Bank of America Awards Golden Harvest Food Bank with Grant to Build New Urban Farm
Bank of America has awarded Golden Harvest Food Bank with a $20,000 grant to help drive economic mobility for vulnerable populations by supporting the expansion of the organization’s urban farm.
One challenge Golden Harvest faces in keeping up with increasing hunger is the limited capacity of its urban farm located in downtown Augusta. Through Bank of America’s grant and partnership, Golden Harvest will expand the capacity of its urban farm with construction of a greenhouse. During FY 2020, the urban farm grew over 1,000 pounds of fresh vegetables and is projected to need to produce even more.
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Golden Harvest Food Bank uses the urban farm to grow and harvest food to feed hungry families in the community at The Master’s Table Soup Kitchen, where hot meals are served 365 days a year. The urban farm includes 40 raised garden beds, a flock of chickens that produce fresh eggs and an aquaponics system. The new greenhouse addition will aid in providing added space for growing more vegetables and extend the growing season of plants.
Amy Breitmann, president and CEO of Golden Harvest said, “The addition of this new greenhouse will allow for more fresh, local produce to enter the doors of our soup kitchen and benefit the health of our guests. We are grateful for the generous support displayed through this grant and for our longstanding relationship with Bank of America.”
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Golden Harvest was one of the selected nonprofits to receive a grant. This funding includes support for communities of color within the area.
“Facing increased need throughout the pandemic, Golden Harvest has ensured the CSRA’s families have access to nourishing meals and other resources,” said Ora Parish, president of Bank of America Augusta / Aiken. “As many families and individuals continue to face increased challenges, the Food Bank’s work is vital in ensuring our neighbors are fed and have access to everyday necessities.”
Since the beginning of the pandemic, Golden Harvest Food Bank has seen calls for help double and is still seeing a 15% increase in need for food assistance when compared to pre-COVID levels, according to a press release. According to Feeding America’s projections, one in seven people within the food bank’s 11,000-square mile service area are now struggling with hunger.
MORE: Handmade Fair Raises Money for Missions
Augusta Handmade Fair Returns After Two-Year Hiatus
The Augusta Handmade Fair will be from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., Friday, Nov. 5 and noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 6 with vendors spread out from Redemption Church at The Doris Building, 930 Broad St., to the J.B. White’s Building and onto the porch spaces of neighboring businesses, the Book Tavern and New Moon Café.
The event will feature the juried works of about 75 local and regional artists who create items such as soaps, jewelry, dog collars, pottery, candles, apparel and others.
Food from The Crazy Empanada, sweets from Ann’s Sweet Treats and Keallie’s Baking Co. and beverages from the Vibe Smoothie Bar will also be featured at the fair.
Artists Jay Jacobs, Kenneth Benson and Jacob Boland will be on site with one-of-a-kind items.
The Augusta Handmade Fair is a fundraiser for several ministries, including Sojourn Church in Kampala, Uganda.
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A list of vendors is available at the fair’s website augustahandmadefair.com.
Eighth Annual Line Drive Canned Food Drive Free Baseball Clinic
The Augusta GreenJackets will host the Eighth Annual Line Drive Canned Food Drive Free Baseball Clinic in memory of Terry Childers Sr. from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 13.
“This is a morning full of great professional instruction, an opportunity to help Golden Harvest Food Bank and a time to celebrate the legacy of Terry Childers Sr.,” said GreenJackets Vice President Tom Denlinger. “It’s our privilege to work with the Childers’ family to play a small roll in this growing annual event.”
Childers was a former professional baseball player and baseball coach at Augusta College, now Augusta University. He died Nov. 5, 2013.
Participants are encouraged to bring canned goods and other non-perishable food items for the Golden Harvest Food Bank donated. They can also bring items to the Complete Game facility at 3855 Washington Rd. until Nov. 13. Donations can be made without participating in the event.
Over the past seven years, 2,500 meals have been collected with 3,500 pounds of donated goods. Register online at www.playpscg.com. Go to all registrations for the free registration. Contact Complete Game at (706) 814-5916 for any additional questions.
Following Footprints to Your Ancestors Webinar Series on Nov. 13
The Augusta Genealogical Society will present “Evaluate Evidence Found in the Records.”
Debra Brodowski will present the one-hour webinar on how to effectively analyze a collection of records for information and evidence and evaluate the quality of each source at 1 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 13.
Registrants will be sent a link for the webinar platform via email prior to the webinar. Register here.
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