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Many thanks to the members of the South Hall Rotary Club for their efforts to raise funds to support the Georgia Mountain Food Bank at the "Rockin' to the Oldies" dinner and dance. Through the support of the individuals, businesses and groups like the South Hall Rotary Club, the Georgia Mountain Food Bank is able to increase food and resources to residents of Northeast Georgia.
The Georgia Mountain Food Bank, as an affiliate of the Atlanta Community Food Bank, helps to provide individuals and families with food and commodities through a network of partner agencies including food pantries, shelters, soup kitchens and other hunger fighting organizations. In these times of high unemployment and skyrocketing cost of living, nearly 36 million Americans, over 9 million children and 3 million seniors, face food insecurity every day. Though we live in a country of great wealth, where everyone should have plenty to eat, there are many who do not.
There are many ways to support the efforts of the Georgia Mountain Food Bank, such as events like "Rockin' to the Oldies." To learn more about tax-deductible giving options, food donations, volunteering and other ways to help, contact the food bank at 770-967-0075 or visit the Web site.
Kay Blackstock
executive director, Georgia Mountain Food Bank
Public health insurance is like having police, fire
It amazes me that the current debate concerning health care reform has caused such a stir.
Perhaps most people have never heard of subscriber fire protection but it use to be what most people in America depended on for the protection of their homes and businesses. If your home caught on fire and you weren't a subscriber to the local fire department, you were out of luck!
Only the most progressive cities in those days understood that by protecting everyone with the same service, costs per household was actually cheaper and subscribers didn't have the worry of an unprotected house next door catching fire and taking theirs with it. Fire protection by tax-funded fire departments is taken for granted now and most of us wouldn't have it any other way.
Health care isn't much different than fire protection. We all need police and fire protection, regardless of our incomes. And just like an uncontrolled fire next door, all of us, insured or not, are at increased risk when we leave a huge portion of our population locked out from the protection of affordable health care.
Scott Zorc
Buford