Food insecurity took center stage at Tuesday’s Augusta Commission meeting, where Golden Harvest Food Bank leaders described the local fallout from the federal cutoff of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, known as SNAP.
Amy Breitman, president and CEO of Golden Harvest, said 20,000 Richmond County residents are now without SNAP benefits from the 60-year-old food stamp program that has never lapsed before.
The majority of local SNAP recipients are the working poor — adults who don’t make a living wage. “They’re making decisions between electricity and food, and this fills the gap for them,” Breitman said. About 39% of recipients are children; others are elderly or disabled. Across Golden Harvest’s 24-county service area, “we have about 106,000 who immediately became food insecure,” she said.
Food is now moving out “faster than we can get truckloads in,” Breitman said. Augusta-based Golden Harvest served 15 million meals last year, but replacing SNAP in its service area for even one month would require purchasing $20 million worth of food, she added.
Golden Harvest Chief Operating Officer Jake Griffis said the food bank has received 600% more calls in the past week, with over half related to SNAP. Many of the callers, he said, “have never had to walk into the charitable food system before.”
Commissioner Jordan Johnson, who invited the food bank leaders to speak, asked how the city could help. Griffis suggested volunteering at food lines, holding drives and advocating locally and statewide. “You’ll see some homeless, some unhoused, but the majority are the working poor,” he said, noting Golden Harvest moved 26,000 pounds of food in the last day alone.
Find local food pantries at goldenharvest.org/find-help/food-pantry-finder.
Interim Commissioner Tanya Barnhill-Turnley, who co-directs the food pantry at Good Shepherd Baptist Church, said demand has been rising steadily. The church is now adding about 30 new clients each month and served over 1,200 families in October, with more seniors among those seeking food.
Mayor Garnett Johnson said his office has been “inundated” with calls for help and urged area landlords not to evict federal employees affected by the shutdown. Commissioner Jordan Johnson called for a moratorium on evictions and a pause on water cutoffs, noting the court system had expressed interest in addressing eviction issues.
Interim General Counsel Jim Plunkett said the city may have flexibility with water cutoffs but was uncertain about its legal authority regarding evictions.
Barton Chapel care home denied
The commission voted 8-1 to deny a rezoning request for a six-person personal care home on Abbey Road in Barton Chapel Hills. Commissioner Catherine Smith Rice opposed the denial, while the mayor supported it. Mayor Pro Tem Wayne Guilfoyle and Commissioner Brandon Garrett were absent Tuesday.
Neighborhood association leaders strongly objected to the proposal. Octavia Collins, president of the Richmond County Neighborhood Association Alliance, said it was “sad” the homeowner invested so heavily in the property, but more than 70 Barton Chapel Hills residents opposed having the business in their neighborhood.
Homeowner Eric Gaines cited restrictive covenants limiting homes in the subdivision to residential use only. Rice defended the planning commission’s recommendation to approve, saying it had carefully evaluated the case.
Augusta has long been a haven for personal care homes, some of which have operated without permits and had safety issues.
Interim Planning Director Chyvattee Vassar said Augusta currently has 92 known personal care homes — 15 in East Augusta, 21 in West Augusta and the remainder to the south. Commissioner Francine Scott made the motion to deny the rezoning and requested a roll-call vote.
Commission approves transit contract
Commissioners approved a three-year, $6.7 million contract with MV Transportation to operate Augusta Transit. The deal covers fixed and variable costs but excludes proposed micro-transit service due to funding shortages, Transit Director Sharon Dottery said.
Administrator Tameka Allen said overall the system is underused and needs a route study. Most of the system’s riders now live on the south side where routes don’t go, she said.
The vote passed 7-2, with Commissioner Don Clark and Mayor Garnett Johnson opposed.
Bolt Drive abandonment approved
In a unanimous vote, the commission approved abandoning a section of Bolt Drive that once ran through the Dogwood Terrace housing project, allowing Augusta Housing Authority to proceed with new development there.
The commission had previously delayed action to ensure adjacent Nellieville residents retained adequate access. Neighborhood representative Arvella Robinson said the concerns have been resolved.
