VALDOSTA —
With the holidays just around the corner, people gave Second Harvest of South Georgia’s food stores a much-needed boost during National Make a Difference Day Saturday morning at the food bank.
The were just under 400 volunteers pre-registered for the event and just over 600 in attendance, according to Doug Griner, director of volunteer services. Saturday marked the tenth year that Second Harvest has held the event, said Griner, who also said he was thrilled with the event’s high level of attendance.
“Our Make a Difference Day is a way that community volunteers can come in and be a part of what we do every day,” said Griner. “These volunteers are physically touching products that will go directly into the hands of needy folks in our area. Efforts like today’s give a shot in the arm towards the fight against hunger.”
Halfway through the day’s efforts, he said the group had processed more than 39,000 pounds of goods and stacked them on close to 70 pallets. The volunteers started with three tractor trailerloads of food, he said.
“We get stuff from all up and down the East Coast — we bring them in and tag them,” said Griner. “These volunteers that you see here are inspecting it, cleaning it, sorting it, packaging it and putting it on pallets it on for us to distribute,” said Griner.
Griner said that labeling was one of the most vital parts of the process, as the organization needs to know what they have on hand and where it ends when an agency comes in with a specific need. For example, he said the “Kids Cafe” packages are used to provide more than 2,000 hot meals to kids at more than 40 locations in 30 area counties.
The four-hour effort wasn’t all work. It also included food and fun for the younger volunteers with attractions like a quarterback challenge and a tour of a fire truck.
For more details on how you support the efforts of the Second Harvest of South Georgia, call 229-244-2678 (Ext. 202) or stop by at 1411 Harbin Circle, Valdosta, Ga.
Local News
Related Photos
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Ann Knight Meredyth Nolan and Stacy Fraelle of the Girl Scouts of Lake Park lead by example during Make a Difference Day at Second Harvest of South Georgia on Saturday. Quinten Plummer / VDT
Discussion
Volunteers lend a hand to help Second Harvest of South Georgia
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