State Bank will pack some joy into this summer by partnering with Action Ministries’ Smart Lunch, Smart Kid program to provide hunger relief for Georgia’s children. Smart Lunch, Smart Kid feeds some of the 1 million children in the state who are eligible to receive free or reduced-price lunch at school, a critical meal that disappears when school’s out.
 
Employees from six Metro Atlanta State Bank branches kicked off the “It’s in the Bag” campaign by assembling 860 lunches on June 29 and 30, ensuring that hundreds of kids were able to enjoy a PB&J on a summer day instead of feeling hungry. The fundraising campaign will continue through Aug. 5, with opportunities for State Bank customers to donate at teller stations or by texting FEEDKIDS to 41444.
 
While public schools are out during the summer, Smart Kid, Smart Lunch volunteers distribute lunches each day to eligible children. In 2016, the program plans to serve nearly 300,000 lunches, feeding 10,000 children in 18 Georgia counties.
 
“Action Ministries is grateful for engaged, committed partners like State Bank and Trust Company,” said Shakura Conoly, associate vice president of hunger relief for Action Ministries. “We expect to exceed the one million lunches served mark in just our fourth year of the program, and we couldn’t do it without our Life-Changer partners.”