WCLK's Fonda Smith will be filing reports Monday morning with updates from the annual Hosea Feed The Hungry MLK Jr Day Festival Of Services at the Georgia International Convention Center in College Park. In the run up to Monday's event, they can still use contributions from supporters. If you would like to pitch in at the last minute as part of this annual King Day service event, reach out to HFTH by clicking here.
Remember, WCLK will broadcast a simulcast of Fox 5's coverage of the Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Service from Ebenezer Church, beginning at 10am Monday, January 20. Join us to pause and reflect.
Want more specifics on Monday's event? Here's Quisa Foster's release:
Atlanta, GA (January 13, 2014) – Hosea Feed the Hungry and Homeless will host the 44th annual Martin Luther King Holiday Dinner on Monday, January 20, 2014 from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. The event will be held at the Georgia International Convention Center, located at 2000 Convention Center Concourse, Atlanta, GA 30337.
“There is another thing closely related to racism that I would like to mention as another challenge. We are challenged to rid our nation and the world of poverty. Like a monstrous octopus, poverty spreads its nagging, prehensile tentacles into hamlets and villages all over our world. Two-thirds of the people of the world will go to bed hungry tonight. They are ill-housed; they are ill-nourished; they are shabbily clad.” –Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (Dr. King´s sermon entitled “Remaining Awake Through a Great Revolution”)
This year, Hosea Feed the Hungry and Homeless wants to bring awareness to the three major issues that are taking place in Atlanta and across America: the war on poverty today, unemployment and the unnamed individuals who also gave their lives to the struggle during the Civil Rights Movement. According to a recent report, the percentage of people living below the poverty line has only decreased by 4 percent—from 19 percent to 15 percent in the last 50 years.
“The new face of poverty is women and children. Because they can’t find jobs, mothers are living in their cars, trying to keep the family together.” says Elisabeth Omilami, President and CEO of Hosea Feed the Hungry. “Most Americans underestimate how the problem of homelessness affects families. In my research I’ve found that about 600,00 families and 1.35 million children experience homelessness in the United States and youth homelessness is disturbingly common.” She adds, “About 1 in 45 children experience homelessness and almost half of all homeless children are under the age of 6 years old.”
Donations of warm blankets and toiletry items are still needed and are now being accepted for Monday’s event. They can be delivered to the Hosea Feed the Hungry and Homeless Distribution Center, 1035 Donnelly Avenue in Atlanta.
For more information about this event, please call Hosea Feed the Hungry and Homeless at 404-755-3353.