Deputy Secretary Torres Small Visits Georgia Food Bank to Highlight Biden-Harris Administration Commitment to Hurricane Helene Recovery Efforts

Press Release

Release No. 0200.24

AUGUSTA, GA, Oct. 15, 2024 - Agriculture Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small visited Golden Harvest Food Bank in Augusta, Georgia where she took part in a roundtable discussion surrounding the organization's critical work to provide food and support to local families in the wake of Hurricane Helene.

"At USDA, it is our job to get as much help as quickly as possible to as many people as possible in the wake of this storm," said Deputy Secretary Torres Small. "I applaud the work of our local partners on the ground, such as Golden Harvest Food Bank, which is working tirelessly to support their neighbors and ensure that those experiencing the impact of Hurricane Helene get the food they need."

At Golden Harvest Food Bank, Deputy Secretary Torres Small highlighted the ongoing coordination across the Biden-Harris Administration to provide urgently needed and extensive disaster recovery support to impacted communities, including resources USDA has available to ensure that nutrition assistance reaches those in need as soon as possible.

"Hurricane Helene has left a profound impact on our communities in all 24 counties in our service area, and the challenges families are facing are immense. With continued partnership with the USDA and unwavering support from the Feeding America network, we will be able to respond swiftly and effectively to meet the urgent needs of those affected," said Amy Breitmann, President and CEO, Golden Harvest Food Bank. "At Golden Harvest, our mission is not just about providing meals, but about restoring hope and stability for our neighbors during these difficult times."

Golden Harvest Food Bank's community support efforts have been strengthened by Feeding America, which serves over 200 food banks nationwide. Several of these food banks contributed to Golden Harvest's relief efforts by sending trucks with food and staff to assist in the Augusta area. Additionally, local partnerships with United Way, the YMCA and the Community Foundation amongst others have played a critical role in supporting recovery efforts. Nationally, Feeding America reports that their Hurricane Helene and Milton response has deployed 166 truckloads of supplies to 19 food banks across seven states so far.

"As Golden Harvest and food banks across six states transition from the immediate response to long-term recovery from the devastation of Hurricanes Helene and Milton, the support of the Administration and USDA, along with state and local government, has been a vital resource for communities," said Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, CEO of Feeding America. "With food insecurity on the rise before the storms, people in impacted areas are under immense strain and food banks are struggling to meet the rising needs of their communities. It will take continued support from USDA and FEMA to ensure people have access to nutritious food as they begin recovering from the storm."

Across the Department, USDA staff are working with states, local government officials, and partners to ensure that food and nutrition assistance reaches those in need as soon as possible. USDA's Food and Nutrition Service announced today that approximately 982,930 households in 50 Georgia counties may qualify for USDA's Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP). USDA's Food and Nutrition Service has already issued flexibilities and waivers for its many nutrition programs across states affected by Hurricane Helene, including Georgia, in order to help emergency meal providers reach more people quickly. These flexibilities include automatically replacing SNAP benefits for households in areas where many lost food, allowing households to purchase prepared foods with SNAP benefits where the hurricane has left many without a place to prepare food, and allowing local organizations to provide meals to children while schools are closed.

USDA is also putting in place contingency plans and program flexibilities to ensure farmers, foresters, and communities are able to get the support they need. Visit USDA's Disaster Resource Center for more on how the Department is responding to Hurricanes Helene.

USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. Under the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America's food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.

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About Golden Harvest Food Bank

Golden Harvest Food Bank serves the hungry in our 24-county service area in eastern Georgia and western South Carolina. The Food Bank was founded in Augusta, Ga. in 1982, and now operates from distribution centers in Augusta, Ga. and Aiken, S.C. Golden Harvest is a locally supported 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides grocery products to the hungry through a network of more than 350 partner agencies and programs. Golden Harvest distributed over 14 million meals to those in need in fiscal year 2024.