Forsyth County

County food bank seeing bare shelves just before holiday season

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — There is a growing need in a community once known as one of the "richest” counties in the country.

Forsyth County food pantries say their shelves are bare heading into the holiday season.

Joni Smith is the executive director of The Place of Forsyth County. She says this year they've committed to providing a Thanksgiving meal to about 450 families, but there are still 100 on a waiting list.

"It has just been a lot more than we anticipated,” said Smith.

She says the problem is twofold. Smith believes there are more families asking for help this year and that donations are down.

Channel 2's Alyssa Hymen checked with several other pantries in the county. They echoed the need for donations.

“Our numbers in three years have gone from 35 families a week to approximately 250 families a week that rely on us for food, supplemental food.”

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Forsyth County resident Keisha Johnson knows firsthand the importance of giving back.

"There's really no way to describe what it feels like to just have a little burden lifted off your shoulders," she said.

With the help of her church, she donated 50 Thanksgiving turkeys to The Place of Forsyth.

“I know how much it means to the families to be able to not have to worry where the next meal is going to come from," she said she knows because she was once in their shoes.

“Just any little bit helps,” said Johnson.

This year the need in Forsyth County is even greater.

The good news is the requests for help are being heard.

“We just heard about it while we were out,” said Dylan Biles. He and his co-workers from Netspend donated food, including a turkey.  “People kind of pass on the information and want to make sure the good is done where ever it can be."

Smith says me she thinks it’s possible that donations are down, in part, because of the hurricanes over the last two years because people have been directing their giving elsewhere.