AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The Golden Harvest in Augusta is opening the doors to a new Produce Rescue Center that will help feed those in need.

On Aug. 15, at 8:30 a.m., Golden Harvest Food Bank will open its doors to the community for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new Produce Rescue Center, located at 3301 Commerce Drive.

This special event will bring together community leaders, elected officials, and compassionate neighbors who share a commitment to fighting hunger.

The new center will serve as a vital lifeline for over 350 hunger relief organizations and programs that provide food assistance to those in need. It will also become a welcoming space for thousands of volunteers each month, whose generosity and dedication are at the heart of the Food Bank’s mission to alleviate hunger.

This project was made possible through an initial grant award of $3.7 million by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs in partnership with the City of Augusta through CARES Act funding.

This award was driven by a deep commitment to expanding the Food Bank’s capacity to serve. The new Produce Rescue Center is designed to significantly increase the distribution of fresh produce, meat, and dairy products to Golden Harvest’s partner agencies and clients across its 11,000-square-mile service area, covering 25 counties.

The center will also house Golden Harvest’s Community Impact Team, a group dedicated to ensuring that food reaches those who need it most. The goal is to have more hands on deck to get fresher produce to the community quicker.

“We are incredibly grateful to the Georgia Department of Community Affairs and their visionary investment in the food bank network across the state, increasing capacity and impact to those facing food insecurity,” says Amy Breitmann, President & CEO, of Golden Harvest Food Bank. “We are also grateful for the private investors who have come alongside us to close the fundraising gap, bringing to life the reality of this new facility that will drastically increase our impact across our 25-county service area.”

Key features of the new center include large cold storage units that will increase the Food Bank’s fresh produce distribution exponentially. A dedicated volunteer space will ensure that every item is carefully sorted, inspected, and delivered with the respect our neighbors deserve. Expanded office space will provide more than 7,000 square feet for Golden Harvest’s staff and community partners to collaborate, learn, and grow together in service.

Following the ribbon-cutting ceremony, community members and the press are invited to tour the new Produce Rescue Center to see firsthand how it will enhance Golden Harvest’s ability to meet the needs of the community.

It’s a project that is two years in the making.

In April, News 12 got a first look at some of the center’s progress.

The new center will introduce a new world of fresh food options for people across the area and help fill the food desert gap.

In their current space, Golden Harvest is able to distribute about a million pounds of fresh produce a year. Across the street at the new produce rescue center, their goal is to bump up to about two and a half million pounds.

Copyright 2024 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – An Augusta school is dealing with a bedbug situation.

Parents of Monte Sano Elementary students were told of it in a letter dated Wednesday.

“A kindergarten student was exposed to bedbugs outside our school,” the Richmond County School System told parents.

No other grade levels are believed to be in danger of exposure.

“Out of an abundance of caution,” all students were examined for bedbug activity and the following steps were taken:

• All kindergarten classes were removed from their normal classrooms for the school day and instruction took place at another location in the school.
• All classroom items were examined for bedbug activity.
• To ensure that no bedbugs enter family homes, kindergarten student belongings will remain on campus overnight to be treated.
• Parents and guardians of all kindergarten students received additional resources and information.

Regular classroom activity for all students will resume on Thursday.

“We understand that this event disrupted your children’s school day,” parents were told. “We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to ensure that our classrooms are safe environments for learning.”

All about bedbugs

• Bedbugs are small, flat insects that bite people and animals at night while they sleep, feeding on their blood.
• Bedbugs are reddish-brown, are wingless and range from 1mm to roughly the size of Lincoln’s head on a penny. They can live for months without a blood meal.
• Bedbugs are not known to spread diseases to people, but they cause irritation, itching and loss of sleep.
• You can find bedbugs anywhere, from North and South America, to Africa, Asia and Europe. Bedbugs are in five-star hotels and resorts. How clean a place is does not determine whether they are present.
• Bedbug bites affect each person differently. You may have no signs or you may see small bites or suffer serious allergic reactions, although these are rare.
• When bedbugs bite, they inject an anesthetic and anticoagulant that prevent a person from feeling the bite when it happens. Most people do not notice the bite marks until they appear from one to several days after the initial bite.
• Bites look similar to mosquito or flea bites — a slightly swollen and red area that may itch and be irritating. The bite marks may be random or appear in a straight line.
• Signs of an infestation include exoskeletons (shed after molting), bugs in the fold of mattresses and sheets, rusty-colored blood spots on mattresses or nearby furniture, and a sweet musty odor.

Copyright 2024 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – A new dental facility has opened up in Augusta to provide services at no cost to patients.

Miracle Making Ministries is a non-profit organization helping people get the care they need.

They provide primary care at Druid Park Community Health Center.

Officials say they saw a need for dental services in more than 80% of their patients.

The building was donated to the ministry 25 years ago and initially served as the health center location until they outgrew the space and moved.

“The list is so long and there are so many needs. So, we decided that it would be to our advantage as well as to the advantage of those in need to open a full-time dental facility and so here we are,” said the president of Miracle Making Ministries, Robert Williams.

Right now, they are only open on Fridays.

They are working with the Dental College of Georgia so that students can use their facility as a rotation site.

This combined with volunteer dentists, they should be able to eventually open up five days a week.

To get dental care, you have to be below the poverty level and they can help you figure that out.

For more information, visit https://mirmakmin.com/medical-outreach/.

Copyright 2024 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.