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Economic Opportunity Atlanta., Ince 101 Marietta Street Bldg . • t\ t bn ta, Georgia 30303 • Telephone: 525-4262 T. M. Parh am Ex ecut ive Admin is trator contact: -Mrs. Mitchell or Mrs. Mason For immediate release March 11, 1969 For the first time in Atlanta, and perhaps the nation, residents of poverty areas have taken over . the task of teaching the more affluent about poverty. Since they began their STAR'J:. ~OW ATLAN'I':... c cwipn.i': n two months ago the poor have schedule · . s lutn tours , for mor2 than . 2,000 Atlantc.:.1 1.2. ' . They also have spoken to numerous clubs and organizations and have appeared on radi0 and TV programs. The ?OOr have enlisted 202 Atlantans ~s volunteers fo r -- ~ : . Econ omic Oppo rtunity Atlanta, th'; city' s anti-poverty age11r:y . Thi s month they are planning a special -t:on:i · for lawyer s a r :i one for docto rs , at the reque3 i' o f the profess i onal o rgani- - ~2tions for both groups. 'I'he 23 pov_e rty area rcsi.dents who have led the cami::aign call themselves v. I. P . 's or Volunteer Information People . Since they initiated their program Janu ary 10,they hav e completed tours for 1,400 of the 2,000 schedulE;:!d . will be completed duri ng the next month. The remainder �-2- -I ~ Indications are that the tours are really two-way streets; as one V.I.P. put it, . 11 They learn from us and we learn from them. r- - ' Those taking the tours are young, middle age·d , old. ' tour by foot, by car, by bus. They They are lawyers, business men, doctors, social workers, club women, church members, journalists, visitors to Atlanta, the already concerned, and those not-sosure- about-it-all. They c.:c , ' is in greatest number from Metro- politan :Atlanta, but also fiJm various parts of the United States and from countries ov€r the world. t The 202 'volnnteers are working in a variety of projects, including Big_ 8 is t.er pro~rams, story hours, adult literacy classes, tutorial programs, and marionette shows • .•_# I::, In addition, f our white chu r r:h es have formed partnerships with black churche s , 2 college f ~<-:t erni ties a.re -.v0rking in volunteer p rojects and some 200 college st d e ::-. ~s are c ond·.icting f a comprehensive consume r surv e y in one low- ·nco me area. Tours, speaker s and the volunteer program ~ri l l continue . The Atlanta Dogwood Festival will feature poverty area tours ' led by the v; r. P. •,s on 'April 8 and 12 . To volu nteer , to arr ange a tour for individua l s or g r oups , or to get a speaker o r a pane l , call 5 2 5 -4 262. 11 