Lisa, Avant and their dog Ajax wait in line to receive food help. Avant is a retired veteran and Lisa has neurosarcoidosis and is unable to work. They received a box of shelf-stable food plus fresh produce and frozen meat at a Golden Harvest Food Bank ‘Mega’ Mobile Market.
Fortina worked as a first-grade teacher before serving in the healthcare system as a nurse for 20 years. She never thought she’d find herself seeking food assistance. But now that she’s a senior citizen on a fixed income, it’s hard to make ends meet.
“I’m not out of food yet, but when I do run out, I don’t always have the money to buy more,” she explains as she waits in line at a Mobile Market food distribution at Augusta’s James Brown Arena.
Her story is familiar, but this Mobile Market is something brand new. It’s the largest in Golden Harvest Food Bank’s history, the first of several ‘Mega’ Mobile Markets the food bank will hold to help meet increased food needs.
The line for assistance stretches for blocks, and more than 730 families leave with a box of food, bags of produce, gallons of milk, and packages of frozen meat.
As the line moves forward, Lisa, Avant and their dog Ajax cruise toward the food-loading zone in their car. Avant is retired veteran, and Lisa has neurosarcoidosis and can’t work anymore. Lisa is waiting on her first social security check — but in the meantime, money is tight.
Lisa’s warm smile says it all as volunteers load the trunk with food to help them get through for a few more weeks.
An event on this scale requires a lot of helping hands, and some dedicated partners were on hand to provide just that.
With the help of about 60 volunteers from GAP Ministries, Mercy Ministries, Lutheran Church of the Resurrection, GA Project, Life Light of The World Outreach Ministries, and DCCM Food Pantry, the food bank distributed about 56,000 pounds of food in just a few hours.
Also key was the generosity of the James Brown Arena in lending their space. The venue’s centrality allowed easy access for families in need, and its large outdoor lot ensured volunteers could distribute food safely in a contactless setting.
