The Thomas County Food Bank and Outreach Center is launching a three-month trial of Saturday distributions beginning March 14 to help working families who struggle to access food during the week due to transportation challenges and stricter SNAP requirements.
WATCH FULL REPORT BELOW:
Nearly 14,000 people in Thomas County rely on the food bank. For more than a decade, the bank has only been open on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. Now, with demand up nearly 3,000 from last year, the food bank is trying something new: opening one Saturday a month so more people can make it.
Debbie Gliddon, a client of the food bank, said getting there during the week has been a persistent challenge.
"Well, just having the means to get here during the week is difficult for me," Gliddon said.
For Gliddon, missing a distribution can mean going weeks without help.
"I know it's helped me a lot, especially, you know, during the winter months, it's been difficult for me to have, you know, groceries and stuff. So it's been really helpful for me. But I have missed, I came in November… but I didn't have the means to get here in December or January, so I just happened to be able to come today, so," Gliddon said.
Jerilyn Falconer, President of the Thomas County Food Bank, said last year was one of the most demanding in the organization's history.
"Last year, because it was such a busy, busy year with the government shutdown and SNAP loss of SNAP benefits, 100% of our donations went to direct client aid, and we had to, in spite of generous donations, we had to go into our reserves to meet client needs in 2025. But, you know, the economic uncertainty continues today," Falconer said.
Falconer said the new Saturday hours are a direct response to the barriers many clients face.
"There are many working clients that can't get to us during the week during our regular hours. And with the SNAP work requirements now, that's complicated matters for some families," Falconer said.
The Saturday distributions also come with real costs. Falconer said the food bank pays to process and deliver the food it distributes.
"Many people think we get that for free, but in 2025, we paid 29 cents a can for processing plus delivery fees. So that amounts to thousands of dollars every month," Falconer said.
The first Saturday distribution is scheduled for March 14 from 9 a.m. to noon. The food bank will be open one Saturday a month for the next three months.
First-time visitors will need to bring the following:
- A photo ID
- Proof of children in the household (Social Security card, Peachcare, or birth certificate)
- Proof of other adults in your household (a bill or official letter)
- Proof of income for everyone in your family (child support, wages, disability, etc.)
Those who want to support the food bank can also volunteer or make a monetary donation.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Want to see more local news? Visit the WTXL ABC 27 Website.
Stay in touch with us anywhere, anytime.
Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Instagram and X.
