In an effort to help those facing food insecurity amid the pandemic, the Chattanooga Area Food Bank is providing emergency food assistance this weekend in five locations in Tennessee and Georgia.
The events will be held on Saturday, March 27, and offer a mix of prepacked foods and fresh produce, according to a news release.
All distribution is on a first-come, first-served basis.
"The pandemic presented complex economic challenges to our community. We are responding by bringing food into the communities of our families who need us and aggressively scaling our work to continue to solve hunger today, tomorrow and in the future," said Melissa Blevins, president and CEO of the Chattanooga Area Food Bank, in a statement.
"Our work is far from over, the need for food assistance is an undeniable reality, and we are deeply grateful for the support that enables us [to] respond to our neighbors who struggle to access the nourishment of a meal," she said.
The sites are as follows:
Hamilton County, Tennessee
Orchard Knob Middle School
500 N. Highland Park Ave., Chattanooga, TN 37404
8a.m.- 11:30 a.m.
By appointment only
Sign up for an appointment by calling 2-1-1.
McMinn County, Tennessee
Englewood Fire Department
107 Carroll St., Englewood, TN 37329
10 a.m.- noon
Marion County, Tennessee
Cornerstone Ministries
300 Cornerstone Drive, Jasper, TN 37347
9 a.m.- noon CST
Gordon County, Georgia
Grace Church
401 Peters St., Calhoun, GA 30701
8 a.m.- 1 p.m.
Murray County, Georgia
Murray Co. High School
1001 Green Road, Chatsworth, GA 30705
8 a.m.- 1 p.m.
According to projections by Feeding America, a U.S. hunger-relief organization, 42 million people in the nation are likely to face food insecurity in 2021, almost 10 million more than in 2019.
The Chattanooga Area Food Bank, a member of Feeding America, estimates that about 200,000 area residents may face hunger annually.
- Compiled by Tierra Hayes