The Salvation Army of Augusta has rounded out the year giving meals to those in need, after receiving a donation of $2,500 from Food Lion earlier this month.
On Dec. 5, Food Lion Feeds Charitable Foundation, the grocery store chain’s philanthropic organization, presented the Center of Hope with the funds to go towards buying food and other expenses to feed the growing homeless population, one of several donations the charity has received from Food Lion over the years.
The grant comes at a critical time. The Salvation Army of Augusta normally feeds upwards of 100 people a day, but reached the edge of its budgetary provisions as food prices doubled this year.
The Center of Hope’s soup kitchen serves breakfast to those staying in the shelter each morning and dinner every night, 365 days a year, and provided nearly 8,000 meals in December alone, “more than double what we served in the month of October,” said Salvation Army Augusta marketing manager Janelys Villalta.
“With the prices of groceries rising, we’re seeing folks cutting costs on food to provide in other ways, like keeping the lights on,” Villalta said. “We’ve seen more people this month come to the community soup kitchen than the previous two months. We’re also aware that many people have added finances around the holidays, so we believe that to be a contributing factor as well.”
Monetary donations, even as little as $5, are still encouraged, she said, along with non-perishable food items for the soup kitchen. Donations of cooked meals are also welcome, as are volunteers soup kitchen volunteers to help serve and clean up. Groups and organization interested in contributing meals or in volunteering are urged to do so by contacting Olga Gonzalez, social services director at Salvation Army Augusta, at olga.gonzalez@uss.salvationarmy.org.
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter covering business for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
