Golden Harvest Food Bank Founder and first Executive Director Mike Firmin stands with his family in front of the Food Bank's original location When I reflect on the thousands who have shaped Golden Harvest into what is today, I am humbled and grateful. What started 40 years ago as a small operation distributing 167,000 meals now provides more than 11 million meals a year in 25 counties through warehouses in Aiken, South Carolina and Augusta, Georgia. From the supporters whose gifts helped build the Master’s Table Soup Kitchen to the corporate groups that pack meal kits for [...]

It’s almost lunchtime. Volunteers are carefully arranging trays of food, centerpieces, and water pitchers on the front tables — the special seating area for families with children and people with disabilities. Carrying her baby and keeping an eye on her son and daughter, Lekeisha finds a spot at a round table in the middle of the dining room. The meal today comes with a side of applesauce, the kids’ favorite. Lekeisha remembers visiting The Master’s Table with her family when she was a little girl. The meal center has provided hot meals to the downtown Augusta community since the [...]

Captain Teri Booth unveils our new It’s Spooky to Be Hungry® drive logo. Teri has been a part of the food and funds drive for more than 20 years. Last year, her neighborhood’s virtual drive raised funds for more than 6,800 meals. In 1992, It’s Spooky to Be Hungry® founder Evelyn Brown gathered a group of volunteers, both young and old, to work together to combat hunger. 30 years later, the mission remains the same.  What began then as a handful of neighbors collecting food donations has now evolved into the largest grassroots service project in CSRA [...]

Volunteers at FoodShare Bamberg pack fresh fruits and vegetables into produce boxes. On Thursday mornings at FoodShare Bamberg, volunteers take their stations in the assembly line — sweet potatoes, apples, oranges, onions, eggplants, broccoli, tomatoes, bananas. Hundreds of cardboard boxes, packed to the brim with fresh produce, are prepared for distribution. Access to fresh, nutritious food is a constant challenge for our rural neighbors, many of whom live in food deserts where grocery stores are scarce. But thanks to our 10-month partnership with FoodShare Bamberg this year, we have provided thousands of boxes of fresh produce for [...]

Phyllis Smart, founder of the SmartBox Food Pantry, stops for a photo during a Mobile Market Food Distribution in Allendale, South Carolina. The pantry is one of Golden Harvest’s over 300 partner agencies and programs. Hundreds of cars lined up on a quiet street in Allendale, South Carolina. It was morning, hours before the Mobile Market Food Distribution would begin. But for these families, the fresh produce, canned goods and other grocery items were well worth the wait. “People start lining up at 10 o’clock,” said Phyllis Smart, founder of the SmartBox Food Pantry. “But the feeding [...]

Volunteers from private aviation company Wheels Up pass a carton of milk to be placed into a vehicle’s trunk. Wheels Up employees put food on the table for 200 families in Aiken, SC. For a second year, private aviation company Wheels Up joined Golden Harvest Food Bank to donate 100,000 meals and volunteer as part of their Meals Up initiative with Feeding America. “It’s an honor to be part of the Wheels Up and Golden Harvest collaboration,” said Gary Spitalnik, co-founder of Wheels Up. “It’s so satisfying for Wheels Up and myself personally to partner with Golden [...]

Golden Harvest President and CEO Amy Breitmann speaks at the press conference for the Food Bank’s new brand. In the last few months, you may have noticed some changes at Golden Harvest. The Food Bank has a new brand created in partnership with local marketing firm Wier/Stewart, incuding a new tagline: “Every Meal Matters.” President and CEO Amy Breitmann sat down with us to share the details on the new look. Q: What is the motivation behind creating a new brand for the Food Bank? A: We live in a digital world, and our previous logo was [...]

Cyrus, local artist and regular guest at The Master’s Table Soup Kitchen, talks with Golden Harvest staff after receiving a healthy lunch. Photo by Jeremy Cowart. “I love trains,” said Cyrus, as a long line of freight cars made their way down the tracks by The Master’s Table Soup Kitchen. “They’re like me — tough and durable.” It was a busy day at the Soup Kitchen. Arriving on bike, on foot, and from the bus stop, hungry neighbors waited outside for the courtyard to open at 11 a.m. A team of volunteers prepared and served trays of [...]

(l-r): Golden Harvest Food Bank’s Founder and first Executive Director Mike Firmin holds a photo of the Food Bank’s original Augusta Warehouse next to current President and CEO Amy Breitmann and renderings for the upcoming renovation of the Augusta facility. Friday, February 25th, 2022 marks a historic moment for Golden Harvest Food Bank as we celebrate our 40th anniversary. Founder and first Executive Director Mike Firmin sat down with us to share his reflections on what this moment means to him and to our community. Q: Can you share a bit about Golden Harvest’s founding? A: There [...]

Stoney smiles as he receives boxes of nutritious food at a Mobile Market food distribution in front of the Augusta warehouse. This was his first visit to the Food Bank after a long-term illness left him unable to work. When Stoney pulled up to a Golden Harvest Food Bank Mobile Market food distribution a few months ago, his big smile warmed hearts as he chatted with volunteers. As our team loaded food into the trunk of his car, Stoney shared that this was his first time receiving food assistance. Stoney lives with his wife in the area, [...]