The Bank of America Charitable Foundation announced a $20,000 grant to Golden Harvest Food Bank in partnership with Feeding America, as part of the company’s fight against hunger in the communities it serves and its commitment to advancing the economic mobility of low-income individuals and families. Golden Harvest supports the fight against hunger in Augusta communities through providing quality food and groceries to those in need. While the grant focuses on hunger, the partnership will go beyond food to help those in need access economic opportunities that will help move individuals out of poverty.
 
Hunger relief in Augusta continues to be a pressing need for low-income individuals and families. According to data from the United States Department of Agriculture, there are 195,370 people in Golden Harvest’s service territory who are food-insecure, meaning they do not have access to enough nutritious food. Golden Harvest works with more than 300 agencies throughout 30 counties across Georgia and South Carolina to serve close to 200,000 individuals each year. In Augusta-Richmond County, one in four children and one in five individuals struggle with hunger.
 
“We recognize that every individual and family needs to be able to put food on the table in order to make decisions that will enable them to gain greater financial security and success,” said Ora Parish, Augusta Market President at Bank of America. “We’re honored to partner with Golden Harvest Food Bank to help fight hunger and help people in need access economic opportunities.”
 
With the grant, Golden Harvest will provide holiday meals to local families. The grant will provide approximately 66,000 meals to Augusta residents.
                                                        
"Bank of America never fails to show how much it values serving our community,” said Travis McNeal, Executive Director at Golden Harvest. “This grant will allow us to reach even more families in need this holiday season. It is partnerships like these that showcase the power of a community in unison."
 
This grant builds on the $619,000 in grants that Bank of America has provided to organizations in Augusta addressing community development, workforce development and basic needs since 2014. Philanthropic and volunteer investments play a key role in the effort to build thriving communities. Augusta Bank of America employees have volunteered more than 8,700 hours and donated $72,000 to local nonprofits and the community over the past five years. In addition, a portion of employees’ contributions have been matched by the Bank of America Charitable Foundation.
 
Golden Harvest is one of Feeding America’s food banks that has received a core operating grant, funded by the Bank of America Charitable Foundation.  For nearly a decade, the Feeding America network and Bank of America have partnered on initiatives that help to end hunger and create economic mobility for our communities.