Golden Harvest launches summer program in local counties
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - Golden Harvest Food Bank is continuing to help put an end to hunger through its Summer Harvest Family Food Box Program.
It helps feed families across five rural Georgia counties.
On Tuesday, they loaded up a truck for Jenkins County, where one in five kids struggle with having enough to eat.
“It’s really heartbreaking,” said Priscilla Elliott with Golden Harvest. “Which is why we’re just trying so hard to work with our community, our partners, our organizations, get our volunteers in to collaboratively come together to help solve this problem.”
The Summer Harvest Family Food Box Program helps families with kids under 18 get food for the months of June and July. Right now, Golden Harvest is helping those in Jenkins, Hancock, Screven, Wilkes and Washington counties.
Elliott says they’re helping bridge the gap for kids in rural counties who rely on eating at school.
“They don’t have the same food resources,” said Elliott. “They don’t have the grocery stores they can just drive five minutes to. They have to go further to find more help.”
They collaborate with local schools and food is provided by the Georgia Nutrition Assistance Program. More than 750 families will receive food this month in the five counties they are helping.
For Tiffany Matthews, it’s really a community effort to make this all possible.
“The best part is seeing how happy everyone is and the volunteers that are getting to help and the families that are showing up for this program. It really makes everyone feel like they’re doing some good for this community,” said Matthews.
Golden Harvest relies heavily on volunteers.
Volunteers like Angela Rhea, who is a teacher at Blythe Elementary. They recently received a grant from Golden Harvest to their school food program.
“It’s great that they had the food available for us, for the Food Forever Fund, so please donate to Golden Harvest, donate your money, your time, whatever you can do,” said Rhea.
Golden Harvest hopes to get more rural counties involved next summer so that they can work to reduce the food insecurity numbers in our area.
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