MACON, Ga. — As the holiday season fast approaches, 13WMAZ's Stuff the Truck Food Drive has helped collect over 61,000 pounds of food for families in need, according to the Middle Georgia Community Food Bank.
The holiday season can often be very financially straining for many families, so our campaign hopes to ease the financial burden of putting food on the table.
Officially, with your help, 13WMAZ collected 61,208 pounds of food and raised $8,740.45 in monetary donations. Through those monetary donations alone, it's enough to provide 69,920 meals.
The number of folks requesting food is down in the 24 Central Georgia counties covered by the food bank. But still, there is a considerable need in the community.
Around 85,000 people rely on their help.
This a heartbreaking statistic, even more so when you learn that it includes 27,000 children.
The goal is to collect food donations to supply food for 140 food pantries in our 24-county area. It also provides fresh food for the School Backpack program.
Last year’s Stuff the Truck drive collected a record 29,463 pounds of food. With our 61,208 pounds of food this year, that is a 107% increase compared to the year before.
This year's drive was different because 13WMAZ partnered with many of the local school districts to collect food throughout the year. We had large amounts of food donated from school's across Central Georgia
In Milledgeville, Dublin, Warner Robins and Macon you showed up and made a huge difference.
In Milledgeville, we collected 11,230 pounds of food. In Warner Robins, we had similar success — 19,000 pounds of food.
In Dublin, we collected 8,167 pounds of food and in Macon, we collected 21,950.
It is a representation of the giving spirit here in Central Georgia. We asked — you delivered.
At each and every stop, we spoke to so many people who believed in the difference we can make when we come together as a community. They showed us the importance of giving back when you have had much given to you.
"I left home at 14," Robert Dalton told us in Warner Robins. "I know what it's like to go hungry. I don't wanna see anyone go hungry."
In Milledgeville, Joyce Pennington told us that food insecurity comes in all shapes and sizes.
“Everybody needs somebody and my Christmas present to myself is to give to the community,” Pennington said. “You might be that one person who lifts somebody up.”
In Dublin, Linda Fowler told us that giving is just something that resonates with her.
"I love giving," Fowler said. "I got a bag full of peanuts for the squirrels and I always buy the mailman something, I always buy the trash pickup man something."
If you would like to help donate to the MIddel Georgia Community Food Bank, you can click here. For every $10 you donate, the food bank can provide 80 meals to families.
Lastly, thank you Central Georgia!