Organizations around the metro-Atlanta area will be able to feed more people thanks to an infusion of cash.
The Atlanta Community Food Bank recently gave $455,000 in grants to over 90 different partner agencies. Each agency, church or community-based food bank received $5,000 to help buy equipment needed to support food storage and distribution, an announcement said.
As the pandemic continues, and rent prices increase, these grants come at a time when the need for food assistance is heightened, the announcement said.
Urban Recipe, a local food bank that partners with ACFB to run food cooperatives across the metro area, has taken advantage of the grant they received.
“This allowed us to increase and improve our operations and I think will allow us to continue to grow,” said Jeremy Lewis, executive director of Urban Recipe. “It’ll allow us to move more food, which is ultimately all of our goal. To make sure that we’re addressing the need of hunger.”
With the money, the organization has been able to buy new supplies to help improve the food distribution process. Some of these items include a new electric pallet jack, safer box cutters, tape dispensers, and plastic bins needed to help sort food.
Over time, as volunteers pack and unpack boxes, these items wear out, Lewis said.
Bible Way Ministries International food pantry was able to get a new refrigerator, said Beverly Jones, program manager of the agency that serves more than 200 people twice a month.
The pantry orders dairy products like eggs and yogurt, which the new refrigerator helps them store. They also bought tables to use for outside distribution with grant funds.
“If we had not gotten that grant, it would make it a lot harder for us to meet the needs of the people because, since the pandemic, we have increased (food services) quite a bit,” Jones said.
The grants from the Atlanta Community Food Bank are helping the organizations to continue to meet the needs of the community, the announcement said.
The food bank gave grants to 21 agencies in Fulton, 18 in DeKalb, 11 in Cobb and five in Gwinnett.
“Our partners are invaluable in our work to get desperately needed food to the roughly 715,000 Georgia neighbors who need assistance, and these grants will help increase their capacity to help,” said Kyle Waide, president and CEO of Atlanta Community Food Bank.
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