overcoat bins located at the front of each Kroger store. All donations raised through the 2012 Project Overcoat campaign will be distributed to the United Way and Atlanta Mission, formally known as Atlanta Union Mission. To find a store near you, visit www.kroger.com.

This is an exceptional crop of teens, who are doing service work that many adults would blanch at. Our honorees have traveled to distant countries, founded non-profit organizations, overcome adversity and given hundreds of hours of their personal time.

You’ll meet a young woman who survived a brain tumor and turned her love of swimming into a fundraising opportunity, which netted thousands of dollars for CURE Childhood Cancer. You’ll meet a young man who organized a trip to Tanzania and spent nearly a month helping villagers learn how to produce clean, safe drinking water. And you’ll meet a young man who collected thousands of books to help a rural Georgia community in dire need of more reading material for its students. These are just three of the uplifting stories you’ll read and we hope the dedication of these Intown students will inspire you to give back to the community.

We would like to thank Grady High School for allowing us to photograph our cover on the campus and photographer Daniel Whitefield of Imagopix for donating his time and talent. Atlanta INtown will be holding a reception for the honorees this month at Osteria 832 in Virgnia Highland and we would like to thank Homegrown Restaurants and Rich Chey for making this possible. In our February edition we’ll have photos from this event. If you would like to become a sponsor or nominate a student for 2013, email wendy@atlantaintownpaper. com. Thank you to the businesses and schools whose advertising support makes this section possible.

– Collin Kelley, Editor

Preston “Stone” T. Persons, 15
Grady High School
Stone, the son of Michael and Dana Persons, may just be a freshman, but he’s been giving back to the community for years. From the age of 10, he’s volunteered at Children’s Hospital of Atlanta, tutored at-risk kids at The Intown Academy, planted trees with Tress Atlanta, helped build a house with Habitat for Humanity in West Virginia and his family regularly hosts exchange students through the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE). “Giving back means helping people in your community, and creating a better place for all of us to live, play and work,” Stone said. “I like the feeling you get when you find out just how much your help means to these people.
How you can give back: Give your time, donate books, furniture, or cash to The Intown Academy (intownacademy.org); become a host family for the exchange program (ciee.org/host); volunteer at Habitat for Humanity (habitat.org).

Kaitlyn Grace Dinkins, 18
Pace Academy/Harvard University
Kaitlyn, daughter of Jim and Lynn Dinkins, created a scholarship called Hope for Hoops to encourage young girls to strive for excellence in the classroom and on the basketball court. She raised money in order to provide a scholarship for girls to play AAU basketball for Peak Performance Elite. “I am just so happy that I have been able to reach people and give girls the chance to have fun and get to play basketball,” she said. “My favorite part is physically giving the girls the plaques signifying they have won the scholarship.
How you can give back: Make a donation to peakperformancebball.org.

Laetitia Butler, 17
Atlanta International School
Laetitia is passionate about theatre and she’s extended that love to not only giving back locally but also globally. Last summer, she traveled to the Kyangwali Refugee Settlement in western Uganda with UK-based non-profit Theatre versus Oppression, which uses applied theatre to bring about change and positive development. She worked with teenagers at the settlement for two weeks, using theatre to explore the issues that surround being a teenager in the camp (lack of education and lack of parent/community support among them). “It was empowering both for me and the participants as they were able to communicate in a physical and artistic way,” Laetitia said. “During my time in Uganda, I was also able to teach primary school daily mostly in English, Math and French.” The daughter of Hélène Butler, Laetitia is also a contributing writer for VOX, the teen newspaper in Atlanta.
How you can give back: Make a donation to Theater versus Oppression at theatreversusoppression.com. Readers can also donate directly to the settlement camp in Uganda at coburwas.org.

