About The champion newspaper. (Decatur, GA) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 8, 2024)
EDITORIAL THE CHAMPION, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8 - 14, 2024 • PAGE 4 TheCHAMPION WWW.THECHAMPIONNEWSPAPER.COM OUR VISION: To be the first choice for local news in DeKalb, Georgia's most culturally diverse county.To be the unbiased, county-wide voice of DeKalb County. PUBLISHER: CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER: CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER: LEGAL AD MANAGER: PRODUCTION MANAGER: ADVERTISING SALES: LOCAL NEWS/SPORT EDITOR: STAFF REPORTER: LIFESTYLE EDITOR: BUSINESS EDITOR: SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR: MAIN PHONE: SUBSCRIPTIONS/ADVERTISING LEGAL ADVERTISING Carolyn Jernigan Glenn Dr. Earl D. Glenn John Hewitt Jacquelyn Bryant Kemesha Wad ley John Hewitt Jay Phillips Christine Fonville Gale Horton Gay Kathy Mitchell Donna Seay (404) 373-7779 Fax: (404) 373-7721 Fax: (404) 371-1359 Publication No. 015405 The Champion is published each Thursday by ACE III Communications, Inc., 627 - H East College Avenue, Decatur, GA 30030. Phone (404) 373-7779. Periodicals Postage Paid at U.S. Post Office, Decatur, Georgia 30030. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Champion, P. O. Box 1347, Decatur, GA 30031-1347. Articles appearing in The Champion may not be reproduced without written approval of the publisher. All rights reserved. The opinions expressed by editors and contributing writers are not necessarily those of the publishers. ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION • $39.00 RETAIL AND COIN BOX LOCATIONS Kroger 2205 La Vista Rd NE. Atlanta Kroger 3559 ChambleeTucker Rd. Atlanta Kroger 2090 Dunwoody Club Dr. Atlanta Avondale Estates City Hall 221 N. Avondale Plaza Avondale Estates Brookhaven City Hall 4362 Peachtree Rd. NE Brookhaven Chamblee MARTA 5200 New Peachtree Rd Chamblee The Champion 627- H, East College Ave. Decatur Kroger 2875 N Decatur Rd. Decatur Kroger 3479 Memorial Drive Decatur Kroger 4919 Flat Shoals Pkwy. Decatur Kroger DeK. Co. Public 2385 Wesley Chapel Rd. Decatur Safety Complex 3630 Camp Circle Decatur Doraville MARTA 5936 New Peachtree Rd. Doraville Doraville Courthouse 3725 Park Avenue Doraville Kroger 4498 Chamblee Dunwoody Rd. Dunwoody Dunwoody MARTA 1111 Hammond Dr. Dunwoody Kroger 6678 Covington Hwy. Lithonia Kroger 1232 S Hairston Rd. Stone Mountain Stone Mountain City Hall 922 Main Street Stone Mountain Kroger 3959 La Vista Rd Suite A. Tucker Kroger 4357 Lawrenceville Hwy. Tucker Matthews Cafeteria Main Street Tucker Let Us Know What You Think! THE CHAMPION encourages opinions from its readers. Please write to us and express your views. Letters should be brief, typewritten and contain the writer's name, address and telephone number for verification. All letters will be considered for publication. Send Letters To: Editor, The Champion P.O.Box 1347 Decatur, GA 30031-1347 Email: johnh@dekalbchamp.com DEADLINE FOR NEWS RELEASES: Thursday, 1 week prior to publication date. Printed on 100% recycled paper « " Fundraising campaigns expose deeper problems Online crowdsourcing, defined in the Merriam-Webster dictionary as the practice of obtaining needed services, ideas, or content by soliciting contributions from a large group, has the power to do great things. A recent local crowdsourcing success occurred when Jasmine Crowe-Houston, a parent of a child who attends City Schools of Decatur (CSD), started a GoFundMe campaign to raise thousands of dollars with the goal of wiping out the school district's lunch debt. The campaign was an overnight success - literally. Within 48 hours, Crowe-Houston had surpassed her goal and collected more than $85,000 in donations. On the surface, the story is a feel-good tale of a community coming together to support students in need. But isn't it alarming that a campaign to raise thousands of dollars to ensure something as basic as a hot lunch for students was even needed in the first place? According to GoFundMe Communications Manager Brian Hill, fundraisers started for lunch debt increased significantly on the fundraising website in 2023 as reported in GoFundMe's Year in Help annual report. A quick scroll through the fundraising website shows people desperate to pay medical fees, rent, utilities and groceries. When did online fundraising become the only way, for many people, to come close to paying off that exorbitant hospital bill? While we at The Champion applaud Crowe-Houston taking action, we also believe it speaks to the sad state of affairs when basic needs are not being met for so many who hope and pray their GoFundMe campaign gets enough clicks and shares to actually be beneficial.
