b'On March 14, when Gov. Brian Kemp declared a public healthschool year, the issue of food insecurity reached a critical level. emergency due to COVID-19, Second Harvest of South GeorgiaStudents who regularly received free or reduced meals (often mobilized efforts to get food resources to families in need.breakfast and lunch) no longer had that option. First, we sent a survey to all our agencies, says Richards, whoFrom mid-March through July, the Kids Caf prepared and has worked with the food bank for 28 years. A couple of keydelivered 414,687 meals and snacks throughout its service things we needed to know included their plans for staying openregiondoubling the number of meals served last year. and how they would handle providing services. From their responses, we immediately knew that it wasnt going to beWorking with about a dozen school districts, McCall says, We business as usual. met them where they needed us. Each school had different needs. For some, we were a stop-gap until they could get up and running With nearly three decades of experience, the food bankson their own, and others needed long-term help.staff has participated in disaster relief efforts for numerous hurricanes, tornados, and other emergencies and naturalCritical Needdisasters.While assisting with school lunch programs, Second Harvest of South Georgia also coordinated mobile food distributions to help The difference in a pandemic and other disaster relief effortsfamilies financially impacted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. is the wide scope of impact and time, says Eliza McCall, chief On a normal day, South Georgia has a food insecurity problem. When you add COVID, it created a secondary crisis.- ELIZA MCCALLmarketing officer with Second Harvest of South Georgia. With a hurricane, you can prepare and have an idea where its going to make landfall, and once it does, you go in and start to work. But with this, there is no end in sight.Schools OutAs schools started closing across the state, Second Harvest of South Georgia ramped up its childrens feeding program. A big part of the food banks overall mission is the Kids Caf, which provides at-risk school-aged children with snacks and meals through afterschool programs and summer and holiday breaks. On a normal day, South Georgia has a food insecurity problem, says McCall. When you add COVID, it created a secondary crisis.In South Georgia, one in four children struggle daily with havingServing Families: Eliza McCall, chief marketing officer, Second enough food in their homes. With the abrupt ending of theHarvest of South GeorgiaBUSINESS + CULTURE 13'