Eve Brown, 18,
Grady High School
The daughter of Julie and Clark Brown, Eve started giving back by volunteering for Meals On Wheels and then to Habitat for Humanity. In her junior year, she helped recruit volunteers, planned fundraisers, and planned the building of a house with fellow Grady students. She’s organizing another home-build for this year and even co-planned a benefit concert at The Masquerade to raise funds. Eve is also involved with One Love Generation, nonprofit that groups student artists with professionals from Atlanta to work on community art projects every week. “I am proudest that I have found something I love doing that doesn’t benefit me solely,” Eve said. “It especially means to me that I’m sharing the good parts of my life to those who may not have those good parts, and I in turn get to share what is good in their life.”
How you can give back: Find out more and make a donation to One Love Generation at onelovegeneration.org.

Emma van Beuningen, 17
Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School
Last summer, Emma traveled to Kenya to work in an orphanage, where she ran a soccer camp and a vacation Bible school for 70 orphans in a small village. She also helped interview students for The Watoto Trust Foundation, a nonprofit organization that helps sponsor talented kids from poor backgrounds. Emma, the daughter of Harry and Sally van Beuningen, is also a student representative on the Horizons Atlanta Board of Trustees. “I am most proud of my work at the orphanage,” Emma said. “When doing this work, I stepped out of my comfort zone and put myself into a completely new environment. During the six weeks I was there, I grew to love the kids, and I feel that I really changed their lives.
How you can give back: Make a donation to The Watoto Trust Foundation at watototrust.org.

Gabrielle Moore, 17
Spelman College
Gabrielle, the daughter of Dr. Yolanda Spiva and Wendell Spiva, created the nonprofit Bears for Babies, which gives stuffed bears to young children who have lost a parent or are the children of first responders (police, firefighter, EMT) and military personnel. During the holiday season, bears are given to children in the hospital or need encouragement. “I am proud that I am able to help brighten another child’s life in a way that I longed for when I was younger,” Gabrielle said. “To me, giving back to my community is simply helping to make it better and contributing positive energy. Giving back to the community does not require a particular amount, but rather a genuine effort.
How you can give back: Make a donation to Bears for Babies at bearsforbabies.org or email bears4babies@gmail.com for how you can help.

Jamal Thomas, 19
Morehouse College
Jamal gives back by volunteering at various mentoring programs around Intown, giving more 300 hours during his freshman year. He mentors in elementary schools with the Adams Scholars Program at Morehouse College, at the Atlanta Juvenile Court, as well as with Morehouse Mentoring Program. He also helps the homeless by volunteering at local shelters and hosted an event called It’s On the House, where more than 300 homeless came to have a meal. “Being in elementary schools has really allowed me to work first hand with the youth,” Jamal said. “It has been a blessing to see smiles on the students’ faces as well as the grades on the students papers affirming my presence in the classroom.” The son of Karen Thomas, Jamal said working with homeless and hearing their stories has “encouraged me to reevaluate my life’s purpose and the things I value. Striving to do something positive for someone everyday supports giving back to community.
How you can give back: Donate to local homeless organizations. Email Jamal at jthomas994@gmail.com.

Joely DeSimone, 19
The Paideia School/Amherst College
Joely volunteers at The Global Village School in Decatur, an inspirational independent high school for refugee teenage girls from around the world. Last summer, she organized the school’s library of donated books by subject and reading level, making it easier for the girls to find books that match their interests and abilities. She also visited students’ homes and read to them before the school year began and tutored three students from Burma who were just learning English. While at college in Massachusetts this fall, she has continued her service by mentoring disadvantaged girls at a local middle school. “The GVS girls are very bright and diligent,” Joely said. “Within just a few weeks, I could already see progress, not only in their reading skills but also in their self-confidence.” The daughter of Liz and Sam DeSimone, Joely said she has made “it a priority to contribute to my community, to make a difference.”
How you can give back: Make a donation to The Global Village School at theglobalvillageschool.org.

