HURRICANE HELENE RELIEF
We were all ready to go for the Empty Bowl Luncheon 2024. The tables were sold and ready to be decorated, the food was being prepared…. And then the weather reports started.
Rebecca was called into a Hall County Emergency Management meeting, and the reports were grim. Hall County was expecting a direct hit by Hurricane Helene.
On Wednesday, we decided for the first time ever to cancel Empty Bowl. GMFB staff had to divert attention to preparing our facilities for the storm. But we also had to decide what to do with our Empty Bowl Luncheon food, certainly not wanting it to be wasted. On Thursday, with the gracious help of Amanda Browning of Amanda’s Farm to Fork Catering, our staff delivered all those meals to the first responders and shelters that were preparing for the storm.
On Friday, the storm hit, and we were spared but our sister food banks in Augusta and Ashville were not. GMFB staff jumped into action. We were the only nearby Food Bank with mobile auxiliary diesel fuel tanks. So along with donations of food and water, and with the help of Smith Bell Petroleum, we shuttled fuel to Augusta to fuel their generators and trucks. In addition, GMFB staff filled positions with the Golden Harvest Food Bank in Augusta for three weeks to help while their neighbors and staff needed time to heal and recover by covering positions in mobile operations, coordination of volunteers and operations logistics.
A low-pressure system forms in the western Caribbean Sea
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The system becomes a tropical storm and is named Helene
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Rebecca attends Hall County Emergency Management Meeting. Empty Bowl Luncheon cancelled for first time ever.
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Empty Bowl Luncheon event food delivered responders and shelters were preparing for the
Hometown Huddle
To help bring hope and relief to those affected by Hurricane Helene, the Atlanta Falcons and Cigna joined forces with Georgia Mountain Food Bank (GMFB) for a Hometown Huddle special day of service.
Falcons players, staff, and Cigna volunteers rolled up their sleeves at the Atlanta Falcon Training Facility in Flowery Branch, packing hundreds of emergency food boxes for those in need. Their teamwork and dedication reflected a shared commitment to supporting communities in times of crisis.
GMFB staff was moved by a quote from Arthur Blank on the wall in the training camp lobby. It reads “My promise has always been to do everything we possibly can to deliver our fans championship teams, both on the field and in this community” This Hometown Huddle event was a true representation of the effect the Atlanta Falcons organization can make in the community.
The food boxes packed during this event were swiftly transported via GMFB trucks to affected areas, ensuring that families dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane
Helene hits Georgia. GMFB spared but sister food banks in Augusta and Ashville were not.
Helene had access to meals. This partnership highlights the power of community-driven action and the impact we can have when we come together to help those in need.
Georgia Mountain Food Bank is grateful for the continued support of our corporate and sports partners, who recognize that hunger relief is a team effort.
GMFB staff filled positions with the Golden Harvest Food Bank in Augusta for three weeks to help
You’re
EMPTY BOWL 2025!
save the date: September 19, 2025
Mark your calendars for a favorite annual community event— the Georgia Mountain Food Bank Empty Bowl Luncheon! This year’s lunch will take place on FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, at Lanier Tech’s Ramsey Conference Center. You can make a difference by sponsoring this event, which last year raised enough to provide over ONE MILLION MEALS to neighbors in our five-county service area. For more information about sponsorships, please contact Colton Donino, Business Manager at (770) 534-4111 or Colton@gmfb.org.
You Can Help!
Bowl Painting Parties!
If you or someone you know are interested in painting a bowl for our Empty Bowl Luncheon, now is your chance to sign up! We need to get 1,000 bowls painted by September’s event. The cost per bowl is $10, and each bowl represents the empty bowls in our community that will be filled because of your support. Have fun and help the Food Bank at the same time! For more information, scan the QR code or contact us at (770) 534-4111.
and Live Auction Bowls
You can help us find celebrities to create auction bowls! From college Presidents to Music Stars & Legends, to Athletes, to Politicians and more, the live auction bowls have brought many gifts to the Georgia Mountain Food Bank. The story of the Empty Bowl is a powerful influence to attract “celebrities” to participate.
Do you have an idea for a future “celebrity bowl painter”? Please call (770) 534-4111 or email Rebecca@gmfb.org. You Can Help! Celebrity
You Can Help!
Silent Auction Items Needed
In 2024, our Silent Auction helped us raise nearly 13,000 additional meals. Thank you to all businesses that donated auction items. Items included gift baskets, power tools, jewelry, art, and tickets to shows and sporting events.
We are now collecting items for our 2025 silent auction! If you or someone you know would have items they would like to include as part of our silent auction, please call (770) 534-4111 or email Ronii@gmfb.org.
Earth Day Every Day at GMFB
Food rescue, also known as food salvage, is the process of collecting edible food that would otherwise be thrown away and giving it to a local food bank. Food rescue teams collect edible food from farms, grocery stores, restaurants, and produce markets. Food banks then distribute this food to emergency food programs, soup kitchens, and food pantries.
Take this bag of oranges, for example. We often talk about the one bad orange that would historically had retailers throwing away the whole bag of oranges. But now? Now retailers put that bag in the box to donate to the Georgia Mountain Food Bank. Our volunteers work to remove that one bad orange (or strawberry, blueberry, etc.) and the rest of the bag of fresh oranges is able to be donated to a neighbor!
In 2024, Georgia Mountain Food Bank rescued almost 4 MILLION POUNDS of food from going into a landfill!
School Food Drive Success
Thank you to all the schools that joined in the 2024 Annual School Food Drive Challenge. In total,13,361 lbs. of food was collected from 16 schools. Congratulations to the top three schools:
1st Place - Riverside Military Academy
2nd Place - Chestnut Mountain Creative School of Inquiry
3rd Place - New Holland Elementary
Rebecca Thurman, Executive Director
Denise Bernardi, Volunteer Coordinator
Alondra Casanova, Logistics Coordinator
Jamie Cooke, Driver
Phil Dennis, Developement Director
Ronii Diaz, Executive Assistant
Colton Donino, Business Manager
And thank you to other participating schools: Chestatee High School, Chicopee Woods Elementary, Flowery Branch Elementary, Friendship Elementary School, Gainesville Exploration Academy, Johnson High School, Martin Elementary, Mount Vernon, North Hall High School, North Hall Middle School, Sardis Elementary, Spout Springs Elementary, World Language Academy.
Participation in the Annual School Food Drive Challenge is a vital opportunity for schools to make a meaningful impact in their own communities. By joining the challenge, schools help provide essential food supplies to families in need, addressing hunger and food insecurity in our region. It also fosters a spirit of teamwork, compassion, and social responsibility among students, empowering them to be active agents of change. We deeply appreciate all their hard work and efforts.
Ada Enriquez, Administrative Assistant
Clint Frain, Driver
Rick Gilbert, Food Procurement
Araceli Hernandez, Benefits Outreach Coordinator
Rodney Harbison, Warehouse Associate
Perla Ibarra, Mobile Pantry Coordinator
Lydia Johnson, Agency Services & Programs Coordinator
Bobby Leverington, Driver
Amy Palmer, Donor Outreach Coordinator
Amy Rowland, Agency Services Associate
Michael Savage, Warehouse Associate
Alec Tipton, Operations Manager
