In partnership with the City of Augusta, Golden Harvest Food Bank is applying for a multi-million dollar Department of Community Affairs Grant, which was approved by commissioners, on Tuesday, August 31, 2021. The City of Augusta will be the lead applicant in this grant, significantly impacting the food insecure families, children, and seniors in the 25 counties served by the Food Bank.

“No one should have to wonder where their next meal is coming from, which is why I am excited to partner with Golden Harvest Food Bank to expand the region’s capacity to feeding citizens in need throughout our community,” said City Administrator Odie Donald, II. “Golden Harvest has a long history of supporting Augustans in crisis, and through this partnership, we will continue to collectively provide access to healthy food to those at risk of hunger.”

This DCA funding of up to $5 million comes through the CARES Act, signed into law on March 27, 2020. The CARES Act provided funding to the Department of Housing and Urban Development ("HUD") to prevent, prepare for, or respond to the coronavirus pandemic among communities of persons earning low and moderate-income. The Georgia Food Bank Association (GFBA) requested that portions of the grant be distributed among the eight Georgia Food Banks it serves, including Golden Harvest.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, Golden Harvest Food Bank has seen calls for help double. At the height of the COVID, hunger rose by 22% in local communities, causing an increased need for food assistance. According to Feeding America’s projections, 1 in 7 people within the Food Bank’s 11,000 square mile service area are now struggling with hunger.

The ongoing struggle for Golden Harvest is the primary distribution center’s limited capacity. This grant will provide the Food Bank with the ability to expand its storage facilities to distribute larger quantities of fresh produce in addition to dry, refrigerated, and frozen foods. Additional office space will also be necessary to support Golden Harvest's 175 partner agencies' hunger-relief efforts.

Executive Director Amy Breitmann says, "Golden Harvest Food Bank is grateful to be linking arms with the City of Augusta, Augusta Economic Development, and the CSRA Regional Commission in response to food insecurity. These funds will allow us to build a new warehouse facility and much-needed space for our Community Impact team to distribute increased healthy food and build capacity and programs needed to bridge the hunger gap in our communities."