COLQUITT COUNTY, Ga. (WALB) - A new facility in Colquitt County is helping fight food insecurity by expanding access and improving how food is stored and distributed.

For years, the food bank has been a lifeline for families in Colquitt County. With a new facility, they are able to serve more people. The expansion is critical, as about 40 percent of residents are considered food insecure, said Laura Keith, executive director of Colquitt County Food Bank.

“We’re pretty much the only source of food for the food insecure in Colquitt County in the range of 35-40 percent,” Keith said.

According to data from the U.S. Census, that amounts to about 18,800 Colquitt County residents who are experiencing food insecurity.

Keith said the new facility allows them to store more food while keeping it fresh for longer, unlike the last food bank, where they sometimes had to get rid of food before they could pass it out. Keith said the new space is already making a big difference not just for staff, but for the people who rely on it every day.

“We’re so happy to be able to have served Colquitt County for so long,” Keith said. “We found a few months ago, we got into a new building, a new facility. And that’s really, really helped us out a lot. We’re able to store more food here and have access to the community’s able to access the food bank much easier than it was before.”

With more space and easier access, leaders say they are hopeful they can continue meeting the growing need, making sure no family in Colquitt County has to go without a meal.

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