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.
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.