--Drop off bookbags and school supplies at Kroger from July 19 - Aug. 4--

ATLANTA (July 12, 2008) - Kroger, the Children's Restoration Network, WSB-TV and Mission Grounds Gourmet Coffee are teaming up for the Back 2 School bookbag and school supplies drive from July 19 - Aug. 4 to help metro Atlanta's homeless children. Kroger stores in 19 metro Atlanta counties will serve as exclusive collection sites for bookbags and other essential school supplies. Mission Grounds Gourmet Coffee, a nonprofit purveyor of gourmet coffee that provides aid to underprivileged children globally, has pledged to use all proceeds it receives from Kroger customers purchasing its product during the drive to buy new school supplies.

"This is a wonderful program that offers a variety of ways to give," says Boake Moore, chief executive officer of Mission Grounds Gourmet Coffee. "Whether Kroger customers purchase Mission Grounds Coffee or directly donate bookbags and school supplies, they can be sure their donations will reach the children who need them."

Items Needed:
. New bookbags
. Wide- and college-ruled notebook paper
. Spiral notebooks
. Three-ring binders
. Pens and pencils
. Calculators
. Markers
. Scissors
. Rulers
. Crayons
. Glue
. Dictionaries

Metro Atlantans can drop off bookbags and school supplies at Kroger stores in:

Barrow County Coweta County Gwinnett County

Bartow County DeKalb County Hall County

Carroll County Douglas County Henry County

Cherokee County Fayette County Newton County

Clayton County Forsyth County Rockdale County

Cobb County Fulton County Spalding County

Walton County

-MORE-

Back 2 School bookbag drive kicks off/Pg. 2

According to the United Way, more than 3,500 children will live in a shelter or group home at some point during the 2008-2009 school year. In metro Atlanta, the Children's Restoration Network estimates approximately 1,900 children are homeless each night. This number does not include children living in cars, with family friends or several families living in hotel rooms together.

"It is astonishing there are so many homeless children in metro Atlanta," says Glynn Jenkins, director of communications for the Atlanta Division of Kroger. "Kroger is dedicated to helping the communities it serves, and the Back 2 School program is an excellent opportunity to engage the community and give disadvantaged children a head start this school year."

"The stress of entering a new grade with unfamiliar teachers and classmates is compounded for disadvantaged children, who don't have the proper supplies needed to make the most of their educational experience. The Back 2 School program can help alleviate some of this stress," says Cliff Kinsey, chief executive officer of Children's Restoration Network.

"I'm thrilled to work with Kroger, Mission Grounds Gourmet Coffee and WSB-TV on this year's collection," says Kinsey. "Our combined efforts will allow this organization to help more children in their pursuit of an education."

About Kroger

Kroger's Atlanta Division is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia and is one of the southeast largest retail grocery chains with over 215 stores covering, Georgia, Eastern Tennessee, Alabama and South Carolina. The Company focuses its charitable efforts on hunger relief, K-12 education, women's health initiatives and local organizations in the communities it serves. For more information about Kroger, please visit www.kroger.com

About Children's Restoration Network
Children's Restoration Network (CRN) is a non-profit agency focusing on the plight of homeless children in our community. In addition to meeting basic needs, CRN conducts special events to provide a broad range of positive experiences for the children and their mothers to promote healthy and happy community interaction. CRN's Back 2 School program provides new book bags and school supplies and brings together over 1,000 homeless kids together to meet and greet, sometimes their own brothers and sisters who might be in different homes. For more information about CRN's Back 2 School program, please visit www.childrn.org/OurPrograms.asp

About Mission Grounds Coffee

Mission Grounds Coffee offers gourmet coffee in simple bags that will make a difference. The company is a non-profit corporation that devotes 100 percent of its profits to support non-profit missions that benefit children. The company was founded by a small group of friends after returning from mission trips where they realized children suffer the most in poor economic conditions. The company helps children in Russia, Indonesia Kenya and South Africa, China and Sudan. To learn more about Mission Grounds Coffee, please visit www.missiongrounds.com

