Decades after its founding one Gainesville-based organization continues to feed families in need.
Belinda Dickey is the president of Sunshine Seniors, a non-profit organization committed to feeding families in the Gainesville community.
Dickey said Sunshine Seniors was organized over 30 years ago under District 2 Public Health. Dickey was elected president in 2014 and has led the organization for the past ten years.
Sunshine Seniors distributes food at St. John Baptist Church on E.E. Butler Parkway in Gainesville.
“We know that what we do is a God thing,” Dickey said. “We already know that. But we just say we're thankful for how we can serve this community.”
Through 2022-23, the organization served 19,273 households, 60,976 people, 15,966 seniors and 19,976 children.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, they went from serving around 125 families to over 325 families.
Dickey said the number ticked down after COVID but recently with rising prices more people are coming for food.
“We do a weekly distribution. We distribute every Tuesday, we're here at St. John Baptist Church at 757 E.E. Butler Parkway,” Dickey said. “We are a little bit unique from other pantries. A lot of the pantries say you can come every 30 days, 60 days, or twice a month. People we serve can come every week.”
Sunshine Seniors does not discriminate, if a person is hungry they will feed them.
“We realize that people have to eat every day. You're talking about the elderly, you're talking about families with children. And you're talking about the homeless who need to eat every day. So we're just here to serve,” Dickey said.
The organization has around 30 volunteers a week. Dickey said their oldest volunteer is 87 years old but they have volunteers of all ages.
“Our volunteers, a lot of them are set by God. They hear about us. They come. We usually have about 30-plus volunteers every day.”
Sunshine Seniors partners with local nonprofits like the North Georgia Community Foundation, the Cresswind Community Fund, United Way Hall County and the Georgia Mountain Food Bank.
Local corporations such as Coca-Cola Bottling United Inc., Kings Hawaiian and Fieldale Farms provide resources to the organization.
Last year Sunshine Seniors spent $44,947 in total and distributed 372,464 pounds of food.
Sunshine Seniors distributes food at 2 p.m. every Tuesday at 757 E.E. Butler Parkway.
To support Sunshine Seniors make a check payable to North Georgia Community Foundation c/o Sunshine Senior Fund 340 Jesse Jewell Pkwy Suite SE Suite 605 Gainesville, GA 30501.
For more information call Belinda Dickey at 770-654-9922.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2024/1/1224445/sunshine-seniors-feeding-families-in-northeast-georgia