The Slice That Keeps on Giving

Starting June 27 parents and children can do a little good by eating a slice of pizza.

, known for its weird concoctions like the “mac-n cheese pizza” is hosting a weeklong drive to raise funds for the Kids In Need Foundation.

Founded in 1995, Kids In Need was created to equip students of struggling families with important school supplies. In Georgia the Kids In Need program is operated through the Atlanta Community Food Bank and serves students in Atlanta Public Schools, Gainesville, Decatur, and Clayton, Cobb, Fulton, Hall, Spaulding, DeKalb and Gwinnett counties. In 2010, 2,368 teachers and 245,000 students benefited from resources provided by Kids In Need.

To qualify for the Kids In Need program 80 percent of students at a given school has to be enrolled in the free or reduced lunch and breakfast program.

“The program allows parents to have more money to put food on the table instead of worrying about providing school supplies,” said Angie Clawson, a spokeswoman for the Atlanta Community Food Bank.

Once a school has been selected to participate in the Kids In Need Program a teacher is chosen from that school to go to the Atlanta Food Bank to gather supplies. There is a store set-up, that resembles most office supply stores, and each teacher is given a grocery cart and allotted 40 minutes to fill up their given cart with all the school supplies they can. Teachers are then responsible for taking the school supplies back to their students and distributing them. Schools are able to shop once each semester for new supplies.

“We have a great family fun atmosphere and we wanted to link up with a charity that was in line with who we were, “ said Kellie Morvillo, a spokesperson for Stevi B’s.  “We wanted to give Kids In Need a weeklong fundraiser because we want them to have as much time as possible to really raise money through our stores.”

In the past the pizzeria has hosted “spirit nights” where they invite parents and students of elementary schools to dine in local Stevi B restaurants, and a percentage of the night’s profits is given back to the school.

When Snellville residents dine at the local Stevi B’s, located at 1977 Scenic Highway, they must tell the cashier that they are there to support the Kids In Need Program so that it gets proceeds. Additionally, the pizzeria will be collecting school supplies, needed items include pencils, spiral notebooks, crayons and erasers.