GEORGIA – The Georgia Budget and Policy Institute (GBPI) and the No Empty Plates Georgia campaign have partnered with local organizations to help provide Thanksgiving food donation drives in both Savannah, Georgia on Friday the 21st and Fort Valley, Georgia on Saturday the 22nd. GBPI has partnered with these events to provide food to Georgia communities, especially those harmed by the delayed food assistance benefits known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
The Savannah event is hosted by Loop It Up Savannah, the Savannah Chatham County Public Schools Office of Student Affairs and Campus Police. For this event, food pickup is Friday, November 21 at 11AM – 1PM at the Office of Student Affairs located at Henderson Formey School, 400 East Broad Street in Savannah. Over 100 bags of groceries, including both Thanksgiving food and basic items for easy meals and snacks will be provided to SCCPSS families on a first come first serve basis. This is a drive-up give away, please come to the Student Affairs side of the building, next to Matilda Beasley Park on East Broad Street.
The Fort Valley event is hosted by Feed the City, which serves Middle Georgia. For this event, food pickup is Saturday, November 22, at 10AM – 12PM at the Hope Church parking lot, 204 Sullivan Road in Fort Valley. This event will give out 1500 turkeys and other food to the community. You can find more details here.
Food insecurity is prevalent throughout the state of Georgia, and children are often more food insecure than the general population. According to Feeding America, in 2023, the state had an overall food insecurity rate of 14.9% and a child food insecurity rate of 19.6%.
“Thanksgiving is a time to enjoy a hearty meal with the people we love the most,” says Staci Fox, CEO of the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute. “We are proud to support community organizations such as Loop It Up Savannah and Feed the City in these food drives to help ensure people can enjoy the holiday. However, as we learned in recent weeks, charitable food programs cannot address food insecurity alone. We need the SNAP program to be well-funded so it can provide longer-term support as necessary.”
About 1.4 million Georgians, 13% of the population, utilize SNAP. However, the recent federal government shutdown created uncertainty and fear that SNAP food assistance would be unavailable in November. Many people turned to food pantries for support, but those organizations raised the alarm that they cannot fully meet the need for food assistance.
The Georgia Department of Human Services said in a November 14 statement that full benefits will be paid to all SNAP recipients.
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Loop it Up Savannah: Loop It Up Savannah is a youth arts and enrichment organization that provides groundbreaking, creative educational programs to over 11,000 children across Chatham County each year through partnerships with public schools, community centers, museums, and other nonprofits. Loop It Up Savannah has been serving the community as a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit since 2008. Our art, mindfulness, gardening, and literacy programming helps contribute to a community where all children thrive through creative self-discovery. For more information, visit www.loopitupsavannah.com.
Feed the City: Since its humble beginnings in 1997, Feed the City has fed more than 110,000 people to over 27 counties in the middle Georgia. The heartbeat of Feed the City is for families in our community, to have a Thanksgiving meal to share with their family. Our partners such as local churches, schools, businesses and community organizations assist by collecting items for the meal and distributing them to the community the Saturday before Thanksgiving. This yearly commitment has continued the vision of Bishop Poole to ensure everyone in need has a Thanksgiving meal for the holidays.
Georgia Budget and Policy Institute (GBPI) strives to be an anti-racist research and advocacy organization that advances lasting solutions to expand economic opportunity and well-being for all Georgians. We examine the state’s budget, taxes and public policies to provide thoughtful analysis and responsible solutions that address inequities in our state. We educate the public about complex issues confronting Georgia. We activate Georgians to call for policy solutions that put people first. We aim to inspire informed debate and decision-making, advancing our vision of a fair and inclusive Georgia where everyone can prosper.
