From Campus to Classroom: Stories That Shape Education
- APS expects a surge in student needs as SNAP uncertainties threaten food access for nearly 18,000 students.
- Student and Family Support Hub will expand services and drive-thru distributions, partnering with Goodr and Atlanta Community Food Bank.
- Superintendent Bryan Johnson and staff pledge immediate social‑emotional and resource support, urging community partners and donations to help.
“There’s no way we will allow our students to be without,” Supt. Johnson said.
ATLANTA — On Fridays, the shelves at the Atlanta Public Schools Student and Family Support Hub are typically running low. The resource center, open by appointment on Wednesdays and Thursdays, continues to get busier.
“Our demand is always pretty high,” said operations advisor Chelsea Montgomery. What’s really going to happen is with the removal of SNAP benefits, that’s going to cascade.
Two federal judges ruled nearly simultaneously on Friday that President Donald Trump’s administration must continue to pay for SNAP using USDA’s emergency reserve funds during the government shutdown. Still, it’s unclear how quickly this may happen or how much it may include.
Montgomery said nearly 18,000 students in the district receive SNAP benefits.
“This isn’t anything we’ve ever seen,” Montgomery said. We know breakfast and lunch at school is not going to be enough, and we’re going to need all hands on deck from our community, our partners and our own APS families to really help us out and lean in to support.
The resource hub provides clothes, toiletries, food, and other necessities to help bridge the gaps that students may face at home. Montgomery said the impact of food insecurity extends beyond empty stomachs.
Discipline, mental health — all those things can be impacted by hunger,” she said. “I mean, I get cranky when I’m hungry. A lot of people get cranky when they’re hungry, so just being able to have food and know that someone cares for you is so important.”
Superintendent Bryan Johnson said the district is prepared to assist families in navigating the changes.
“You are not alone,” Johnson said. Our social workers, our counselors, our family engagement specialists are ready to connect immediately and to support you.
Johnson emphasized the district’s commitment to ensuring no student goes without.
“This is not a political issue. It is not a policy issue. It is a human issue,” he said. “There’s no way we will allow our students to be without.”
In response to anticipated increased demand, APS said it is also working to significantly expand its drive-thru food distribution events.
The district is partnering with Goodr and the Atlanta Community Food Bank to host weekly drive-thru events at the hub and other locations across the city.
The Goodr store at the hub is open by appointment on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Families can find resources and sign-up information at atlantapublicschools.us/foodhelpnow and on social media at @theapshub on Instagram and X.
Those wishing to donate can visit Atlanta Partners for Education at apfefdn.org. The remaining funds will support emergency needs at the hub store, including household cleaning supplies, personal hygiene items, and clothing.
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