MACON, Ga. — As the holiday season fast approaches, 13WMAZ's 2024 Stuff the Truck Food Drive helped collect over 56,771 pounds of food for families in need, according to the Middle Georgia Community Food Bank.
That's all thanks to your generosity during our food drive this year.
The holiday season can often be very financially straining for many families, so the Stuff the Truck campaign hopes to ease the financial burden of putting food on the table.
Officially, with your help, 13WMAZ collected 56,771 pounds of canned and non-perishable food and raised $10,708.83 in monetary donations. Those monetary donations alone are enough to provide 85,670 meals to hungry Central Georgians.
After all the cans were weighed and dollars counted, you helped us provide 132,979 meals this holiday season.
In Milledgeville, Dublin, Warner Robins and Macon you showed up and made a huge difference.
In Milledgeville, we collected 7,866 pounds of food items. In Warner Robins, we had similar success — 17,045 pounds of food.
In Dublin, we collected 9,781 pounds of food and in Macon, we collected 22,079 pounds of food items.
The Middle Georgia Food Bank estimates that food-based need rose 25% in the last year around Central Georgia. Around 106,000 food-insecure people rely on their help.
This a heartbreaking statistic, even more so when you learn that it includes the 38,000 children are food insecure in this area.
With Stuff the Truck, the goal is to help supply food for food pantries in our 24-county area during a time when people need the help the most.
Last year’s Stuff the Truck drive collected a record 122,170 meals. This year, you helped us break that record with 131,019 meals, providing over 7% more meals this holiday season.
This year's drive was different because 13WMAZ partnered with not only local school districts but also local churches to collect food throughout the year. We had large amounts of food donated from schools across Central Georgia
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
If you would like to help donate to the Middle 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 for your support of our neighbors in need this holiday season! You showed up and gave back... straight from the heart.