Community Wide Summer Food Drive
A message from Darlene Hauserman, Director of the Community Food Pantry and a Grace Church parishioner:
We are in unprecedented times when it comes to getting access to food to fill our pantries. This is not just a Hall County issue or a state of Georgia issue, it is an issue that we are dealing with throughout the United States.
Inventory levels are low, and options for available food are limited at GMFB (Georgia Mountain Food Bank) and ACFB (Atlanta Community Food Bank). After talking to their executive directors, I understand that they have been experiencing low food availability for awhile now due to a variety of issues: Retail donations are down, funding is down, and the cost of producing, transporting, and storing food has increased. According to Feeding America, “Food banks are buying nearly as much food as they did in 2021 but are paying 40% more for the purchases…”
Demand is up as more families find that they need food assistance. According to Feeding America, more than 34 million people in the US are food insecure, including 9 million children. The pandemic brought with it an increasing demand for food assistance. Families are wrestling with high inflation in all areas, particularly for food. Coupled with low-wage jobs, rural and minority populations are especially hit hard by hunger. Federal-assisted programs for families, such as free breakfasts and lunches have been eliminated, and SNAP dollars have recently been reduced.
Our clients are experiencing these pressures. As I consider our pantry, I am grateful for the incredible donations we received over the holidays, and from Ingles, that keep us open. However, I am concerned about what the shelves might look like through the summer if inventory levels at the food banks do not pick up.
To meet these pressures and still supply food to our neighbors in need, churches in the community have been participating in directed food drives all summer. Directed drives ensure we have the most common items needed for our clients. So, one church collected peanut butter and jelly in May, another signed up to collect cereal and breakfast items in June.
Grace Church signed up to collect the following items in August:
- canned fruit and vegetables
- juice boxes
- individually wrapped, non-perishable snack items – such as granola bars, chips, pretzels, crackers, cookies, fruit cups, nuts, trail mix, etc.
Members of our Outreach Committee will distribute collection bags on Sundays beginning July 30 and we will be collecting items the entire month of August. Donations can be left in the lower foyer on Sundays or brought to the parish office Monday – Thursday from 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
Thank you for helping our neighbors in need!