At a Summer Harvest distribution in Aiken County, Deanna’s youngest son was making the best of a hot day at the park, laughing, climbing, and finding joy wherever he could. For Deanna, the moment held something deeper: relief. As a single mom raising two boys, ages 9 and 17, Deanna knows how quickly food costs can stretch a family budget thin. Her household includes her two sons and her mom, all working together to get through each month. They receive SNAP benefits, but with one income and no child support, those benefits only go so far. “It helps,” Deanna [...]

Goshen Helps Inc receiving $16,497 through the Food Forever Fund Grant. Golden Harvest and Food Forever Fund Board Members. Golden Harvest Founder Mike Firmin, and CEO Amy Breitmann shaking hands with grant winners.   Golden Harvest Food Bank is grateful to announce the second round of Community Investment Program grants, with $250,000 presented to 23 hunger relief partners across our 24-county service area. Made possible through the Food Forever Fund, Golden Harvest’s endowment fund, these grants help local partners strengthen the work they are already doing every day to serve neighbors facing hunger in their communities. The [...]

The new mural in the courtyard at The Master’s Table Community Kitchen is more than a beautiful piece of art. It is a message of dignity, hope, and welcome for every neighbor who enters the space. Created by local artists Mary Harris and Cecilie Broome, the mural brings together scripture, CSRA imagery, and pieces of The Master’s Table story. From the Savannah River and Augusta skyline to the stained-glass window and dove inside the dining room, each detail was chosen with care. The bright colors and meaningful images help make the courtyard feel warm and uplifting for neighbors waiting [...]

This summer, Golden Harvest Food Bank expanded Summer Harvest into South Carolina for the first time, helping more families access food while children are out of school. In Aiken County, that expansion was made possible through partners like Serenity Charity Club, led by Pamela Perry. Serenity Charity Club, a local food pantry that distributes monthly and participates in mobile produce distributions, expanded its work this summer by hosting a Summer Harvest distribution that provided food for 300 families. Pamela joined Golden Harvest’s partner network in January after seeing the need in the area. Since then, Serenity Charity Club has [...]

Volunteers are all set up and ready to serve at the Vineyard Storehouse Food Pantry. Week after week, these dedicated faces show up ready to welcome neighbors, pack bags, and ensure that everyone who walks through the door leaves with the food they need. For more than 20 years, the Vineyard Church of Augusta’s food pantry has been a place where families can find food, care, and compassion. Today, that mission is especially clear in the way the pantry serves children, making sure even the youngest guests feel welcomed, valued, and seen. Patty, the pantry’s Volunteer Coordinator, [...]

When Mark Masi retired and moved to Augusta to be closer to family, he knew he wanted to spend his time doing something meaningful. About a year ago, he decided to see what Golden Harvest Food Bank was all about. He has been showing up ever since. We are so grateful for Mark and proud to recognize him as our Volunteer of the Year. Mark volunteers at The Master’s Table Community Kitchen and at our Augusta campus, serving several times a week as his schedule allows. Some days, he helps provide meals to neighbors in need of a hot, [...]

Nutritious food takes many forms. Crisp vegetables, hearty grains, proteins that sustain. Our volunteers pack each item knowing it will land on a neighbor’s table when they need it most.   The NOURISH program is how Golden Harvest Food Bank works alongside health care providers to identify and respond to food insecurity, helping connect people to the food they need as part of their care. It began in 2020 through a partnership with an Augusta-based clinic that wanted a better way to support patients who may not have consistent access to nutritious food. The clinic introduced a [...]

Darlene at her local food pantry, the Barnwell-Bamberg Baptist Association, picking up food for herself and her two grandsons. When it comes to child food insecurity, every family’s story looks different. In many homes, the people stepping in are not parents, but grandparents doing all they can to provide stability, comfort, and full plates. Darlene is one of those grandparents. Now retired and living on a fixed income, she has spent the past nine months raising her two grandsons, ages 15 and 16. Feeding two growing teenagers is no small task, and like so many across our [...]

Kenya talks about the challenges her family faced during the government shutdown. For Kenya, every day begins the same way. Before sunrise, before quiet gives way to the sound of little feet. There’s breakfast to make, bottles to prepare, clothes to lay out. With one child in school, a baby on her hip, and another on the way, mornings in her Lincoln County home are full of motion and love. But lately, that love has been stretched thin. When the government shutdown interrupted SNAP benefits, Kenya felt the fear rise immediately. “I was looking at the pantry [...]

When the shutdown created uncertainty around essential supports for millions of Americans, one message echoed across the nation: “Go to your local food bank for help." From hurricanes to the pandemic, our team has learned how to respond quickly when crisis hits. This time was no different. Within days of the announcement, food orders were doubled, an emergency distribution plan was activated, and fourteen truckloads of food were routed to our warehouses in Augusta and Aiken. Partner fees were lifted to ensure our hunger relief network could move food freely to families in need. Views on our [...]