Box 3, Folder 17, Document 94

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Box 3, Folder 17, Document 94

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Economic Opportunity Atlanta, Inc.





101 Marietta Street Bldg. e Atlanta, Georgia 30303 ¢ Telephone: .525-4262
T. M. Parham

Executive Administrator

Contact: Mrs. Mitchell

For immediate release
April 10, 1969

To begin observance of "Martha's Day" on April 11, members |
of the Christian Council of Metropolitan Atlanta ididntetraneeet
committee have invited the public to join them for fasting and
praye~ at 7:00 a. m. at St. Mark Methodist Church, Peachtree
and Filth Streets.

The invitation was issued by Dr. @itidem Geren, President
of the Council and Pastor of the Dogwood Hills Baptist Church.
Ye urged al. atlantans to participate in "Martha's Day" by con-
tributing tc the Ira Jarvell Milk Fund for hungry school child-
ren. \

Tax deductible checks can be mailed to Christian Council,

Box 567, Atlanta, Georgia 30301. |

: {
|
Mayor Ivan Allen, Jr. has proclaimed April 11 as "Martha's

Day" calling upon the city to "eat for 1 day what Martha eats,
to feel for 1 day what Martha feels."

Martha, a first grader from a poverty family, was intro-
duced by Economic Opportunity Atlanta and the Christian Council
of Metropolitan Atlanta to dramatize the plight of Atlanta's

hungry children.
~

Martha is not her real name, but she is a real child.

She knows what it is like to try to do her school work ona

near empty stomach.

ate lives with her parents, four brothers and one sister
in three rooms which used to be someone's Garage; The family
pays $28.00 a week for the three rooms. The landlady comes to
collect the rent+ each Saturday. Now that her father is only
making $30.00 a week the family of eight must somehow exist
each week cn the remaining $2.00.

Sometimes Martha goes to school iehout breakfast. Her
daily diet often consists of a sandwich and several hot dogs,

or perhaps just beans and potatoes.

In October Martha was sick during the entire month with
a throat infection. Her teacher told hak mother that Martha
might fail the first grate because of her month's absence.
But Martha is eager to show visitors how well she can read

and write. She hopes she will pass.

Nobody knows how many hungry Marthas there are in Atlanta
or Georgia, but there are thousands. For most the only decent

meal all day is the school lunch. Some do not even get that.

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