Food insecurity is serious business in Georgia. More than 1 million Peach State residents — nearly a third of them children — have little to no certainty regarding their food.
Fortunately, a hunger hero has strengthened its superpowers to come to the rescue.
The Food Bank of Northeast Georgia, a Walton Gas customer, recently moved into its new facility in Athens. The roomier space is allowing the nonprofit to exponentially improve its food assistance programming at a time when it’s desperately needed, said Kelly Klein, the nonprofit’s director of development.
“There has been a 30% increase in total
food insecurity in Northeast Georgia.”
“There has been a 30% increase in total food insecurity in Northeast Georgia,” Klein said, quoting recent data compiled by Feeding America, the national network of food banks.
The nonprofit’s Athens warehouse and a second branch in Rabun County are the main collection points for donated items and purchased surplus food to feed those who are most affected by food insecurity, including children, seniors and individuals with disabilities. The food is distributed across a 14-county service area with the help of more than 200 partner agencies, mobile pantry events and community programs.
In 2023, the Food Bank distributed 11.8 million pounds of food –
the equivalent of 9.8 million meals.
In 2023, the Food Bank distributed 11.8 million pounds of food – the equivalent of 9.8 million meals. It was the second highest total food distribution in the 32-year history of the organization.
This year’s numbers are on track to climb even higher. “Due to inflation and higher costs, our neighbors are still in need of food assistance,” Klein said.
Improvements at the new, 62,965-square-foot warehouse correlate to the organization’s ability to source and mobilize more supplies to meet the escalating need. This includes an 84% increase in fresh food storage capacity and a 38% increase in dry food storage.
Volunteers, such as the Walton Gas employee team, are also realizing positive changes from the move. The new volunteer center is more than double in size and can accommodate up to 75 people at one time. This extends the workforce available to sort and distribute more food.
“This allows us to be what we have
always been in spirit: a place of plenty.”
“We are thrilled about the move and the growth in volume and variety the increased space will afford to those we serve,” Watkins said.
The Food Bank was founded in 1992 and operated from a building on Prince Avenue and then moved to Newton Bridge Road in 1997. The new warehouse sits just across the street from the previous one, which the organization had outgrown despite two expansions over the years. The Mountain Branch in Clayton was added in 2016 to increase the organization’s reach across the region.
Erin Barger, president and CEO, sums up the benefits of the new facility, saying: “This allows us to be what we have always been in spirit: a place of plenty.”