Grace Reeder Meade, 18
The Lovett School
Grace is a leader on the Lovett Student Service Board, an elected group of students who plan and organize service events and fundraisers for the entire Upper School. She co-chaired the board’s largest fundraising event last year, Parent’s Night Out, which raised thousands of dollars for nonprofits supported by the student body. Grace, the daughter of Tommy and Cindy Meade,  also serves on the Atlanta Mission Junior Board, an organization that aims to reduce homeless in the city. Through her church, First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta, she has gone on mission trips to Mexico, New Orleans, West Virginia, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic. “Throughout my life, I have been taught the importance of giving back but, through serving others, I have developed a strong passion for service,” Grace said.
How you can give back: Make a donation to the Atlanta Mission at atlantamission.org.

Benjamin Schornstein Williams, 18
The Paideia School
Last year, Ben ran a book drive with the Rural Library Project at Paideia, which collected 2,500 books. He then delivered the books to the rural town of Culloden, GA, which has limited access to books. “As a city-dweller, I had always taken my access to numerous libraries and bookstores for granted,” Ben said. “Visiting Culloden and interacting with the community made me realize how big an impact a new library would have on this isolated town.” Ben, the son of Ellen and David Williams, also took his love for music and formed a jazz band to perform at senior homes, addiction clinics, and veteran centers with the DeKalb Community Service Board. “For me, giving back to my community involves both service and awareness,” he said. “Giving back to the community doesn’t necessarily have to be a sacrifice or a difficult, completely selfless task. To me, giving back means that I am enjoying myself by making an impact that benefits others.”
How you can give back: Make a donation to the Rural Library Project at rurallibraryproject.org.

Kyle Singh Dhillon, 17
The Westminster Schools
Kyle is actively involved with Atlanta-based nonprofit SAFE Water Now and raised money (from friends, family and selling cookies among other endeavors) to organize a trip to Tanzania where he spent three weeks sculpting ceramic water filters, building shelves for the filters to dry on, building a new brick kiln and distributing filters to locals schools. He kept a daily blog (tanzaniaproject2011.wordpress.com) of his experience, which he shared with SAFE Water Now’s founder and four other volunteers who made the trip with him. “Although it felt short for us, we spent every minute of  every day in Tanzania learning about the culture and water  solutions, meeting new people, trying delicious new food, and most importantly, working hard,” Kyle said. He is the song of Dale and Marianne Dhillon.
How you can give back: Make a donation to SAFE Water Now at safewaternow.org.

Matthew Tate Dickson, 17
Horizons School
Matt volunteers with Decatur Season of Giving, delivering gifts to low income children and seniors citizens. He’s also involved in the AJC Decatur Book Festival, Decatur Arts Festival, Decatur Season of Giving and the Oakhurst Community Garden Project, working as an assistant to the city’s volunteer coordinator. At Horizons, he worked as a tutor for the lower grades and helped with early reading programs. Along with his parents, Jim and Vandy Vail-Dickson, Matt organized a holiday meal delivery to seniors, too. “It is wonderful to see the reactions from our senior neighbors and great to know how a small effort like that makes such an impact, Matt said.  “I don’t have the power or resources to make a huge impact, but if I can help to make a local program successful, or help a younger student learn to read, or put a smile on someone’s face I feel empowered.”
How you can give back: Make a donation to Decatur Season of Giving (decaturga.com) or Oakhurst Community Garden Project (oakhurstgarden.org).

Carly Marie Pope, 17
The Paideia School
Carly held a toiletry drive to benefit the non-profit Stand Up for Kids, a shelter that provides a safe place for homeless teenagers in the Atlanta area. “They told me that all these teens really want is to feel normal and fit in, so providing them with things like shampoo, toothbrushes and deodorant is important,” Carly said. “I collected enough toiletries to make over 600 kits for the center to distribute, and I’m still receiving donations.” Her efforts were recognized by the Girl Scouts, which gave her the organization’s highest honor, the Gold Award.  I’m proud of the response I got from the community and what we managed to achieve together,” she said. “It encourages me to know that people in this city are genuinely kind.” She is the daughter of Bailey and Celia Pope.
How you can give back: Make a donation to Stand Up for Kids at standupforkids.org.

