Summer Fun in Forsyth CountyEpling Mertz Real Estate
You are here: Home / Archives for Food for Thought Project

Spaghetti Dinner & Fundraising Event to Benefit Food for Thought in Cumming GA

April 2, 2013 By Leave a Comment

spaghetti dinner fundraiser

Spaghetti Dinner & Fundraising Event to Benefit Food for Thought in Cumming GA

Join Mia’s Pizza & Eats for a Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser benefiting Cumming’s Food for Thought Project.  Cumming Local is a huge fan of the Food for Thought Project – an amazing organization in Cumming GA and Mia’s is a big supporter of their efforts.  This is sure to be a great night for a great cause!

If you don’t know much about the Food for Thought Project, check out our thoughts here.

Event Details:

April 29, 2013 from 4pm to 9pm.
Tickets are $15 (+tax) for adults. Children under 10 are $10 (+tax).
Spaghetti dinner tickets do not include sales tax or gratuity.
Tickets are for dine-in or take-out only.  (No refunds)
Click here for more information & to purchase your tickets.

For your ticket price, you’ll receive a small house salad, a large bowl of spaghetti with marinara sauce (meatball/sausage optional), crusty garlic bread, and your choice of sweet tea or unsweetened tea or soda. Alcoholic beverages are regular price. Children’s dinners include a bowl of spaghetti (meatball optional), crusty bread, and a drink. Gratuity is not included in the ticket price.

Raffle Tickets:

Raffle tickets are available for purchase at $1 each.  Click here to see a list of all the great prizes and sponsors.

About Food For Thought:

25% of your purchase price will go directly to the Food for Thought Project, a family-run nonprofit devoted to ending hunger in the North Georgia area. Since they began their nonprofit they have collected and distributed over 55,000 pounds of food. That’s roughly 25 tons!

More Information & to Purchase Advance Tickets:

Click here to purchase tickets and see more information.

Filed Under: Fundraising Events Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Food for Thought Project: Volunteer to be a Driver

March 25, 2012 By 1 Comment

I’ve been talking about the “Food for Thought Project“, for a while now. It’s one of my favorite ways to help those in need right here in Forsyth County!

If you haven’t heard about it yet, simply put, the Food for Thought Project, is a community based, ongoing door to door food drive. They currently serve Cumming & Forsyth County. It was launched in April 2011, by two local families in Cumming, GA.

Have you Signed Up?

I highly encourage all Cumming Local readers to sign up to participate (just involves filling out an online form with contact information). A bright orange reusable bag will be delivered to your doorstep. Fill the bag up with non-perishable items & on the second Saturday of every month, a volunteer will pick the bag up (from your doorstep), and leave another bag in its place! The filled bag will then be sorted & all food collected will be taken to local food pantries. The empty bag is yours to fill up again & get ready for the next pick up date!

Click here to learn more about “tips to filling up your bag” and more about “how it works”.

Can You do More?


The Food for Thought Project has picked up 21,758 lbs of food to date and has 467 families participating! Even restaurants are getting involved! Mia’s Pizza & Eats has sponsored several events and now offers a Perpetual Fundraiser to Benefit FFTP.

But today, I’m challenging you with the question … “can you do more”? Every pick-up day, Food for Thought relies on volunteers to become “pick-up drivers”. These drivers are equipped with everything needed to run a successful pickup. A Food for Thought team member will deliver your route map, directions, supplies, etc. a couple of days in advance. Everything is so organized and geared towards making it as easy as possible. You simply donate your gas and your time.

It’s a GREAT family service project! This past February, my family got into the action. My husband drove, I was the co-pilot giving him directions & checking off our list, and our two children (6 & 3) were the most excited & eager volunteers I had seen!! They got super excited to see the filled bags out on the doorsteps because that meant they could run up to the house and help carry the bags down.

We started our morning at about 9am. After making all our stops (we had about a dozen – but the final number will depend on the number of drivers for each pick-up day), we delivered the food to the Food for Thought team stationed at Jason Taylor Moving & Storage. They currently donate warehouse space for Food for Thought to receive & organize food prior to dispersing it to the local food pantries. By noon the four of us were eating lunch and talking about our first morning as volunteers!

In just three hours, we were able to help our community and a great organization, but more so – we were able to give back AND get the kids involved too! It really was an awesome way for our family to spend the morning! I was humbled that we could join in!!

We aren’t able to help with the April 14th pickup, but I know for a fact we’ll be driving again for a future pickup. Will you join us?

How to Join in the Project?

1. Donate Food – Ask for a bright orange bag. It’s estimated that for every 300 people who participate, Food for Thought will collect one ton of additional food a month.

2. Invite Your Neighbors – Ask neighbors if they would like to join this program and get a bright orange bag. Maybe even head up the efforts in your neighborhood!

