AUGUSTA, Ga. – As millions prepare for Thanksgiving feasts next week, food banks across the country say they’re getting pushed to the brink – and the CSRA is no exception.

Food bank CEOs say this is the worst rate of hunger they’ve seen in years, calling the level of need similar to past recessions.

For an idea of how high that need is, consider the fact that organizers expected to feed 4,000 people – twice as many as last year – during Thursday night’s Feast Before the Feast free meal served at locations across Augusta.

Food banks and other nonprofits in the CSRA are simply trying to serve more people with fewer resources.

MORE FROM NEWS 12:

• Local groups gear up to feed community for Thanksgiving
• CSRA organizations ask for Thanksgiving help as costs rise

Making it worse is high inflation that’s driven up food prices.

Golden Harvest Food Bank, which serves the CSRA, is seeing more and more families coming through the doors at the Master’s Table Soup Kitchen, which serves meals every day of the year.

“Food costs have gone up, operating costs have gone up. Pretty much everything has gone up across the board. But, what hasn’t gone up is a lot of support that we’ve been getting,” said Golden Harvest spokeswoman Priscilla Elliott.

HOW TO HELP:

• Peanut butter and jelly, tuna, macaroni and cheese, and non-refrigerated milk are among the top needs of food banks.
• People can donate to Golden Harvest on its website. There’s a large button on their page that says “Donate.”
• For the Salvation Army of Augusta, you can visit its website, which has everything on the main page.

“It used to be $1 equals three meals, but because of inflation and our numbers changing, now we have $2 equal to five meals. It’s been difficult. I’ll say it’s been difficult to just try to make up for the change,” said Elliott.

The Salvation Army of Augusta’s Center of Hope is also working through record numbers.

“We’re dealing with a significantly increased demand. We’re seeing two and a half times the amount of people this past year being fed and sheltered and double the food cost,” said Derek Dugan with the Salvation Army of Augusta.

Dugan says the shelter is changing day by day. The demographic has changed drastically since the start of the pandemic.

“It used to be 90%, 95% men in their middle ages. This shelter right now is sheltering more women and children than it is men,” said Dugan.

While the need is rising, companies and people are stepping up to help:

• Earlier this week, Golden Harvest said it’s gotten a $10,500 grant from Bank of America to bolster its Urban Farm, which provides 95% of its fresh produce to Master’s Table.
• Savannah River Mission Completion recently donated $5,000 to the food bank.
• Golden Harvest raised enough money during October’s “Spooky to Be Hungry” campaign to provide 1 million meals.

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