Ryan Mackenzie Proctor, 17
Holy Spirit Preparatory School
The son of Jeffrey and Vivian Proctor, Ryan has had an interest in Classical antiquity and languages since the sixth grade. When he was a sophomore, he took that passion and created an after-school program for fifth and sixth graders called the Classics Club. Every week, he teaches 35 students the languages of Latin and Ancient Greek as well as Greco-Roman culture, history and mythology. The teaching experience led him to author and publish an Ancient Greek textbook for younger students called Khairete O Mathetai: An Introduction to Ancient Greek. Ryan was one of the founding members and the first president of his local Squires of Columbus chapter. In that capacity, he started an annual coat drive for underprivileged Hispanic immigrants, led a group to recycle used hotel soap for people in developing nations, and organized other service projects. He also raised money for tornado relief in Alabama by teaching a summer weeklong crash course in Latin. “When I change how a young person approaches the world for the better, all my work becomes instantly worthwhile,” Ryan said.
How you can give back: Make a donation to Knights of Columbus at kofc.org.

Amanda Harris, 18
The Westminster Schools
Amanda Harris loves to dance, so five years ago she channeled that passion into creating Wear then Share to help underprivileged kids through dance. The organization has two branches: a Dancewear Initiative, which collects and donates new to gently used dancewear, and a Dance Outreach Program, where Amanda teaches dance classes. To date, she has spent more than 750 hours developing and volunteering through Wear then Share. She also created a permanent dance outreach program at Westminster and heads up the fundraising and support activities for the school’s Spring Dance Concert. The daughter of Amy and Paul Harris, Amanda is also a member of Westminster’s Community Service Club – where she has participated in everything from painting ceiling tiles for The Children’s Hospital to furnishing homes for refugee families – and leader of the grant team of the Student Learning Leadership Council. “I believe as human beings, we have an obligation to take care of one another,” Amanda said. “I experience overwhelming joy when I give of myself to help someone in need.”
How you can give back: Find out how you can donate to Wear then Share at wearthenshare.com.

Robert Alexander Moore, 16
Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School
Robert is the founder and organizer of Kicks for Kids, which organizes Metro Atlanta shoe drives for underprivileged and wounded children. Last year, a drive Robert organized netted more than 500 pairs of  shoes for children, teens and adults in war-torn Afghanistan. As an 8^th grader, he also collected more than 300 pairs of shoes for the Compass School in Kikuyu, Kenya. Robert’s goal is to conduct a rolling shoe drive that continues through his senior year. He also donates his time and energy to metro homeless organizations St. Francis’ Table and Our Common Ground. He’s also an intern at Be The Match Foundation, where he assembles registry packets for potential bone marrow donors, conduct local, state and national telephone interviews with businesses and individuals to obtain volunteers and donors for the national bone marrow registry. “I am humbled to think that I may have played a part in helping to change the attitudes and opinions of people in other countries towards Americans through a simple act of kindness,” he said of his work with Kicks for Kids. “My innate compassion and desire to help others is a reflection of my gratitude for my many blessings.” He is the son of Johnetta Holcombe.
How you can give back: Visit the Facebook page for Kicks For Kids or call Robert at (678) 490-4830.

Cole and Peter Bryant, 18
The Westminster Schools
Twin brothers Cole and Peter created the Douglas Bryant Jr. Fund that supports Occupational Therapy and Scholarships at the Lionheart School for children with developmental disabilities in the autistic spectrum. To date, they’ve raised nearly $30,000 for the school, with an additional $11,000 that was matched by an anonymous Atlanta foundation. The fund is named after their brother, who has special needs. “When we visited the school last spring and got to see all the equipment that had purchased with the money we raised, it had an impact on both of us.” Peter said. “I was proud of that.”  Cole added: “To me, giving back to the community means striving to be selfless, and using any blessings you have to help others.”
How you can give back: Visit the Lionheart School website at thelionheartschool.com and donate to the Douglas Bryant Jr. Fund.