3. Help Transport Food – Once every 2 months, on the second Saturday, help pick up the bright orange bags. This would be a great family activity — Mom or Dad drives & the kids run get the food!

It is reserved for families that donate food first, so make sure you sign up for that first! And then take that next step to drive!

Connect with Food for Thought:

Sign Up

Website

Facebook

Email Food for Thought

Phone: 770.744.3571

Filed Under: Fundraising Events Tagged With:

Food for Thought Project: Making it Easy to Get Involved

January 10, 2012 By 2 Comments

Want to make a big impact this year? In a practical way? And right here in Forsyth County?

If you haven’t signed up to participate in the “Food for Thought Project“, then it’s as simple as that!

I was so excited when I first shared this opportunity with you last year. It is something that our family supports and I thought it was so simple to get involved that everyone else should know about it too! So many of you joined in the project! And you shared with your friends & neighbors too! It’s been incredibly exciting to watch how Food for Thought has grown and I know that it will be making a huge impact in our county in 2012!

The Food for Thought Project, launched in April 2011, by two local families in Cumming, GA. Two families that I’m happy to know! They have big hearts and big dreams! They saw a need in our community and are now working to fill that need!

Simply put, the Food for Thought Project is a community based, ongoing door to door food drive. They currently serve Cumming & Forsyth County.

How Does it Work?

After signing up to participate (just involves filling out an online form with contact information), you’ll be given a bright orange reusable bag. The bag is delivered to your doorstep. Fill the bag up & on the second Saturday of every month, a volunteer will pick the bag up (from your doorstep), and leave another bag in its place! The filled bag will then be sorted & all food collected will be taken to local food pantries. The empty bag is yours to fill up again & get ready for the next pick up date!

Tips for Filling up Your Bag:

  • Each week when you go shopping, simply buy one-two extra non-perishable food items. Between each pickup, you’ll collect 8-16 items to fill your bag!
  • A reader gave me this great idea: Take your Orange Bag to the Grocery store. Fill the bag up in one trip. When you get to the check-out register, ring all items in your Orange Bag up separately. Then you’ll have a receipt for your donation AND your bag is already packed & ready to go for the next upcoming pickup! (We have SMART readers)!

Either way, it’s simple – buy some extra non-perishable items and Food for Thought does the rest!

To Date:

The Food for Thought Project has picked up 16,232 lbs of food and have 417 families participating! Even restaurants are getting involved! Mia’s Pizza & Eats has sponsored several events and just released this Press Release in which they announce a Perpetual Fundraiser to Benefit FFTP.

How to Join in the Project?

1. Donate Food – Ask for a bright orange bag. It’s estimated that for every 300 people who participate, Food for Thought will collect one ton of additional food a month.

2. Invite Your Neighbors – Ask neighbors if they would like to join this program and get a bright orange bag. Maybe even head up the efforts in your neighborhood!

3. Help Transport Food – Once every 2 months, on the second Saturday, help pick up the bright orange bags. This could be a great family activity — Mom or Dad drives & the kids run get the food! I’m helping in February!

Connect with Food for Thought:

Sign Up

Website

Facebook

Email Food for Thought

Phone: 770.744.3571

Filed Under: Fundraising Events Tagged With:

Mia’s Pizza and Eats Presents a Perpetual Fundraiser

January 5, 2012 By 2 Comments

For Immediate Release – January 5, 2012

Mia’s Pizza and Eats Presents a Perpetual Fundraiser and Food Drive to Support the Efforts of the Food for Thought Project in Cumming, Georgia.

Mia’s Pizza and Eats of Cumming, Georgia is sponsoring a fundraiser and food drive to help support the continuous efforts of Food for Thought Project, a Cumming charity devoted to ending hunger in Forsyth County.

Each time a customer brings in a non-perishable food donation, Mia’s Pizza will donate 10% of that sale to Food for Thought.  The fundraiser applies to dine-in or take-out orders only, and does not apply to orders using promotional offers, coupons, or certificates.  The fundraiser is an ongoing effort and does not have an end date.

Food for Though Project began in April 2011 through the efforts of Shari Nunez and Kim Boudet.  Food for Thought makes it easy for the community to support their efforts to feed hungry and needy families:  all folks have to do is sign up at www.fftpinc.org, and Food for Thought will deliver an orange bag to be filled with canned goods between pick-up dates.  Food for Thought then comes on scheduled Saturdays, picks up the full orange bags, and drops off a new orange bag to fill.  The program makes it easy for even the busiest of folks to donate and contribute.

The project has grown to such a size, that they are collecting in excess of four tons of food on each collection dates.  Nunez states: “Currently all of the Food for Thought expenses come directly from our household budgets.  As we grow that (has) become much more cumbersome.”  Mia’s seeks to support not only the collection of non-perishable items but also the monetary needs of the organization.

