Habitat for Humanity of Northeast Georgia will cancel the Groundbreaking Ceremony for houses #79 and #80 due to the weather today, July 20th.

Now Habersham will update you on when the ceremony will be rescheduled as soon as the information is released. Please read below for more details about the event.

Habitat for Humanity unveils the Carpenter’s Club

Two people are dead and many sickened from a listeria outbreak linked to deli meats, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday.

Health officials said there are two deaths and 28 reports of illness in 12 states, including Georgia, tied to the outbreak. The deaths were reported in New Jersey and Illinois. Illnesses have also been reported in Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland and beyond.

According to the CDC, many people sickened in the outbreak reported eating meats sliced at deli counters. “We do not have information to show that people are getting sick from prepackaged deli meats,” the CDC said in a statement.

Of 28 patients with information available, all have been hospitalized. One person became sick while pregnant and remained pregnant after recovering, the CDC said.

“The true number of sick people in this outbreak is likely higher than the number reported, and the outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses,” health officials said in a news release. “This is because some people recover without medical care and are not tested for Listeria. In addition, recent illnesses may not yet be reported, as it usually takes 3 to 4 weeks to determine if a sick person is part of an outbreak.”

Samples were collected from sick patients between May 29 and July 5. Patients have ranged in age from age 32 to 94, with a median age of 75.

State and local health officials are interviewing patients about foods they ate in the month before becoming ill.

“People are reporting eating a variety of meats sliced at deli counters. Of the 18 people able to be interviewed, 16 (89%) reported eating meats sliced at a deli, most commonly deli-sliced turkey, liverwurst, and ham,” the CDC said. “Meats were sliced at a variety of supermarket and grocery store delis.”

An analysis showed people sickened in the outbreak were more likely to have eaten deli-sliced turkey and liverwurst.

“This information suggests that meats sliced at the deli are a likely source of this outbreak,” the CDC said, but added the agency doesn’t have enough information to say which deli meats are the source of the outbreak.

In 2022, another listeria outbreak that officials believed was linked to deli meat and cheese sickened at least two people in Illinois and killed a Maryland resident.

The CDC advises people who are pregnant, aged 65 or older, or have a weakened immune system to contact their healthcare provider if they have any ts sliced at the deli unless they are heated before eating.

With reporting by Shannon Antinori of Patch.

The Food Bank of Northeast Georgia opened a new 63,000-square-foot facility at 890 Newton Bridge Road, on Thursday, July 18. The ribbon cutting took place at 4 p.m. with several keynote speakers, including Athens-Clarke County Mayor Kelly Girtz, Deputy Commissioner Rusty Haygood from the Department of Community Affairs, Danah Craft from Feeding Georgia, Kevin Price from Kevin Price Construction and Board Chair of the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia Billy Porter.

The Food Bank of Northeast Georgia, which has been in existence for over 30 years, works with more than 200 member organizations to annually distribute more than 11 million pounds of food across the 15-county region, totaling about 9.3 million meals for people in Northeast Georgia. According to the FBNEGA, the need for food assistance has never been higher as one in seven people and one in six children in Northeast Georgia are at risk of food insecurity. The new food bank expanded the capacity by 65% to connect more people with food.

The event began with words of gratitude from CEO Erin Barger.

“This moment is surreal. It is proof that there is a being in the universe that blesses us beyond our imagination,” Barger said. “This last fiscal year the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia has mobilized more pounds of food than any year in history because of these 32 people that I am honored to call my colleagues.”

This new facility was a $15 million project, helped by a $8.9 million grant from the Department of Community Affairs. Feeding Georgia was also involved, helping facilitate $65 million into food banks all across the state.

“I find it consistently true that no good thing happens by just one individual alone,” Girtz said. “We have at least four public sector institutions who joined together to make this happen, maybe hundreds of volunteers and partner entities across all of northeast Georgia.”

The ribbon cutting was a community-oriented project that came to fruition through a team effort. The director of development for the food bank, Kelly Klein, said there are many ways the community can continue to help.

“We would love for people to volunteer, go to our website to sign up and donate funds,” Klein said. “Every dollar donated helps us provide three balanced meals to the community. And people can also donate food, whether they grow food at home, no matter how big or how small any donation is appreciated.”