Organizations – Digital Storytelling

Athens organizations combat food insecurity with healthier options

February 11, 2020February 11, 2020 Mary Margaret StewartAmeriCorps VISTA, Athens, Campus Kitchen at UGA, Food Aid, Food Bank, Food Insecurity, Health, poverty, UGA0 comment

ATHENS-CLARKE COUNTY –– According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 34 percent of Athens-Clarke County residents are living in poverty, resulting in many families lacking access to nutritious and affordable food options. Living in poverty doesn’t imply food insecurity, though, as poverty is measured using an annual income threshold, whereas food insecurity is measured based on reliable access to food. While Athens-Clarke County has a poverty rate of over 30 percent, 22 percent of Athens residents are food insecure, according to 2019 County Health Rankings. Local food provision organizations such as Food2Kids,…

Community Health News Organizations

ACCPD works to improve mental health response procedures

May 17, 2019August 27, 2019 Amy ScottAdvantage Behavioral Health Systems, Athens, Athens-Clarke County Police Department, crisis intervention, Georgia, John Radford, Katie McFarland, mental health, Mental Illness, Robie Cochran, suicide prevention0 comment

Story written and produced by: Amy Scott, Alexandria Ellison and Ashlyn Webb ATHENS, Ga. — Athens-Clarke County Police linked approximately 140 citizens back to mental health resources in 2018, continuing their 2016 initiative to lower the incarceration rate of the mentally ill. This is due in part by the ACCPD’s 2016 mental health collaboration and Georgia’s Crisis Intervention Team training.The mental health collaboration is a partnership between ACCPD, the Clarke County Sheriff’s Office, Advantage Behavioral Health and UGA’s Fanning Institute. The collaboration was created to “examine policies, enhance interdepartmental communications,…

The Wesley Foundation Attracts Thousands of Students for Their Weekly Services

May 13, 2019May 14, 2019 Emma TolandAthens, UGA, UGA Students, University of Georgia0 comment

ATHENS, Ga. — The Wesley Foundation, the largest ministry on the University of Georgia’s campus, is attracting 1,200 to 2,000 students per week for their weekly Wednesday night service at Tate Grand Hall. For many, college is the first time students are away from friends and family, so they seek out communities that make them feel welcome. Wesley understands this desire for community and uses it to garner student involvement, according to their mission statement. “I did Freshley last year, but wasn’t super involved because I always had something going…

Community Government News Organizations Social Issue

Dreamers in Athens Maintain Hope Amidst Uncertain Future

February 19, 2018April 13, 2019 Rebecca Nauth, Emma KorstanjeDACA, Dreamers, Immigration0 comment

ATHENS, Ga. – The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA) is scheduled to expire on March 5 putting as many as 21,600 registered beneficiaries of this federal program popularly called Dreamers in Georgia at risk for deportation, according to the Migration Policy Institute. The ending of DACA, which allows undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children to live and work in the country, would demographically affect those that are single and under the age 24. If faced with deportation, almost 80 percent of these young DACA recipients…

Community Health News Organizations Social Issue

Campus Kitchen Provides Thousands of Meals for Food Insecure Households

February 18, 2018December 7, 2018 Rachel GraceACCA, Athens, Athens Community Council on Aging, Campus Kitchen, Campus Kitchen at UGA, Food Insecurity, Hunger Relief, SNAP, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, UGA, UGA Office of Service Learning, UGArden, University of Georgia, Volunteering0 comment

ATHENS, Ga. – Campus Kitchen at the University of Georgia distributed 25,000 pounds of food to food insecure households and food banks around Athens last year, according to the program’s website. The organization recovered more than 43,000 pounds of food from local grocery stores and gardens, such as UGArden, which they used to provide weekly nutritious meals for their clients and then redistributed unused food to related programs in the area. “Our model is built on creative food sourcing,” said Brad Turner, the program coordinator for the organization at UGA’s Office of Service…

Lil’ Ice Cream Dude Sweetens Athens

December 7, 2017December 7, 2018 Marielle WilliamsAthens, BrandBank, business, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Entrepreneur, Georgia, Greek Life, Ice Cream, Lil' Ice Cream Dude, UGA, UGA Football, UGA Miracle0 comment

Beau Shell, 13, owner and CEO of Lil’ Ice Cream Dude, from Athens, Georgia, poses in front of his popsicle truck in, Athens, Georgia, on Tuesday, September 19, 2017. Beau serves ice cream in his truck to the sweet-toothed community of Athens, Georgia. (Photo/Elizabeth Milano, eam60605@uga.edu) ATHENS, Ga. – Beau Shell, 13, better known as Lil’ Ice Cream Dude, has made a name for himself in the sweet and creamy business world as the youngest entrepreneur in Athens, Georgia. On his eighth birthday, Beau received a small makeshift ice cream…

News Organizations

Athens Freemasons Claim to Focus Mostly on Fundraising

December 3, 2017December 5, 2017 Jennifer McEntireAthens, Blue Lodge, Founding Fathers, Freemasons, Knights Templar, Masons, Shriners0 comment

ATHENS, GEORGIA — Officers of the Athens Freemasons, an ancient brotherhood mostly known for their secrets and rituals, claim they are mainly focused on fundraising for their children’s home. Michael Law, the “Worshipful Master” of the Athens Freemason lodge, explained the group primarily focuses on fundraisers for the Masonic Home of Georgia. According to Law, they do this by hosting 5Ks and other events to raise money. “At the end of the day, all the mystery, the ceremony and ritual, are all kind of a minor part of what we do because the bigger part is that we are a standard non-profit organization,” Law said. According to…

Community Education Government News Organizations Uncategorized

Poverty and Immigration Policy May Hurt Hispanic Education in Athens

December 3, 2017December 6, 2017 Sydney NorthDACA, deportation, Education, Hispanic, Immigrants, jobs, Latina, Latino, poverty, students, Trump, tutoring, young, youth0 comment

ATHENS, GEORGIA— According to national studies and local experts in Athens, outside factors in 2017 may contribute to the continued education gap that has afflicted Hispanic-American students, especially those born into immigrant families. The Pew Research Center reports that the national percentage of Latinx children born to immigrant parents now accounts for less than half of the U.S. born Latinx population. Although the number of U.S. born Latinx children born to immigrant parents is decreasing, another report shows that only 77 percent of Hispanic students graduate from high-school. According to Susan…