Learn More:

Find out more at www.miaspizzaandeats.com or email at miaspizzaandeats@hotmail.com.  Customers can also find information about the fundraiser on Mia’s Facebook and Twitter pages.

Filed Under: Press Releases Tagged With: ,

Food Drive

October 18, 2011 By Leave a Comment

To Benefit the Food for Thought Project

Whether you’ve been following Cumming Local for just a few days or a few months, there’s a few things you’ve probably noticed by now.  We love to support local businesses.  We love to support local families in need.  And we love to support local efforts for making our community better.

That’s why I’m excited to share this upcoming event with you.  Cumming Local is excited to partner with local bloggers, Atlanta With Kid, Atlanta Deal Sites, and Rich Single Momma to bring you a Food Drive Event.  This year’s event and Drive will benefit the Food for Thought Project – an organization that I’ve been excited to share with you since its launch.

And I’d love for you to join in as well.

Will you help us fill up the food pantries in Forsyth county?   In this economy, more families and individuals are relying on help from local food pantries.  This drive will help re-fill & re-stock pantries that our neighbors in Forsyth County will depend on this Holiday Season.

We think giving should be fun and a family event!  So we’re bringing you a fun, family event in the process.

Food Drive Information:

Date: November 8th – 4:30pm to 7:30pm (Drop In)
Place: Mia’s Pizza & Eats – 911 Marketplace Blvd, Cumming GA 30041
Why: To benefit the Food for Thought Project & assist filling food pantries in Forsyth County.

Highlights of the Event:

  • 10% off dinner at Mia’s Pizza & Eats
  • Raffle Giveaways with Canned Food Donations (see note below)
  • Activities & Crafts for Kids
  • Special Coupon Codes for Local businesses to all attendees.

Giveaways to include:

Bring:

For every 2 canned food items, guests will receive one Raffle Ticket for the Giveaway Drawings.  The more cans of food you bring, the more chances you have to win!

Want to Help?

  • Come & Spread the word!
Filed Under: Fundraising Events Tagged With:

Food for Thought Project in Forsyth County

June 14, 2011 By 1 Comment

Food for Thought in Cumming GA

Food for Thought Project in Forsyth County

We are really excited to share  this post with you today.  There’s a new way to help those in need within our community and the organization is making it very easy to jump in and get involved.

Nationally, the demand at food banks is up over 30%.  The demand for food at our local pantries has increased over 100%.  At the same time, the supply of low-cost food and food donations are dwindling.*

The Food for Thought Project, launched in April 2011, by two local families and foster families in Cumming GA, is a community based, ongoing door to door food drive. They currently serve Cumming & Forsyth County. The program was inspired by “A Simple Gesture” in Paradise, CA which was inspired by “The Ashland Food Project” in Ashland, Oregon.  It has been a great success in both areas and the founders of The Food for Thought Project believe this can change the face of hunger in Forsyth County.

How Does it Work?

After signing up to participate, you’ll be given a bright orange bag.

1.  Each week when participants go shopping, they should buy one extra non-perishable food item.

2.  Store that item in your bright orange bag.

3.  On the second Saturday of every other month, a volunteer will pick up the bag, leave another bag in its place and take the filled bag to food pantries.

It’s simple – buy one extra non-perishable food item each week and Food for Thought does the rest!

How to Join?

There are three ways to help.

1.  Share Food – Ask for a bright orange bag.  It’s estimated that for every 300 people who participate, Food for Thought will collect one ton of additional food a month.

2.  Invite Your Neighbors – Ask neighbors if they would like to join this program and get a bright orange bag.  Maybe even head up the efforts in your neighborhood!

3.  Help Transport Food – Once every 2 months, on the second Saturday, help pick up the bright orange bags and deliver to food pantries.

The above pictures were from their first, June 11th pick up.  Food for Thought collected 941.2 pounds of food!!  I just signed my family up to participate.  Will you?

Want more information?


Sign Up

Website

Facebook

Email Food for Thought

Phone:  770.744.3571

*Information provided via Food for Thought.

Filed Under: Guest Posts Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
Disclaimer: We do our best to provide accurate, useful information about events, activities and small business within Cumming & Forsyth County. Information (including times and locations) is gathered from various sources including press releases, Facebook postings, signs around town, event submissions and word of mouth. We always attempt to confirm details before published. It is possible that details change or we are given inaccurate information. Whenever possible we link our articles to the source or information provided and strongly urge you to confirm details before you go. Cumming Local is in no way responsible for any problems that occur while participating in activities recommended on this site or for any errors & omissions. The goal of this site is to highlight businesses in Cumming, GA – the availability of them and praise ones that I personally love. It is not to provide personal reviews of each, that will be left up to you.