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North Fulton charity asks for donations to stock food pantry By JAKE DRUKMAN jake@appenmedia.com
FILE PHOTO
As the country mourns the loss of 19 students and two teachers killed in Uvalde, Texas, parents in Fulton County want to know what safety measures the school district has in place.
Schools balance triumphs with tragedy
Texas school shooting casts dreadful shadow over accomplishments By CANDY WAYLOCK candy@appenmedia.com
ATLANTA —The school year ended in late May as students and families celebrated their achievements against the backdrop of a national tragedy. During the same week Fulton County Schools seniors were participating in their first “normal” graduation since
the COVID-19 pandemic, the town of Uvalde, Texas, was mourning the loss of 19 elementary students and two teachers killed by a shooter who entered the school. Fulton County Schools Superintendent Mike Looney urged the community to come together to support all students and staff. “As we close the school year and head into summer with the complex emotions this tragedy will create, please remember to reach out to each other to provide support and care,” Looney said in a statement released after the May 24 event.
In social media posts and online forums, many parents questioned what plans Fulton County Schools had to mitigate and respond to similar emergencies in the district. District officials assured parents emergency plans have been a focus of schools for years – not just severe weather drills, but active shooter and intruder protocols as well. “It is difficult to comprehend all that happened [in Texas] and what may have stopped it from occurring…we may never know,” said Brian Noyes, chief com-
See SCHOOLS, Page 6
NORTH FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — North Fulton Community Charities is asking for food donations from the community to keep its food pantry stocked over the summer. The charity’s food pantry serves families from across the North Fulton area who struggle with food insecurity and financial instability. On average, the pantry gives food to 140 families daily. By providing free food for struggling families, the pantry frees up money for them to pay rent, utilities and other living expenses. Alpharetta’s North Point Community Church will hold a food drive to benefit the charity’s pantry June 3-11. Melody Fortin, director of the charity’s food pantry services, said she expects a good turnout for the drive, but that the pantry’s stocks often wane later in the summer. She said she hopes to keep awareness up through July and August. Most-needed items include pasta, canned meat and fish, dried beans, peanut butter and jelly, tomato prod-
See NFCC, Page 7