Latest news with #WiregrassFoodBank
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Local food bank looking to help families affected by paper mill closure
DOTHAN, Ala. (WDHN)—A food bank is preparing to ramp up efforts to help needy families after a local paper mill announced its closure is set for later this year. 'The average American citizen is two paychecks away from needing help from a food bank,' Wiregrass Food Bank Assistant Director Julie Gonzalez said. 'I know that those folks are going to be in need, so we're going to rise to the occasion as well.' Earlier this month, hundreds of Wiregrass residents were informed that their lives would be significantly impacted after the announcement that the Georgia Pacific Cedar Springs Containerboard mill would shut down its operations. Effectively cutting over 530 positions by the end of August. With hundreds of families and their livelihoods facing unexpected changes, the Wiregrass Food Bank is looking to continue providing food for their tables. However, they are calling for continued community support to ensure their mission is possible. 'We're going to need more food to give out to our more than 100 agencies who are spread out through our six-county service area,' Gonzalez said. However, providing for the hundreds of families impacted by the mill's closure won't be easy. In addition to trying to ramp up food intake and other efforts for said families, the Wiregrass Food Bank is also tasked with dealing with children getting out for the summer. 'For the families who are really struggling, when you take away those free breakfasts, you take away those free lunches…that's a lot of food loss,' Gonzalez said. The food bank stressed that families should not panic at this time. Organizers say the food bank has a plan to handle the anticipated increase in demand for food, but it starts with the continued donations from the community. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
POULTRY TO PASTRIES: Dothan organization working to give back to those in need
DOTHAN, Ala. (WDHN) — Many Americans face hardships for different reasons, but one local organization is looking to give back to the community. On Thursday, the Dothan housing organization partnered with the Wiregrass Food Bank and opened its doors to the public for its very first community-wide food giveaway. The Resident Services Department put together the giveaway, and from poultry to pastries, the residents had plenty of food to choose from. 'We have fresh meat, we have fresh produce, we have some sweets, we have bread, we have a lot of different items here today,' said Resident Services Director Samiyah Craddock. Craddock says that the organization ran multiple assessments, where they discovered that many people still faced food insecurities. Even with other means of assistance, like SNAP benefits. So, instead of hosting the giveaway at one of the four locations the organization oversees, they decided to give back to the entire community. 'It's the greatest mission that we cover. It's to make sure that we provide and meet their needs,' said Craddock. It didn't take long for the people to start rolling in, where they could grab what they needed and wanted on a first-come, first-served basis. And from the looks of it, guests were more than happy. 'At the end of the day, y'all are blessed to give us anything to eat; because some folks don't have nothing to eat,' said resident Elvis Lewis. Craddock says that she understands the tough times that some people may go through in life, but she wants people to know that coming to a giveaway such as this is nothing to be ashamed about if you truly need help. 'It's not always a handout. This is a helping hand. You may not have it today, but tomorrow you will…It's no limit, we're not asking any questions; we just want all the food to go to someone who needs it,' said Craddock. Craddock says that any food left over will be donated to other charities in need. For this to be the organization's first-ever community-wide food giveaway, the crowd was much larger than expected. However, the organization is planning to host another community-wide giveaway in May. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
