North Fulton Community Charities requests back-to-school donations ► PAGE 4 J u l y 2 0 , 2 0 2 3 | A p p e n M e d i a . c o m | A n A p p e n M e d i a G r o u p P u b l i c a t i o n | 5 0 ¢ | Vo l u m e 2 , N o . 2 9
Fulton County existing schools prep for facelift By DELANEY TARR delaney@appenmedia.com
ALEX POPP/APPEN MEDIA
Leaders of the Community Assistance Center in Sandy Springs recently reported the group is dealing with an avalanche of need in the community, caused by rising costs of housing, food and medical care.
Community Assistance Center reports local need is on the rise BY ALEXANDER POPP alex@appenmedia.com SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — Nonprofit leaders are sounding alarms over the rising number of people needing help with everyday living expenses in Sandy Springs and Dunwoody, as more families seek help. Speaking to the Sandy Springs City Council June 20, Community Assistance Center CEO Francis Horton reported the nonprofit, which supplies food, financial
and career assistance, and other support, has experienced a 47 percent increase in usage this year. Horton reported a 57 percent uptick in usage at the CAC client choice food pantries, with 77 percent of the clients from Sandy Springs and many from families that have never needed assistance before. “More and more families find themselves in a position of making the decision, ‘Do I buy food, or do I pay rent?’
and we're trying to help alleviate that decision a little bit by providing some financial assistance to help with rent and utilities,” he said. In 2022 CAC served 6,908 individuals, and by May 2023 it reported more than 4,700 people had already been served by the organization, putting the organization on a path to easily pass last year’s numbers.
See CAC, Page 8
FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — Fulton County Schools will move away from adding new school buildings over the next five years as part of a capital plan aimed at “protecting the investment” in its existing 108 education facilities. In June, the School Board approved a $2.1 billion budget for the 2023-2024 school year, with $612 million targeted for capital projects. Typically, the capital fund goes towards major construction projects — including the cost to build new schools. In the upcoming year, though, Fulton Schools Chief Operations Officer Noel Maloof said the district is headed away from adding schools due to declining enrollment across the county. Instead, the capital plan focuses on renovations, replacements and “behind-the-scenes” construction.
See SCHOOLS, Page 20
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