THOMASVILLE, Ga. (WTXL) — “They could use more. There’s a lot of people in need who need help," said Hattie Taylor, YMCA Food Distributor.
Meet Hattie Taylor. She heads up the Faircloth food site. One of 30 distribution locations for the YMCA Summer Feeding Program.
After working for the program for only a year she says she’s seen the need for food firsthand. Taylor says they often give out 70 lunches within an hour.
In 2021 over 5,000 people were considered food insecure in Thomas County. That’s 12% of their overall population. That’s according to Feeding America Dot Org.
With the help from a USDA grant the YMCA is able to give out two meals a day.
“Turkey sandwich, orange, juice, milk, and mayo and mustard,” said Taylor.
The need spread throughout Thomas County probing multiple organizations to help fill that need but they need a little help to do it.
“We could provide a lot more. We have a lot of generous people. A lot of people who want to support what we’re doing, and we could provide for a lot more people if they came,” said Cynthia Bryan, Administrative Pastor, Victory Fellowship Church.
Victory Fellowship Church has run a food pantry for over 10 years. Giving away 650 bags so far in 2023. Bryan says she believes they could help even more people if people knew VFC was a resource.
YMCA CEO Tom Everett says they are changing things up this year prompting more participation than ever before.
“This year we have an opportunity to pass out meals, ‘grab and go,’ so that a family can come and grab meals. They don’t have to eat it on site they can take it home with them,” said Tom Everett, CEO Thomasville YMCA.
An effort Taylor believes will help even more people.
