2022 08 16 City Council

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PROCLAMATION

WHEREAS, hunger and poverty are issues of grave concern in the United States, the State of
Tennessee, and the Athens community; and

WHEREAS, currently 19.3% of McMinn County residents live below the poverty threshold and
16.1% are food insecure. Approximately 18.6% of the children in our community experience
food insecurity; and

WHEREAS, the City of Athens is committed to working with the Table of Graces Food Pantry, a

ministry of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, to spread the word and take action on the hunger crisis
in our own community; and

WHEREAS, Table Graces Food Pantry originally began as a weekly hot lunch and evolved into a
USDA-certified pantry, providing grocery boxes to 350 households in our community per week.
Table Graces is on track to provide over 400,000 meals this year; and

WHEREAS, to celebrate September as Hunger Action Month, Table Graces is hosting an
inaugural Run to the Table 5K / 1-mile walk on Saturday, September 24* that will start/end at
Market Park Pavilion in downtown Athens. An adult registration for the run will provide six (6)
of the meals to families in our community.

NOW, THEREFORE, |, WILLIAM BO PERKINSON, Mayor of the City of Athens, Tennessee, do
hereby declare the month of September as HUNGER ACTION MONTH in the City of Athens and
urge our citizens to help in making Athens hunger-free. /

ADOPTED: August 14, 2022