- Originally planned as a volunteer day for community projects, GVUW is now teaming up with Second Harvest of South Georgia to make food boxes.
- Second Harvest plans on placing 4,000 food boxes to local food banks.
- Watch the video to hear how neighbors are giving back.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT
Erika Bennett and her fellow employees at SGMC Health got a front-row seat to Hurricane Helene's wrath through injured neighbors and their generators going down.
Now, she gets to help The Azalea City in a different way: fighting hunger.
"Our families live in the community, we serve the community, so we just want to be involved in the best way that we can."
She tells me that even weeks after the storm, she sees the lingering impact it has had on neighbor's mental and physical health.
"You've got to keep people nourished so that they're not having to come to the ER for fluids or different IVs just for being hungry."
So, Erika and hundreds of other neighbors volunteering for Greater Valdosta United Way and Second Harvest are packing 4,000 food boxes to take to different places in our area.
16.7% of adults and over 25% of children in our area go hungry.
That's why Angela Williams, United Way's Global President and CEO, said that instead of doing various community projects like usual, they're focusing on Helene recovery.
It makes her proud...
"To see the impact our local United Way is having in Valdosta."
And Erika feels similarly.
"It just warms my heart."
Initiatives like this help the South Georgia region, which is the 24th highest in the nation for food insecurity. In Valdosta, I'm Malia Thomas, reporting for ABC27.
