Kids getting hit hard as hunger spreads across CSRA this summer
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - New figures show food insecurity has surged at an alarming level across the CSRA, and it’s hitting kids harder than anyone.
Golden Harvest Food Bank says hunger affects 1 in 7 people in our region, including 1 in 4 kids.
Previous statistics placed the numbers at 1 in 9 people, including 1 in 6 children.
Of the 25 counties Golden Harvest serves, child food insecurity rates range from 1 in 9 in Columbia County to 1 in 2 in Hancock County.
Overall food insecurity in the CSRA ranges from 1 in 9 in Columbia County to 1 in 5 in both Emanuel and Jenkins counties.
“Right now, we have one in four children and one in seven community , neighbors who are struggling with food insecurity in our service area alone. In Hancock County, it’s one in two children, so those are alarming numbers. And what we know is that this is higher than it’s been in 15 years, it’s higher than the peak of the pandemic,” said CEO of Golden Harvest Food Bank, Amy Breitmann.
The figures were revealed in the annual Map the Meal Gap study, which provides local-level estimates of food insecurity and food costs for every county and congressional district.
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The study builds upon the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s latest report of national and state data, which showed a sharp increase in food insecurity in 2022 amid historically high food prices and the expiration of many pandemic-era programs.
Other key takeaways from the report can be found on the Map the Meal Gap website along with an interactive map that details food insecurity by geography, income, race and ethnicity.
The problem is especially bad for kids during the summer, with so many families relying on free and reduced-price school meals.
To help with the problem, Golden Harvest has a “Summer Harvest” family food box program.
It helps families with kids under 18 get food for the months of June and July. Right now, Golden Harvest is helping those in Jenkins, Hancock, Screven, Wilkes and Washington counties.
More than 750 families are receiving food this month in the five counties.
Augusta Dream Center Fundraising Coordinator Hallie Dickens says the organization has felt how the summer has impacted so many families and their children.
“In the last six months of the year, we’re only going to see those numbers double or triple. And so we really need more donations, more cereal, pasta, canned vegetables, canned fruits, bread, peanut butter, and jelly, things like that, that kids can eat for lunch,” said Dickens.
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Augusta Dream Center is running a fundraiser for its food pantry, “Stock The Shelves.” Organizers are encouraging people to donate non-perishable foods directly to its location during normal business hours or by ing them directly for alternative methods.
Also helping keep kids fed through the summer is the Serenity Charity Club, which is hosting a Summer Break Café for kids 18 and younger at the Aiken County Recreation Center. Parents and guardians can also pick up meals for kids at grab-and-go sites by providing proof via report card, Social Security card or birth certificate.
Meanwhile, the Family YMCA of Greater Augusta is providing free meals to children all summer long.
Thousands of meals will be provided daily to children at YMCA locations and partner sites across Burke, Columbia, McDuffie, Jefferson and Richmond counties in Georgia and Aiken and Barnwell counties in South Carolina, officials say.
Also, all area YMCA locations also serve as food pantries through Golden Harvest. Shelf-stable groceries can be picked up on weekdays from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Augusta are taking part in “Happy Helpings,” Georgia’s summer food-service program, distributing free meals to .
Breakfast is served at the E.W. Hagler, J. Hebbard, Thomson and Washington County clubs from 7:30-9 a.m. Monday through Friday through July 19. Lunch is served from noon until 1:30 pm at the same clubs, as well as the Dogwood Terrace, Belair K-8, Harlem Middle School, Oasis and Hagler Teen Annex locations.
All locations also serve a snack from 2:30-3:30 pm.
Columbia County is also participating in summer feeding programs.
In Georgia, you can see the closest meal sites near you by texting “FOODGA” to 877-877.
Visit Golden Harvest’s website for information on where to donate food.
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