Food Bank celebrates completion of expansion

The Middle Georgia Community Food Bank celebrated the completion of its expansion and renovations to the hub facility on Ocmulgee East Boulevard on Thursday, August 8. Mayor Lester Miller, Georgia Department of Community Affairs, Feeding Georgia, and community partners attended the Ribbon Cutting. You can watch the full ceremony here.

"It takes a team of dedicated people and organizations to make sure no one goes hungry, to alleviate food insecurity, and I want to thank the food bank for being at the core of the team gathered here today," said Mayor Lester Miller. "The families receiving needed food each week because of the people gathered here and because of the coordination and distribution by staff at this facility is what a team effort looks like when it comes together around a noble cause."

The expansion was made possible thanks to state and local American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds. The Georgia Department of Community Affairs awarded Macon-Bibb County $2,318,898 as a Community Development Block Grant, with Macon-Bibb matching that with $993,814 of its ARP funds.

"Through the incredible investment by Macon-Bibb County and the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, Middle Georgia Community Food Bank is more prepared to meet the needs of our neighbors facing food insecurity," said Middle Georgia Community Food Bank President & CEO Kathy McCollum. "Thank you for equipping us to improve access to food assistance across 24 counties."

After the ceremony, attendees were able to tour the upgraded facility, see staff's new office space, and see GEICO employees who took the time to pack food boxes in the new volunteer packing room. The old packing room was 1/3 of what the new room is now. Just on Thursday morning, the volunteers packed 250 boxes of food, which equaled 4,018 meals.

"It was a little more cramped before," said GEICO employee Lauren Roan Parks, who volunteered before the renovations. "I love the energy they brought - the open area, lights, mission statements, graphics. It's such a beautiful space for volunteers. It's also a great team bonding activity."

The expansion includes an additional 4,594 square feet for the lobby and administrative space, as well as renovating 3,249 square feet of existing administrative space to house meetings, trainings, and volunteer space. These upgrades will make it easier for people of all abilities to access the facility, will make operations more efficient, and will allow more volunteers to be involved.

The upgraded space will allow employees and volunteers to work more efficiently and allow the Food Bank to hire more staff to feed more people.

To find a food pantry near you, click here.

About the Middle Georgia Community Food Bank

The Middle Georgia Community Food Bank was founded in 1981 and is a member of Feeding America and Feeding Georgia. More than 106,000 people are considered food insecure in its 24-county service area, and it works with over 200 partner agencies to distribute food in that area, including food pantries, soup kitchens, shelter, backpack agencies, residential programs, and more.

In 2023, the Food Bank provided the equivalent of almost 8 million meals through food distribution and assistance with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) applications.

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