# # #

--Drop off bookbags and school
supplies at Kroger from July 19 – Aug. 4--
ATLANTA (July 12, 2008) - Kroger, the
ChildrenÂ’s Restoration Network, WSB-TV and Mission Grounds Gourmet Coffee are
teaming up for the Back 2 School bookbag
and school supplies drive from July 19 – Aug. 4 to help metro Atlanta’s homeless
children. Kroger stores in 19 metro Atlanta counties will serve as exclusive
collection sites for bookbags and other essential school supplies. Mission
Grounds Gourmet Coffee, a nonprofit purveyor of gourmet coffee that provides aid
to underprivileged children globally, has pledged to use all proceeds it
receives from Kroger customers purchasing its product during the drive to buy
new school supplies.
“This is a wonderful program that
offers a variety of ways to give,” says Boake Moore, chief executive officer of
Mission Grounds Gourmet Coffee. “Whether Kroger customers purchase Mission
Grounds Coffee or directly donate bookbags and school supplies, they can be sure
their donations will reach the children who need them.”
Items Needed:• New
bookbags• Wide- and college-ruled notebook paper• Spiral
notebooks• Three-ring binders• Pens and
pencils• Calculators• Markers• Scissors• Rulers• Crayons• Glue• Dictionaries
Metro Atlantans can drop off bookbags
and school supplies at Kroger stores in:
Barrow County          
    Coweta
County      
      Gwinnett County  
Bartow County          
    DeKalb
County      
      Hall County
Carroll County           
    Douglas
County     
      Henry County
Cherokee County       
    Fayette
County      
      Newton County
Clayton County         
    Forsyth
County      
      Rockdale County
Cobb County             
    Fulton
County        
      Spalding County
                                                                                               
       Walton County   
                       

 
 
-MORE-
 
 
Back 2 School bookbag drive kicks
off/Pg. 2
 
According to the United Way, more
than 3,500 children will live in a shelter or group home at some point during
the 2008-2009 school year. In metro Atlanta, the ChildrenÂ’s Restoration Network
estimates approximately 1,900 children are homeless each night. This number does
not include children living in cars, with family friends or several families
living in hotel rooms together.
“It is astonishing there are so many
homeless children in metro Atlanta,” says Glynn Jenkins, director of
communications for the Atlanta Division of Kroger. “Kroger is dedicated to
helping the communities it serves, and the Back
2 School program is an excellent opportunity to engage the community and
give disadvantaged children a head start this school year.”
“The stress of entering a new grade
with unfamiliar teachers and classmates is compounded for disadvantaged
children, who donÂ’t have the proper supplies needed to make the most of their
educational experience. The Back 2
School program can help alleviate some of this stress,” says Cliff
Kinsey, chief executive officer of ChildrenÂ’s Restoration Network. 

“I’m thrilled to work with Kroger,
Mission Grounds Gourmet Coffee and WSB-TV on this year’s collection,” says
Kinsey. “Our combined efforts will allow this organization to help more children
in their pursuit of an education.”
 
About
Kroger
KrogerÂ’s Atlanta Division is headquartered in Atlanta,
Georgia and is one of the southeast largest retail grocery chains with over 215
stores covering, Georgia, Eastern Tennessee, Alabama and South Carolina. The
Company focuses its charitable efforts on hunger relief, K-12 education, womenÂ’s
health initiatives and local organizations in the communities it serves. For
more information about Kroger, please visit www.kroger.com
 
About
Children's Restoration
Network
Children's
Restoration Network (CRN)
is a non-profit agency focusing on the plight of homeless children in our
community. In addition to meeting basic needs, CRN
conducts special events to provide a broad range of positive experiences for the
children and their mothers to promote healthy and happy community interaction.
CRN's Back
2 School program provides
new book bags and school supplies and brings together over 1,000 homeless kids
together to meet and greet, sometimes their own brothers and sisters who might
be in different homes. For more information about CRN's Back
2 School program,
please visit www.childrn.org/OurPrograms.asp
 
About Mission Grounds Coffee      
           

Mission Grounds Coffee offers gourmet coffee in simple bags that will make a
difference. The company is a
non-profit
corporation that devotes 100 percent of its profits to support non-profit
missions that benefit children. The company was founded by a small group of friends
after returning from mission trips where they realized children suffer the most
in poor economic conditions. The company helps children in
Russia,
Indonesia Kenya and South
Africa, China and Sudan. To learn
more about Mission Grounds Coffee, please visit www.missiongrounds.com
# #
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