In respect to the 42 million Americans facing delayed Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, Love Beyond Walls founder Dr. Terence Lester will sit atop a refrigerator for 42 hours throughout the week Nov. 3rd – Nov. 10th at the Love Beyond Walls national headquarters in College Park, GA. Love Beyond Walls’ latest awareness campaign Project Open Fridge, is a protest to food insecurity and hopes to expand resources for Title I schools with families and children impacted experiencing homelessness and poverty.
As the recent U.S. government shutdown disrupts vital food assistance programs, its lingering impact has exposed the silent crisis of food insecurity impacting 1 in 5 children in Georgia. Exacerbated by federal funding cuts, the burden is overwhelming school districts, principals and educators witnessing students attend school for their only meal of the day.
“The need is growing by the week. Principals in our partner schools share that resources are drying up, students are coming to school hungry or not at all due to basic needs not being met in the home,” says Dr. Terence Lester. “Zion’s Closet is our direct response to this crisis ensuring students in low-income communities have a space of dignity to access food, clothes and other necessities. The hope for this campaign is to draw attention to what’s really happening in schools that are trying to do more with less and how we can come together to help our most vulnerable students.”
Love in Action
The Project Open Fridgecampaign builds on Love Beyond Walls’ mission to amplify the voices of people experiencing poverty and homelessness. Each hour Dr. Lester sits on top of the fridge represents hope and resilience for millions of American families living in poverty whose voices are often silenced or ignored. Love Beyond Walls initiatives like Zion’s Closet and Love Feeds help restore lost dignity while ensuring accessible and healthy grocery options for students and their families.
Zion’s Closet partners with Title 1 schools to retrofit community resource rooms stocked with groceries, clothing, hygiene and essential household items for students and their families who are unhoused and experiencing poverty. The next Zion’s Closet is currently underway in Fulton County’s Love T. Nolan Elementary School.
Love Feeds supports nearly 700 families with free groceries during its drive-thru store pop-up each month. The next one is Saturday, November 22nd just in time for Thanksgiving.
Community Partnership & Call to Action
Love Beyond Walls invites the community to participate by:
- Sponsoring or hosting a Project Open Fridge community pop up of free groceries
- Donating to the Zion’s Closet wishlist for Love T. Nolan Elementary School or Love Feeds wishlist
- Dropping off non-perishable items (i.e. rice, pasta, rice, canned goods such as milk, soups, vegetables, fruit, etc.) to the Love Beyond Walls HQ (3270 E Main St, College Park, GA 30337)
For more information about upcoming Zion’s Closet, Love Feeds and volunteer opportunities visit, LoveBeyondWalls.org.
About Dr. Terence Lester & Love Beyond Walls: Dr. Terence Lester is a storyteller, public scholar, speaker, community activist and author of From Dropout to Doctorate. He is the founder and executive director of Love Beyond Walls, a nonprofit organization focused on raising awareness about poverty, homelessness and community mobilization. Love Beyond Walls is a movement birthed out of the hope that love is greater than walls. Through nationwide campaigns, innovative outreach, and community-driven programs, Love Beyond Walls amplifies the voices of the forgotten, restoring dignity, fostering empathy, and mobilizing people to be agents of change. For more information, visit LoveBeyondWalls.org