'A dream come true': Chattanooga Area Food Bank holds ribbon cutting for expanded Dalton distribution center

Charles Oliver, The Daily Citizen, Dalton, Ga.
·3 min read
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Aug. 9—After almost two years of rising prices, many Americans, especially those on fixed incomes, are having trouble putting food on the table, 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 ribbon cutting for an expansion of the food bank's distribution center on South Hamilton Street in Dalton.

"We believe that no one, not one single person, should go without food," said Blevins.

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. The food bank partners with 80 agencies and churches in Northwest Georgia that serve families struggling with hunger.

According to data provided by the food bank, one in nine Georgia residents is food insecure, meaning they don't have consistent access to sufficient healthy food. And two-thirds of Georgia residents have had to choose between food and medical care. The distribution center will provide 5.5 million meals during the next year to people in Northwest Georgia.

Improvements 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.

"It's a dream come true for Northwest Georgia," said Blevins. "Today is about the community helping the community, people helping people, neighbors helping each other."

The improvements were funded by a $2.4 million Community Development Block Grant from the Georgia Department of Community Affairs and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development that the food bank received two years ago. The food bank partnered with Whitfield County to obtain the grant. The county administered the funds.

"We are very proud to have been part of this effort," said county Board of Commissioners Chairman Jevin Jensen. "This will improve service not just to Whitfield County but to all of Northwest Georgia. They've got more space, which they needed. But just as important, the freezers and coolers will allow them to provide more fresh food and more frozen food, not just canned and boxed items. And this all started with a meeting in a conference room (in downtown Dalton) just a couple of years ago."

Community Foundation of Northwest Georgia President David Aft recalled that Clare Sawyer, then-president of the food bank, reached out to him more than a decade ago during the Great Recession, which hit the floorcovering industry particularly hard.

"She said, 'We understand Northwest Georgia is hurting. How can we help?'" Aft recalled. "They weren't looking for money. They were looking for a way to make a difference."

With help from the Community Foundation, the food bank found the warehouse that became its distribution center here.

Aft said he is happy to see how the food bank has improved and expanded that warehouse and grateful to know how the changes will allow the food bank to better serve people in Northwest Georgia.