Kate Athanassiades, 14
The Paideia School
A competitive swimmer, Kate was temporarily sidelined after she was diagnosed with a brain tumor. However, that didn’t stop her from giving back to the community and specifically to CURE Childhood Cancer. This past summer, Kate organized a swim-a-thon at the Venetian Community Pool in Decatur. She was the top fundraiser with $2,700 in donations, but the event raised more than $9,000. She also became a volunteer coach for the Junior Sharks team, has volunteered with the Atlanta Track Club and at her church, Glenn Memorial United Methodist. After surgery, chemotherapy and radiation her cancer is now in remission. “I always think about how many people helped me in my cancer experience, and I want to give back to the community that helped me,” Kate said. “Hopefully in the near future, no one would have to face cancer like I did.” She is the daughter of Beth and Dean Athanassiades.
How you can give back: Make a donation to CURE Childhood Cancer at curechildhoodcancer.org or Camp Sunshine at mycampsunshine.com.

Devon J. Jones, 18
North Atlanta High School
Devon, fourth from right, gives back by serving as a special needs mentor, spending times with students with their school work, cooking lessons, life skills advice and physical fitness games. She also volunteers as an assistant to the teachers in the classroom, organizing class work, planning birthday celebrations for the students, grading papers, and chaperoning field trips. She’s also volunteered regularly with the Special Olympics. “It warms my heart to know that despite all the other challenges they face in life, the students are always thankful for me coming to their classes and giving me the best hugs a person could ask for,” Devon said. “I can make a difference and that I do not have to be a celebrity or an adult to make a huge impact on someone else’s life.
How you can give back: Make a donation to the Special Olympics Georgia at specialolympicsga.org.

By Kate Atwood

The New Year means new opportunities to start a cycle of good in our community. We often set resolutions just for ourselves, but this year I challenge you to make a resolution for your entire family: Give back more and enjoy it.

You may be a veteran at volunteering, but how about your family?  Since beginning this column and my blog, two questions I frequently get asked are: “How do I get my kids involved?” or “I want to find a volunteer project in the community for my family?”

For a family, it could be as a scary as introducing a new vegetable at the dinner table. But like eating veggies, giving back is a great thing to learn young and ultimately leads to a healthier lifestyle. To help you and your family kick-off 2012 making a difference, here are three websites to have on your radar.

For Kids and Teens: GenerationOn
You are never too young to start making your mark on the world. This is the core philosophy of GenerationOn, the youth division of Points of Light Institute. This resource has brought the nation’s leading youth service organizations under one umbrella to give kids the opportunity to learn about the issues in their communities and access the tools they need to help.  Simply put, GenerationOn connects kids to causes and projects by engaging them online, in an exciting, kid-friendly way.  (Note: Remember, for our kids, the online community is an important part of their life and it is a great platform for them to find purpose in giving back to help others.) generationon.org

For Young Adults: One Percent Foundation
The One Percent Foundation is a nonprofit organization committed to engaging young adults in philanthropy. The Foundation is one large giving circle, which means it creates a community where young people can pool together their funds in a collaborative effort to have a bigger impact on causes most important to them. This resource not only educates young adults on best practices of being philanthropic, it also raises awareness for the important issues affecting our world.  While mostly focused on twentysomethings, this is an organization that can get high school and college students started.  (Note: This is also something that you can do just with your own family. Have your kids pool a portion of their allowance, match that amount, and then decide together who it should help.) onepercentfoundation.org

For Families: Doing Good Together
Doing Good Together is a website that I recently came across and immediately was inspired. I stand behind their belief that by spending time with loved ones while also helping the larger world, leads children to become compassionate, aware of social issues, and ultimately develop a lifelong habit of giving. This grassroots organization provides tips, ideas and tools to engage your family in charitable activities that can make a difference in your community.  From the environment to the elderly, they have practical ideas that carry inspirational impact for your family to experience. doinggoodtogether.org

I  am always excited to hear about creative ways people in Atlanta are giving back and helping those causes that matter most to them. Please send me an email, kate@kateatwood.com if you’d like me to share your story in 2012.

