Gwinnett County is stepping in to help families who may lose access to food assistance during the federal government shutdown.
What’s Happening: The county will spend $250,000 to buy food and household items for residents. The supplies will go to six cooperative ministries in Buford, Duluth, Grayson, Lawrenceville, Lilburn and Norcross.
What’s Important: More than 90,000 Gwinnett residents use SNAP benefits. County Chairwoman Nicole Love Hendrickson said local governments have to help when federal programs stop working. Residents who need food should call their local co-op to make an appointment.
What They’re Buying: The county is purchasing shelf-stable food like soup, cereal, peanut butter, pancake mix, fruit cups and granola bars. They’re also buying paper towels, cleaning wipes, laundry soap, dish soap and other household basics.
The Big Picture: Gwinnett County has been fighting food insecurity for five years. This year alone, the county has held 42 mobile food distributions and served more than 64,000 residents with 334,000 meals. Since 2020, the county has given out 2.8 million pounds of food.
What’s Next: Free mobile food distributions start at 3 p.m. on these dates:
- November 4 at Lenora Park in Snellville
- November 18 at Bryson Park in Lilburn
- December 9 at Rock Springs Park in Lawrenceville
- December 16 at Shorty Howell Park in Duluth
- December 23 at Rhodes Jordan Park in Lawrenceville
How To Get Help: Residents can call One Stop for Help Community Navigators at 770-822-8850. They can also use the Atlanta Community Food Bank’s Pantry Map to find local food pantries. Homebound seniors age 60 and older can call 678-377-4150 to learn about home-delivered meals.
The Sources: Gwinnett County Government.
Before You Dismiss This Article…
We live in a time when information feels overwhelming, but here’s what hasn’t changed: facts exist whether they comfort us or not.
When A&W launched their third-pound burger to compete with McDonald’s Quarter Pounder in the 1980s, it failed spectacularly. Not because it tasted worse, but because customers thought 1/3 was smaller than 1/4. If basic math can trip us up, imagine how easily we can misread complex news.
The press isn’t against you when it reports something you don’t want to hear. Reporters are thermometers, not the fever itself. They’re telling you what verified sources are saying, not taking sides. Good reporting should challenge you — that’s literally the job.
Next time a story makes you angry, pause. Ask yourself: What evidence backs this up? Am I reacting with my brain or my gut? What would actually change my mind? And most importantly, am I assuming bias just because the story doesn’t match what I hoped to hear.
Smart readers choose verified information over their own comfort zone.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
