DUBLIN, Ga. — Picture this - you're already food insecure, because money is tight right now for you and your family. Then, Hurricane Helene hits your town, and your situation goes from bad to worse.
That's been a reality for many folks across central Georgia, according to the Middle Georgia Community Food Bank.
They've been staying extra busy helping folks at home, on top of sending food to helping storm victims in Augusta.
"We had a little bit of Hurricane Helene damage in some of our eastern counties, but nothing like what the Augusta area experienced," CEO and President of Middle Georgia Community Food Bank Kathy McCollum said.
The food bank normally serve 24 counties, by partnering with groups and churches who distribute the food to folks in need.
"In the eastern part of our service area, we were able to provide them extra food, so that after the hurricane, early that next week, we were able to add to the orders that they had already placed," McCollum said.
They've been able to increase the need for help for nonprofits, like Widow's Oil Ministry in Laurens County. Widow's Oil Ministry was started in 2018 by Pam Otts, and they help folks in all kinds of ways, including food, shelter, and transportation needs.
Otts runs a food and hyenine-items pantry in Dublin and said their partnership with Middle Georgia Community Food Bank has been a Godsend.
"We could not do our food-insecurity thing without them, because food's expensive. But with Middle Georgia Community Food Bank, for every dollar that we spend with them ... we pay 19 cent a pound for it. So whether it's meat, whether it's canned goods," Otts said.
That means for about every dollar they spend purchasing food through the food bank, they get five pounds of food to donate at their pantry.
Otts said that heavy discount helps them serve single moms, people without transportation, and anyone else who needs a helping hand.
"Our goal is to catch the ones that fall through the cracks. We have people who are mentally disabled, they can't remember to make an appointment," Otts said.
Before Hurricane Helene, she said the pantry used to serve 46 families a month. And now, the needs has increased so much, they're serving 500 families a month.
"By the time we put all that together, we've got a miracle for somebody," Otts said.
Folks in Laurens County are getting the help they need after Helene.