Golden Harvest Food Bank will unveil its new program-wide Healthy Plate initiative at a combined press conference and garden volunteering event at The Master’s Table Soup Kitchen, 702 Fenwick St., on Saturday, June 17. The event will include remarks and an outline of the healthy food focus by Executive Director Travis McNeal and photo opportunities of food bank volunteers caring for and harvesting plants in the garden.

Healthy Plate is a company-wide effort to empower our clients to live healthy lives by providing them with wholesome foods and encouraging healthier eating. Across our three distribution centers and our 260+ agencies, the plan calls for a 25 percent increase in distribution of Foods to Encourage. These foods include whole-grain products, foods low in sodium and fat, and fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables with no additives. Golden Harvest plans to pursue Shared Abundance programs with other food banks and work to develop partnerships with local growers across its 30-county coverage area to meet these goals.

“This is our next challenge,” Executive Director Travis McNeal said. “One in five people are hungry. We need to not only feed, but to nourish them. Healthy Plate focuses on increasing the number of fresh, nutritious foods found on the shelves in our agencies, the plates at The Master’s Table and in our clients’ pantries. We can start in the garden.”

Healthy Plate is spearheaded by Golden Harvest’s efforts, in partnership with Elanco and Augusta Locally Grown, to begin sourcing nutritious vegetables, fruits, legumes and herbs from its own on-site garden at The Master’s Table. Elanco and its employees’ financial support and volunteer efforts have been integral in the building of forty raised beds, planting of the initial­ crop each year and maintaining the garden throughout the growing season. Kim Hines of Augusta Locally Grown brings her expertise to the initiative as an advisor to the staff gardener and uses her experience to empower volunteers on garden days, which began May 6.

9:30-9:55 a.m.: Photo Opportunity – GHFB volunteers/staff present in garden

10 a.m.: Press Conference – Executive Director Travis McNeal

10:15 a.m.: Q&A – Healthy Plate initiative (Golden Harvest/Elanco/Augusta Locally Grown)