By Kate Atwood

I was recently walking through Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, strolling along the corridor to catch my flight, when a billboard ad stopped me in my tracks.  Maybe it was the warm apple cider I was sipping on or the timing of the holidays just around the corner, but the image of a soldier hugging a young girl, assumed to be his daughter, and the bold title Operation Never Forgotten caught my attention.

The holidays are a time for us to remember to be thankful for those who surround us throughout the year, but it is also a time to remember those who may be forgotten, to remember the many who feel alone on the holidays.  While Operation Never Forgotten is a non-profit organization with a mission focused on remembering our deployed military, veterans and fallen soldiers, I’m inspired to spread the operation to make sure everyone in our community is remembered this holiday season.

Here are a few suggestions:

A Soldier: Send a care package to a soldier through AnySoldier.com. This site helps you identify what to put in your care package and allows you to select a soldier or soldiers to receive your holiday treat.

A Homeless Mother and her Child: Gather your book club or just your neighbors and host a “PJ party.” This is not your usual PJ party. A good friend shared this idea with me after having contacted the local Atlanta Day Shelter for Women and Children, and asking about their biggest needs. Their answer: pajamas. So have all your guests bring in a pair of pajamas, either for an adult or a child. You can then deliver the batch to the shelter just in time for the holidays.

A Doctor or Nurse: While most of us get to spend the holidays at home with our loved ones, there are certain folks who don’t get that chance.  Spend a day baking goods or making flower arrangements and deliver them to the nearest hospital for the doctors and staff to be put in the break rooms. This is a wonderful way to thank those who are the ultimate caregivers in our community. Be sure to call ahead to make arrangements for your delivery.

A Senior: Take some of your extra time around the holidays and spend it with our seniors at an assisted living residence or local senior center. This is especially good for teens and young adults who have time off school. I suggest bringing some cards and games, and planning to spend an afternoon with a senior who may not get as many visitors over the holidays.

A Furry Friend: I never leave out our furry friends. Pack a holiday bag of treats, a leash, and some towels, and donate them to the Atlanta Humane Society or any area animal shelter. I like this one for kids because then they can participate in dropping off the gifts and visiting with the animals, who also like the extra TLC during this time of year.

We can all agree that the holidays are an important time for everyone to feel joy. Let’s make our own Operation Never Forgotten in Atlanta by lending our helping hands and caring hearts to those in our community who need us most during this time of year.

Happy Holidays!

To learn more about the Arby’s Foundation, visit arbys.com/Foundation. For more about Kate Atwood, visit LivingByGiving.com.

By Kate Atwood

This month I am going to take a break from profiles and write instead about a pressing problem in our community and our nation. With Thanksgiving around the corner, it seems fitting to talk about childhood hunger in America.

I was recently introduced to this problem in my new role as the executive director of the Arby’s Foundation, the charitable arm of the Arby’s Restaurant Group. This fall we launched a new mission to help end childhood hunger in America because every child deserves to learn, play and grow. I’ve learned quickly just how much a child’s access to wholesome meals every day affects their ability to learn and grow.

Did you know that more than 16 million children in America struggle with hunger?  That equates to 1 in 5 children in the U.S. who do not get the proper meals they need. There are approximately 700,000 such children in Georgia. The latest USDA reports show that this number is at an all-time high in our nation’s history.

