The Second Harvest Food Distribution has been serving the Greensboro, Georgia community now for over a decade. Earlier this year, the pandemic presented them with their biggest challenge yet. “Our March and April food distributions were cancelled for the first time in our 10-year history,” says Reid Conklin of Second Harvest, a signature project of the Rotary Club of Greene and Putnam Counties with a mission to eliminate hunger within the counties they operate.
The host for the monthly food distribution, Greensboro Elementary, was forced to close in March of 2020. This, coupled with the fact volunteers were in such short supply, led Second Harvest board members to quickly devise a new plan.
“Despite cancelling March and April distributions, our board of directors worked diligently to ensure that those in need were able to access food in Greene County during those two months,” explains Conklin. Second Harvest partnered with the Greene County Food Pantry, a non-profit organization providing food for qualified clients living or working in Greene County, Ga.
Since March, a2b Fulfillment has partnered with Second Harvest to assist them as they navigate the challenges of the COVID pandemic. a2b has provided storage, delivery and the staff necessary to allow Second Harvest to continue in its mission to provide food for those in need.
The food distribution was able to return to Greensboro Elementary for the month of May. A revised format held entirely outdoors saw cars receiving pre-boxed donations dropped directly into car trunks as a way to keep volunteers and participants safe. The staff of a2b helped with receiving, storage and the delivery of boxed goods to the location and several a2b volunteers were on hand for the distribution of the food throughout the months of May, June and July at Greensboro Schools.
In August another change occurred when a2b opened its own parking lot to serve as a “Second Home” and official host for the event. Staff from a2b assists in the kitting and boxing of dry goods and fresh produce and are available each third Saturday of the month to line boxes up for delivery by the Second Harvest volunteers.
“Ayal Latz (President, a2b Fulfillment) and Team a2b have supported Second Harvest in a variety of ways since March,” says Conklin. “Without their assistance it would have been much more challenging to get food to those in need these last several months. We tip our hat and thank everyone at a2b for their support and generosity.”
“The pandemic has completely changed the way we all operate,” says a2b Fulfillment President, Ayal Latz. “We have been a sponsor of this event for many years, so when we saw what they were faced with this was a no-brainer for us to step in and help out. They have made a direct impact in this community for a decade now and our employees wanted to do everything we could to help them continue their mission.”
