HELP ORGANIZE A FOOD OR CLOTHING DRIVE AND MUST WILL DO THE REST

 As Realtors we focus on helping folks find the home of their dreams, but what about those who aren't fortunate enough to own a home, or even feed their family on a daily basis.  If each of us were to donate a few cans of food, it goes a long way toward helping feed the homeless and those less fortunate.  Organize a food drive in your neighborhood, place of business, Church or other social group, and it goes even further.  Come up with a creative way to collect canned food items and the committment from your associates, and MUST Ministries will do the rest.

MUST Ministries has been providing services for the less fortunate for over 38 years and is always looking for food and clothing donations, from individuals and organizations committed to gathering donations.  MUST will manage the pickup and delivery of donated food items, but they need help organizing and promoting the donations themselves.   

Here in Georgia alone (per HUD press release Feb 28, 2007), there are, on any given night, approximately 27,162 persons without homes.  Fortunately, about 57% of these folks are "sheltered" (on a temporary basis), but the other 43% (11,690) are "unsheltered".  Add to these numbers, those who do have a place to live, but lack adequate food, clothing and other basic necessities of life, and the numbers get larger and larger.  Some of these folks don't show up in statistics because they're too proud to let anyone know of their plight.

MUST Ministries, a Faith based Ministry, founded in 1971, is dedicated to providing services to persons and families in need, while maintaining their dignity.  MUST works to address the needs of individuals, families and children in Cobb and Cherokee counties, through service centers in Marietta, Smyrna and Canton.  MUST provides emergency shelter, transitional housing, permanent supportive housing and other associated services, as well as food, clothing, financial aid and educational and employment assistance services to those in crisis situations.  

MUST distributes about 2,000 pounds (one ton) of food every day, to feed the hungry in Cobb and Cherokee Counties.  This amount helps approximately 60 to 70 families per day; families who have a place to stay, and some source of income, but not enough to adequately feed and cloth themselves and their children. All of the food and clothing distributed by MUST is donated, so the need for such never ends. 

Many Churchs, schools, Scout groups, teams and businesses support MUST with organized drives to gather canned food and/or clothing items.  The need for these items is day in and day out, and so is the need for such organized drives. MUST provides collection barrels, flyers and speakers to help motivate the drive, and will pick up donations at specified collection points.  All we need to keep this service working, is YOU.  

MUST will be conducting a food drive Sunday, April 26, at the Taste of Marietta on Marietta Square from 11am to 7pm.  Come enjoy the festival, donate some canned food items and find out how you can help by organizing your own food drive.

For questions, or to organize a food/clothing drive, contact:

Annette Lee, Resource Development Coordinator at MUST, 678-218-4481, alee@mustministries.org