Here are three key things to know about childhood hunger in America:

• A hungry child in America doesn’t know where his or her next meal will come from, some going days without proper nutrition.
• Childhood hunger in America doesn’t exist because of a lack of food. The problem exists for such reasons as education, outreach and access to programs that are there to help.
• The impact of hunger is universal in a child’s life. It affects everything from their ability to concentrate to their ability to get proper sleep. A hungry child frequently gets sick and falls behind academically and socially.

The good news is that this problem is solvable and that you can be a big part of the solution. A leading organization in the fight to end childhood hunger in America is Share our Strength. This November marks the one-year anniversary of their No Kid Hungry Campaign. To honor this milestone, here are a few fun and easy ways you can support No Kid Hungry and join the fight to end this pressing problem in our nation:

1.)  Sign the No Kid Hungry Pledge: Visit strength.org and take the pledge to end childhood hunger.  This is a simple and free way to add your voice to support this movement in America.  You can help Share Our Strength reach their goal of 100,000 pledges by the end of 2011.

2.)  Hold a Great American Bake Sale at your office or holiday party: Who isn’t baking over the holidays? Plan a bake sale and help raise funds while building awareness about an issue that is often ignored: childhood hunger in our own backyard.  To learn more and register your bake sale, click on the Great American Bake Sale tab at strength.org.

3.)  Visit an Arby’s Restaurant near you: Shameless plug, but by visiting an Arby’s during the month of November, you and your family can make a $1 donation that all goes to support the No Kid Hungry Campaign. As part of Arby’s commitment to the Arby’s Foundation mission, and to the families we serve, we now offer healthier choices on our Kids Meal menu, so you can also talk about healthy choices with your kids while sharing about No Kid Hungry.

November is not only the one-year anniversary of the No Kid Hungry Campaign it is also the month that kicks-off the holiday season. Everyone deserves to experience joy around this time. Remember that some families need our help to do so. Be sure to give thanks this month by giving back to our community.

To learn more about the Arby’s Foundation, visit arbys.com/Foundation. For more about Kate Atwood, visit LivingByGiving.com.

Here’s the info we need:

• Nominee (full name, age, grade, school and contact info)
• Nominator (full names, relationship to nominee, contact info)
• Short paragraph describing why this nominee deserves recognition. Include any actions, characteristics, projects, goals and areas of interest to help illustrate your point)

Atlanta INtown will celebrate 20 Under 20 with a cover story in our January 2012 edition, which will feature profiles of each individual. Email nominations to Wendy@AtlantaINtownPaper.com.

By Sydia Bell

Poverty Is Real, a Decatur-based non-profit, is addressing a major issue within communities with the help of local musicians and residents.

The organization hosts concert fundraising event featuring primarily local musicians. Every band that plays in the concert donates a song, which is then put on compilation album. The CD’s, along with tickets and t-shirt, are sold to benefit local charities.

Michael Killeen, founder of Poverty Is Real, said the initial concert raised $6,000 with the help of local band The Bitteroots and Rebecca Loebe from The Voice for the Decatur Cooperative Ministry.

Poverty is defined as a family of four with an average yearly income of $22,000 or less. Killeen acknowledges, “one of the major issues when dealing with poverty is that people don’t acknowledge it exists.” With 1 out of every 6 Americans living in poverty, he said that raising awareness is important now more than ever.

Whether a person can volunteer their time, talent or money Killeen has made it possible for communities to help themselves while enjoying the festivities.

For the next Poverty Is Real concert on Dec. 6, the action moves to where the Futurebirds, who were recently named by Paste Magazine as one of the top 30 bands in Athens history, will join forces with Woodfangs and Claire Campbell (of Hope for a Golden Summer), to kick off the second concert series at the 40 Watt Club. The proceeds going to Whatever It Takes, an organization which seeks to ensure that every child in Athens-Clarke County graduates from post-secondary education.

To find our more information about Poverty Is Real” or the upcoming events being held in Atlanta and Nashville, visit povertyisreal.us.