Changes to Food Distribution this Saturday at Rabun Gap Presbyterian

With the mission to create a community where no neighbor experiences hunger, on the third Saturday of each month, Rabun Gap Presbyterian Church hosts a food distribution for Rabun County families in need.  Due to the Coronavirus, this Saturday’s, March 21, 2020, monthly food distribution will be a little different, explains Rev. Don Barber. “We have a monthly food distribution that we have done for 14 years and we have some new challenges and opportunities because of COVID-19.  We want to protect our volunteers and we want to protect our recipients. If you want to volunteer, you need to be under 60 or over 18 years of age. No underlying health conditions. No one who is pregnant. No one with young children at home. No fever. No cough. If you have a mask, bring it, we hope we have enough masks, we do have gloves.  Our folks loading will be in basically kind of a hazmat suit. But for our recipients, there are changes as well. There is going to be no paperwork this time. If you have never come to a food distribution or received food before and are worried about your food supply during this time or your financial ability to stock up, we will have 40,000 pounds of food or about three weeks worth of food per recipient’s car.  We’ll only load one load per car this time because of COVID-19. We will only put it into trunks or truck beds, we cannot put anything into the backseat of a car or SUV. We want to help folks in this time when they are nervous or worried, to not be worried about food.”  Rabun Gap Presbyterian Church distributes more than 10,000 pounds of food to more than 250 families totaling over 800 individuals served each month.  Donations are always welcome, adds Rev. Barber. “Everything that we have is from the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia. It is dry goods, canned goods, rice, beans, meat, fresh produce, etc.  So, we are all set with what we have but as far as donations, if folks would like to support the Food Bank in Clayton financially or with canned goods, I’m sure they would be glad to have that.”  The food distribution starts at 8am.  Rabun Gap Presbyterian Church is located at 8397 Wolffork Road in Rabun Gap.  Deputies with the Rabun County Sheriff’s Office will be stationed at the road and in the back of the church where volunteers and recipients are to assure calm and safety for everyone.  Blue lights will be on for awareness and safety.