Finding Solutions: Golden Harvest provides thousands of meals to community

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - If you’re still in need, Golden Harvest is continuing to work daily to get food out to their 24 counties.

Food distribution sites are ongoing to help meet those needs.

The food bank says 650,000 meals have already been given out since the storm.

It’s a mission that never stops.

“The response has been incredible from the community and from this team who is so dedicated to showing up in the midst of their own pain, their own turmoil, their own trauma,” said Amy Breitmann, president and CEO of Golden Harvest Food Bank.

Staff and volunteers at Golden Harvest Food Bank are still hard at work nearly three weeks post-Helene, filling a great need.

“Already 650,000 meals have gone out to our counties. We serve 24 counties, 11,000 square miles. It’s a huge job. Some people are still without electricity, water because some are on well water, so a lot of desperation,” said Breitmann.

Community , volunteers and groups from other areas have shown up to help pack emergency bags, disaster boxes and pallets of water.

“We just want the community to know that we are and that we were here before the storm, during the storm, and after the storm. 134 food drops have happened in the last 3 weeks. Those are significant truck routes that have gone throughout our service area,” said Breitmann.

They’re also in the middle of their “It’s Spooky to be Hungry” campaign, which will look a bit different this year.

It’s a time to collect food and funds throughout the area to help fight hunger.

“It’s spookier than ever to be hungry. This is the most critical time for us to raise money for our organization to purchase food and serve people. We are turning all of those funds into hurricane relief funds, so it will be used to purchase food and gasoline to get this food out to people who need it, so we are asking people to still participate,” she said.

She says there were already families who were food insecure before the storm, and there’s no telling just yet where those numbers stand now.

“Every number is a family. Every number is a child, or senior, so what we know is the need is only getting greater and we need more help to address it,” said Breitmann.

You can participate in Golden Harvest’s campaign now until November 7.

If you would like to donate food, money or volunteer, visit https://itsspookytobehungry.org/.

As for food distributions, on Friday, Golden Harvest provides updated information on their Facebook page daily.

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