Local food pantry Columbia County Cares received a welcome gift from the Columbia County Democratic Committee (CCDC), Thursday morning, amid the holiday season.
Representatives from the CCDC, including committee chair Parin Amin, visited its office in Appling to donate a check for $1,700 toward the pantry’s holiday season efforts.
“As Democrats, service to our community is a core value,” said Amin. “With rising costs making it harder for many families to afford basic necessities, organizations like Columbia County Cares are more important than ever.”
The Democratic Party chapter began collecting funds for the food bank during the government shutdown, urging members to donate.
“We just wanted to do something to keep our money local,” said Amin, lauding members’ generosity, and noting the committee was able to coordinate the fundraiser in a couple of days. “And they raised the money pretty quickly.”
Ron Battista, second vice chair of the CCDC, noted that most major holidays allow “in essence, a space for joy,” but that “there can be little joy without a sense of security.”
“It is in this spirit that we are pleased to support our local food bank this month to assist folks in lean times and be part of a larger effort in making that joy possible,” Battista went on to say.
The donation comes just in time for what is usually an especially busy time for the food bank, as it is aiding 300 to 350 families this year, said Columbia County Cares executive director Donna Player.
“We’re in the season of when we’re having to give a lot of food out, and so it will come in handy as far as purchasing our food; we appreciate it,” Player said.
Columbia County Cares is located at 1959 Appling Harlem Rd.
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter covering general reporting for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
