MOULTRIE — The Colquitt County Food Bank has expanded to a new facility to be of more assistance to the community. It is now located at 120 Third St. N.E. It has been serving the community since the 1980s to provide meals to struggling families.

According to www.colquittfoodbank.org, the idea began when a couple of DFACS caseworkers were heard discussing a fund-raiser to buy groceries for a family in need. This led to a discussion between Henry Van Every Platter Jr. and the Rev. Jimmy C. Elder Jr. about the need for a food bank.

The website also states that Nov. 4, 1982, 25 representatives from nine different churches and workers from several service organizations met at Trinity Baptist Church. They discussed the possibility of starting a food bank. These were individuals that also shared similar ideas about the need for a food bank as Platter of St. John’s Episcopal Church and Elder of Trinity Baptist Church.

On Jan. 11, 1983, they held another meeting to create a preliminary outline for the organization and how it should run, which included a board of directors, committees seeking volunteers, funding, and warehouse space.

The first location was a room at the former Vereen Memorial Hospital. This location was in operation from December 1982 through September 1983. It operated as a simple food pantry until the former Georgia Northern Railway warehouse became available.

The organization had soon realized that it was going to need a larger space. So, it moved to the abandoned warehouse between Second Street Southeast and Third Street Southeast. The food bank operated out of there until 1986, and then moved to 309 Third St. S.E., where it remained until the recent move.

There have been several directors since the food bank opened. The current director is Laura Keith and she has been with the food bank since 2019.

“The food bank operates strictly on a volunteer basis, there are no paid positions. Anyone who wants to volunteer is welcomed,” Keith said.

She also said that they operate on donations mostly, whether that is food, money, or time.

Most of the food the food bank has comes from donations.

Keith said, “Publix and Walmart donate food, so does Sanderson Farms, National Beef, and Save a Lot. Sometimes, Stripling Meats and Variety Vending donate. And now even your truck lines, they’ll get stuck with a load of something and they’ll call us. I mean, everybody donates to us and we will take all donations.”

She said the food that isn’t donated to the food bank, they purchase from different places like Second Harvest in Thomasville. They are hoping, she said, with the new facility, to be able to fill more orders and be able to help more people in the community.

The new facility has a larger warehouse, a spacious walk-in cooler and freezer. It will operate with a drive-thru window, as well as a walk up window for people without a vehicle.

Keith said, “One day I was driving by Chick-fil-A and noticed how their drive-thru operated and thought that’s how we should operate at the food bank, get people in and out at a smoother pace.”

The new facility is located at 120 Third St. N.E., next to the former Robinson Bros. garage. It is open for business now. The hours are Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 11 a.m. Also, the first Saturday of the month, 9 a.m. – 11 a.m. Individuals can contact the Food Bank at (229) 985-7725. The food bank is accepting any and all donations.