As the Golden Harvest Food Bank marks its 40th anniversary in 2022, its leadership does so with expansion in mind — not just an expansion of its current space on Commerce Drive in south Augusta but in growing its services to bridge the hunger gap.
“We have about eight million meals a year that we are not able to meet,” said Amy Breitmann, the food bank’s executive director.
A few months ago, the organization and its board of directors announced a 10-year plan to further fight hunger in the 25 counties it serves in Georgia and South Carolina.
“Part of our strategic plan is the hunger gap,” she said.
The face of hunger has looked different since the pandemic. At times, people who never thought they’d need assistance were in the lines in front of the food bank’s warehouse. In the Augusta area, hunger strikes one in seven residents. Often, children and senior citizens feel the brunt of hunger.
One of the strategies in the food bank’s plan is to eliminate child hunger through “improved food access and partnerships,” according to the strategic plan flyer, and to “solve senior hunger by removing barriers to food access.”
The food bank has several offerings such as the senior food box for older adults and backpack program for children.
The Golden Harvest Food Bank collaborates with 175 partners in the area to achieve its goals. These partnerships come in a variety of forms from church food pantries to other non-profit organizations such as the Family YMCA.
[adrotate banner=”51″]
Its current warehouse facility is bursting at the seams, according to Breitmann. And an increase in services will require a larger building.
It has limited office and volunteer space. Since it depends on an army of volunteers to fulfill its mission, space is important.
Expansion will include a two-story lobby with additional office space and a catwalk on the upper level to provide guests a glimpse into the facility and the work done there.
In December 2020, the food bank announced its largest gift by a single donor.
MacKenzie Scott, author and philanthropist, announced a $9 million donation to the agency.
The former wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos signed the Giving Pledge in 2019 and has donated significant amounts to 384 charities across the nation, according to a news release from the food bank.
“Scott’s donation comes at a critical time for Golden Harvest, which provides more than 14 million meals to almost 366,000 families annually but has seen a 22 percent increase in food insecurity across its 25-county service area since the pandemic began. In response to the coronavirus, the Food Bank has reimagined its food distributions, created new community partnerships and worked to expand its reach into underserved areas. These changes require increased investment in capacity building, food procurement and pathways to healthier nutrition by Golden Harvest and its 175 community partner agencies,” the December 2020 release said.
Breitmann said the expansion plus renovations will be upwards of $2 million. A portion of Scott’s gift will be used for the construction project, but “we will invite the community to contribute as well.”
The renovation to the main warehouse will be the first phase of the project. A second phase will be detailed next year and will include the Faith Food Factory, which is in the same Commerce Drive complex, across the parking lot from the warehouse.
Charmain Z. Brackett is the Features Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach her at charmain@theaugustapress.com
