The Frank P. Pierce Foundation has donated $1,000,000 to the Chattanooga Area Food Bank to support its work to fight hunger in Northwest Georgia. This gift will provide hunger relief in Catoosa, Chattooga, Dade, Fannin, Gilmer, Gordon, Murray, Walker and Whitfield counties.
“In my years of serving as legal counsel to Mr. Frank Pierce, I learned that he had a heart for anyone whose circumstances prevented them from adequately providing for themselves, especially for those in the North Georgia area,” said Frank P. Pierce Foundation Trustee, R. Wayne Peters. “It is in recognition of this lifelong concern of Mr. Pierce that the Foundation he created chose to make this gift to the Chattanooga Area Food Bank in support of its goal of providing food for those who are unable to provide for themselves. I know that Mr. Pierce would be delighted with this gift and the work of the Chattanooga Area Food Bank in the North Georgia Community.”
One in six adults and children are facing hunger in the Food Bank’s Northwest Georgia service area, as published in a study by Feeding America. Skyrocketing food prices are making it harder for these families to access enough to eat in our region. Households that are low-income spend nearly one-third of their budget on food, and that budget isn’t stretching nearly as far as it did last year. It is costing families in Northwest Georgia approximately 12% more to buy groceries.
All 20 counties served by the Food Bank are experiencing increased food insecurity, or limited or uncertain access to adequate food, which can result in hunger, according to the USDA. In the nine Georgia counties the Food Bank serves food insecurity rates have increased:
- Catoosa (14% increase)
- Chattooga (17% increase)
- Dade (15% increase)
- Fannin (15% increase)
- Gilmer (16% increase)
- Gordon (16% increase)
- Murray (15% increase)
- Walker (16% increase)
- Whitfield (14% increase)
Those who need food assistance may visit ChattFoodBank.org/hungry and select their county to find community food pantries close to where they live. To donate or volunteer, please visit ChattFoodBank.org.
About the Chattanooga Area Food Bank
Founded in 1972, the Chattanooga Area Food Bank’s mission is to lead a network of partners in eliminating hunger and promoting better nutrition in our region. In its 20-county service area of Southeast Tennessee and Northwest Georgia, up to 1 in 6 individuals could face hunger.
Annually, the Food Bank distributes more than 18 million pounds of food through its network of community partners to serve children, families, seniors, veterans and others who are facing hunger. The Food Bank is a proud member of Feeding America, the largest hunger relief umbrella nonprofit organization in the U.S.
For more information about the Food Bank or to how to get involved, visit chattfoodbank.org