Golden Harvest Food Bank In Augusta Launches “It’s Spooky To Be Hungry” Campaign

Each year, Golden Harvest Food Bank in Augusta hosts "It's Spooky To Be Hungry," a food drive to "scare away hunger" in the community. According to their website, this food donation drive started as a neighborhood event that has evolved throughout its 32 years. The event is now a virtual drive that brings hundreds of businesses, schools, community groups, and churches together for a common goal. This year's "It's Spooky To Be Hungry" campaign is presented by Doctors Hospital of Augusta, which has contributed $10,000 to Golden Harvest. It's Spooky To Be Hungry Campaign During the "It's Spooky To Be Hungry" drive, neighborhoods, businesses, organizations, and volunteers help to raise money to provide meals throughout the CSRA for those in need. Every $2 raised can provide 5 nutrition meals for families in need. Last year, enough funds were raised for more than 1,000,000 meals. These meals make a major impact in the 24 counties the Golden Harvest Food Bank serves in Georgia and South Carolina. And this year, the organization hopes to raise enough for yet another 1,000,000 meals. https://www.instagram.com/p/DAWsLUXtb_t/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== How You Can Help Do you have a business, school, or group that wants to support a great cause? You can join forces with Golden Harvest Food Bank and host your own "It's Spooky To Be Hungry" drive during October. Registration information can be found HERE. With a virtual drive, it's easy to set up and collect donations. It's simple to contribute from anywhere and reach a wider audience. Golden Harvest Food Bank In Augusta Golden Harvest Food Bank was founded in 1982 to help those who struggle with hunger throughout the 24-county service area. The organization created a network of partner agencies, programs, and direct services to help get nutritious meals directly to those who need them. Golden Harvest Food Bank believes everyone should have enough nutritious food to live a happy, healthy life. With that in mind, their goal is to increase access to healthy food through the help of donors, partners, and volunteers. Learn more about Golden Harvest Food Bank and how you can help here. Food Insecurity Food insecurity is defined as "the condition of not having access to sufficient food, or food of an adequate quality, to meet one's basic needs." While food insecurity doesn't necessarily cause hunger, it could be a possible outcome. The United States Department of Agriculture has two categories of food insecurity: Low food security: “Reports of reduced quality, variety, or desirability of diet. Little or no indication of reduced food intake.” Very low food security: “Reports of multiple indications of disrupted eating patterns and reduced food intake.” Food insecurity could be a temporary issue for some, but may be long-term for others. There are many factors that can affect food security, including income, employment, race/ethnicity, and disability. In 2023, the USDA found 86.5 percent (114.6 million) of U.S. households were food secure throughout the year. But this was lower than the previous year, which had 87.2 percent (115.8 million) of U.S. households that were food secure. Meanwhile, 13.5 percent (18 million) of U.S. households were food insecure at some point during 2023, up from 12.8 percent (17 million) in 2022. As for low food security, in 2023, 8.4 percent (11.2 million) of U.S. households had low food security. This was up from the 7.7. percent (10.2) million in 2022. And 5.1 percent (6.8 million) of U.S. households had very low food security at some point during 2023. This is the only statistic that remained unchanged from 2022. Learn more about food insecurity from the USDA here.