The Statesboro Food Bank serves food to community members and students who are unable to provide themselves with dietary supplements.

Jodi Brannon, food bank manager for the Statesboro Food Bank, said they only feed people who are in need of food.

People who qualify for food are:

• Homeless people

• Recovering drug addicts

• People with mental health issues

• Senior citizens receiving low wages

• Families waiting to get approved for food stamps

• College students who are unable to feed themselves

“We’re not here to sustain anybody, we are here for temporary situations until you can make better arrangements,” Brannon said.

People are only allowed to come once a month for a week’s worth of food Brannon said.

How members of the local community can receive food

To receive food, you have to be a Bulloch County resident and bring all of the following listed below.

• Photo ID

• ID for any minor children that you may have

• Social Security Card

• Birth Certificate

• Medical Insurance Card

• Any necessary referrals

How students can receive food

All students need is their Eagle ID to receive meals from the Food Bank. They can be served from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Mondays through Fridays.

“We try to base it on three meals per day, per person, and we try to base it on the USDA my plate requirements,” Brannon said.

Statesboro Food Bank serves students brown bags filled with items such as:

• Bread

• Peanut butter

• Jelly

• Canned beans

• Fruit

Brannon said about 25 or 30 students found the food bank and use it regularly for a resource.

“I’ve actually had a lot of people on their senior year, because at some point in their Georgia Southern career, it’s not uncommon for one quarter for somebody to have a brain spazz and they run out, and they’ve figured out a way to pay for their classes and pay for their books but can’t sustain themselves,” Brannon said.

Brannon said about 25 or 30 students found the food bank and come regularly for a resource.

“For me, those are real special, because I’d hate to see somebody on their last quarter drop out because they can’t feed themselves,” Brannon said.

Where does the food come from

Statesboro Food Bank receives a majority of their food from Walmart, Bilo and Benbow Bread Company, Brannon said.

Many of the food that the food bank gives out are perishable food items, that have not been sold at local supermarkets in town.

“I consider us to be one of the best and biggest recyclers in town,” Brannon said. “We pick up about 10,000 pounds of food a month.”

How to get involved

Anyone is welcomed to donate perishable food items to Statesboro Food Bank at 400 Donnie Simmons Way within operation hours.

Statesboro Food Bank welcomes volunteers to transport perishable goods from the grocery stores to the bank.

The Office of Student Engagement allows students to sign up at https://students.georgiasouthern.edu/LeadServe/serveweekly/ to volunteer at the food bank every Wednesday from 11:15 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. and Friday from 10:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

For more information on Statesboro Food Bank and how to become a volunteer call 912-489-3663.

Tori Collins, The George-Anne Daily Reporter, ganewsed@georgiasouthern.edu