Community Food Bank Established for Gainesville

GAINESVILLE-Northeast Georgia will soon have a community food bank to serve charitable groups that feed the hungry in the area.

The Georgia Mountain Food Bank will act as a central clearinghouse for donated food. That food will be distributed not to individuals, but to groups who serve the needy. Kay Blackstock, the project manager for the food banks, said recently that those groups will include soup kitchens, emergency food pantries, shelters and senior centers, among other entities.

Blackstock also noted that the Georgia Mountain Food Bank will affiliate with the Atlanta Community Food Bank as a branch within their 38-county service area. The organization will become part of America's Second Harvest, the national network of 200 food banks operating nationwide.

To raise funding for the Georgia Mountain Food Bank, an Empty Bowls lunch has been scheduled for Tuesday, October 16, which is also World Food Day. The "Empty Bowls" concept began in 1990 when a Michigan high school art class made ceramic bowls, served a meal of soup and bread and allowed paying guests to keep the bowls as a reminder of world hunger.

Art students from Gainesville High School and Brenau University have made a total of 400 bowls for the Gainesville luncheon. Food for the luncheon will be provided by local restaurants, according to Blackstock. tickets are available through the North Georgia Community Foundation.