To donate food and winter clothing for the 2013 Help the Hungry and Homeless event, contact Gary Adams at 770-734-9212.
Five years ago, while tailgating before an Atlanta Falcons game with his son Matt, Gary Adams was approached by a few homeless people on the street who asked him if he had any extra food.
“We had some, and I gave it to them,” he said. “I never said no.” The next year, before Gary and Matt, got down to The Dome, they made 50 sandwiches, bought chips and juices to hand out to those in need.
“The year after that, we fed 75 people and it slowly has grown to become an opportunity to get our local community involved,” said Gary, owner and operator of Perimeter Digital Imaging and Supply in Norcross.
Noticing that people are in need, Adams expanded the feeding event to help more people and turned a day of tailgating into a day of giving. Last year, Adams, with his family, friends, and volunteers, kicked off the Help the Hungry and Homeless event that fed 200 people. Along with serving hot, fresh food, they also distributed warm winter clothes.
Richard Lee, Adams’ accountant and friend, got involved with the cause as soon as he heard about the effort.
“When Gary told me what he and his son are planning to do before the (Falcons) game, I thought it was a great way for my son and me to also get involved and give back to our local community,” said Lee, who lives in Cumming. “When we participated last year, we got to know these men and ladies on a genuine level. They have fallen on a hard time and it’s nice to be able to alleviate their stress, even if its just for one day or one meal.”
This year, the feeding event will take place on Dec. 15 before the Atlanta Falcons- Washington Redskins game. “Our goal, this year, is to feed and distribute clothes to about 250 people,” said Adams.
Adams is looking for the community’s help to collect individually wrapped snacks, juice boxes, travel-sized toiletries, and winter clothing to make this year’s event a success.
“Come help and hand out food and clothes. It’s a lot of fun,” said Adams, who lives in Peachtree Corners. “We are not trying to change their lives. But, if we can make a positive impact in their day, then it is all worth it.”
Donations are accepted until Dec. 6 and can be arranged for pick up.
In other news: Schwinn Bikes, with ThinkFirst National Injury Prevention Foundation, visited the Jesse Draper Boys & Girls Club in College Park on Nov. 6 to donate 250 bike helmets for children. The donation is a part of the comprehensive national education campaign called Helmets on Heads, which encourages children to wear their helmet every time they go riding. Helmets on Heads's mission is to educate one million kids about bike helmet safety over the next 10 years.
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