Camden food banks prepared to meet hunger needs

While it’s difficult for many of us to imagine going home without a well-stocked pantry and refrigerator, for many others it’s a reality.

It might be a permanent reality or it may be a temporary reality after a job loss or medical emergency, but regardless of the circumstances, local food banks are available to those experiencing food insecurity. There are seven food banks located throughout Camden County, but all of them have differing locations and hours, which is where the Hunger Hotline comes in.

Camden County residents Tom Turner and Ellen Holler have been taking turns — each takes one half of each month — manning a local hotline for citizens in need to contact when looking for food banks or other resources.

Turner said the hotline is open 365 days a year, seven days a week, and it’s open from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. He said the hotline was founded in September, “about four or five years ago.”

He couldn’t remember the exact year, saying, “Time flies when you’re having fun!”

The hotline was set up by Family Connection, he said, and the idea came from a discussion about some of the needs in Camden County, and food was one of the first things mentioned, “Turner said.

That’s when the idea of the Hunger Hotline took root and grew from there.

“Instead of trying to reinvent the wheel, we could use a phone and a number, and give [callers] directions to their food pantry that’s close to them,” he said.

According to Turner, the hotline is convenient for those who aren’t aware that food pantries are even available or how to access one.

“Second and third generations know about food pantries,” he said. “We’re concerned about the ones that need food and don’t know what’s here.”

In spite of COVID-19, Turner said there hasn’t been as much demand from local food banks in the past year and a half of the pandemic that has swept the United States. He chalks it up to the increased unemployment benefits and stimulus checks that the federal government has put in place to assist those in need during the pandemic, but he thinks the need will rise again.

“I believe it’s because the government’s helping the folks out,” he said. “If that stops, I’m sure that we’ll be inundated, and all of the pantries are certainly prepared.”

While the hotline does not currently need volunteers, as Turner said he and Holler have it under control, local food pantries certainly do.

To access the Hunger Hotline, call 912-409-6920.

To access a local food bank for food, resources, to donate, or to volunteer, contact one of these food banks located in Camden County:

• Restoration Church is open from 9 a.m. to noon Tuesdays at 2475 Village Drive in Kingsland in front of Mariner’s Landing. For more information, call (904) 557-3379.

• Helping Hands is open from 9 to 11:45 a.m. Tuesdays, Wednesday and Thursdays at 103 W. Church St. in downtown St. Marys. For more information, call (912) 576-8105.

• Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church is open from 9 a.m. to noon Tuesdays, Wednesday and Thursdays at 106 E. Dillingham St. in downtown St. Marys. For more information, call (912) 882-4718.

• Kingsland First United Methodist Church is open from 9 a.m. to noon Tuesday and Thursday at 120 E. Williams St. in Kingsland. For more information, call (912) 729-5445.

• Holy Trinity Lutheran Church is open from 3 to 6 p.m. Fridays at 165 Camden Woods Parkway, in Kingsland. For more information, call (912) 729-6085 or leave a voicemail at (912) 882-7475.

• Ravens of Elijah Food Pantry is open from 3 to 5 p.m. Fridays at various locations. Call (912) 552-0621 or refer to the weekly Facebook announcement.

• The Camden Hunger Hotline, (912) 409-6920, is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day. This volunteer operated hotline provides information for Camden County individuals and families who are struggling to avoid hunger and are not familiar with local food assistance resources, locations, services provided and access procedures.

For more information about local resources, visit http://helpingneighbors.weebly.com.

Could this be your calling?

Ravens of Elijah is in need of volunteers to help with various tasks related to its food pantry. Collectively, they work hundreds of hours each week to gather, sort, package and provide a variety of fresh produce, breads, desserts and frozen meals to more than 400 families on a regular basis. If you would like to help, contact Odie Holland at (912) 552-0621. Helpers are needed for the weekly drive-up food distribution on Fridays, as well as other days of the week when other tasks are performed. Fundraisers and grant writers are also welcome.