Through Golden Harvest Food Bank, three agencies in Emanuel County, have the profound privilege of serving and learning from people who turn to us in search of resources each year. The stories of our neighbors reflect both extraordinary resilience and deep hardship. The resources available through the USDA, like funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), are invaluable to our neighbors across the country, and we implore all government and federal leaders to use all available avenues to protect families impacted by the ongoing shutdown, without delay.
We are not alone in our understanding that families everywhere are on the brink of, or have already been forced to make, impossible choices between food and other necessities like housing and health care.
As the government shutdown continues, families across our region are facing missed paychecks and growing uncertainty. The USDA has announced that, if the shutdown continues, there will not be sufficient funds to distribute SNAP benefits beginning November 1. That means even more households could struggle to put food on the table.
Golden Harvest Food Bank is ready to respond. We’re working closely with hunger relief partners and leaders across our 24-county service area to keep food moving and pantries stocked. We’re investing more to purchase food because serving our neighbors is what we’re here to do.
Need food? Visit our Food Finder at goldenharvest.org/find-help for up-to-date pantry locations.
For our network, this is not about politics. It is about people. With increasing demand and the high cost of food, this is already a harsh reality for so many and, without immediate action, will become a reality for countless more people across Emanuel County and across the nation.
Locally, the Summertown Food Pantry will operate the third Saturday of the month in November and December – next distribution will be November 15. The Lazarus Project is operational on the second Saturday of the month and St, Philip Center of Hope, every third Thursday 10-12. Other nearby locations may be found at the link above. We want to assure our neighbors are not faced with hunger.
