Chattanooga Area Food Bank breaks ground on expansion of Dalton distribution center

Nov. 3—People see when they go to the grocery store that they are getting less for their money, said Melissa Blevins, president and CEO of the Chattanooga Area Food Bank.

On Wednesday, Blevins and other food bank employees as well as officials from local governments and local agencies gathered for the groundbreaking of an expansion of the food bank's distribution center on South Hamilton Street in Dalton.

"More and more people are relying on charitable food programs to supplement their grocery budgets," Blevins said. "These services are increasingly important to our area residents."

One-third of the food distributed by the Chattanooga Area Food Bank is distributed in nine Northwest Georgia counties from the Dalton distribution center: Whitfield, Murray, Catoosa, Chattooga, Dade, Fannin, Gilmer, Gordon and Walker. Last year, the food bank and its partner agencies distributed 6.5 million pounds of groceries in the Northwest Georgia region.

The food bank partners with 83 agencies and churches in Northwest Georgia, 38 in Whitfield County, to provide 118 programs that serve families struggling with hunger. The food bank said 64,970 individuals are "food insecure" in these nine Northwest Georgia counties.

Improvements will include:

—Increased capacity for refrigerated and freezer storage for perishables and frozen products.

—An increase in dry storage from 7,600 to 9,600 square feet.

—The addition of three dock doors to provide improved shipping and receiving.

—Space for volunteers and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) outreach.

Last year, the Chattanooga Area Food Bank received a $2.4 million community development block grant from the Georgia Department of Community Affairs and the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development that will allow the food bank to buy the warehouse, renovate it and expand the food bank's operations in Northwest Georgia.

The food bank partnered with Whitfield County to obtain the grant. The county is administering the funds.

"This whole process has been amazing," Angela Nicholette, director of operations for the food bank, said. "So many people with a heart have played a role. It's exciting."

City of Refuge Dalton is one of the local agencies that partners with the food bank.

"We are seeing new faces," said City of Refuge Dalton CEO Pamela Cudd. "People who have never had a need before have a need now. Inflation is affecting everyone. But for the elderly and people on fixed incomes, the working poor, they are having to decide between buying enough groceries and paying the rent or paying their utilities. The food provided by the Chattanooga Area Food Bank and local food banks is vital for them."

Cudd said she hopes inflation ends soon.

"I hope this isn't the new normal," she said. "But until it does end, many people are going to rely on food banks to survive."

Blevins said the expansion is expected to be complete by May 2023.

"We will continue to work and to operate this facility during the work," she said. "The need isn't going to go away, so we can't slow down. We will continue to serve the Northwest Georgia area and to work with all of our partner agencies."