COVINGTON, Ga. - Action Ministries is hosting its third annual Dine Out Do Good event in Newton County Thursday with the proceeds benefitting its weekend food packets for school-aged children (SuperPacks) who struggle with hunger on the weekends.

Participating restaurants include, Amici's, Blimpie's, Bradley's BBQ, Bread and Butter Bakery, Buddy's BBQ, Butcher Block Deli, Chick-fil-A (Newton Plaza), Frank's Restaurant, Irish Bred Pub, Jersy Mike's, Jimmy John's, Mamie's Kitchen Biscuits (Brown Bridge Road), Plain Nuts, Quik Chick, Stalvey's Restaurant, Walden's, Where There's Smoke BBQ (Mansfield), Your Pie and Zaxby's (Turner Lake, Covington Bypass and Brown Bridge Road). All participating restaurants are donating 10 percent of their gross sales on Thursday, Nov. 2 for the event. 

"In 2015 we raised $7,800 which supported 2,600 SuperPacks for NewtonCounty school-aged children who struggle with weekend hunger," Tamara Richardson, regional director for Action Ministries, said. "Each SuperPack has food for six meals, so 15,600 meals resulted from this event.

 "In 2016 we added several Rockdale restaurants and added several additional sponsors as well and raised $14,800 which provided 3,700 SuperPacks - resulting in 22,200 meals for Newton (and  Rockdale) students. The monies raised in Rockdale stayed in Rockdale to serve those students - the same for Newton."

There is a total of 26 restaurants participating this year in both Newton County and Rockdale County. 

Richardson said SuperPacks make up at least six meals. 

"Each SuperPack is filled with two breakfasts, four protein entrees and two fruits or vegetables," she said. "Volunteers deliver them to participating schools each Thursday or Friday and in coordination with the school counselors at each participating school, the Packs are discreetly placed in the students’ backpacks.  We also provide extra SuperPacks for the students on the weeks that they are out of school."

Richardson said $160 sponsors one child with a SuperPack for an entire year at a cost of $4 a week for 40 weeks in a school year. A total of 16 Newton County schools are participating in the program this school year. 

 "As you probably know, approximately 70 percent of our Newton County school children rely on free and reduced lunches Monday through Friday," she said. "On the weekends, many of these children face hunger in their households. SuperPacks are there to fill that void."

Interested donors can visit www.actionministries.net to make a donation  -- earmarking the donations for the Piedmont Region or call the Action Ministries office at 678-280-4161.