Every week, we meet parents and grandparents across North Georgia who face the same heartbreaking question — how will I feed my family tomorrow?
At Ministries of Grace, we’re distributing more than 13,500 pounds of food every week, and still, it’s not enough. The shelves at local food banks are thin. The big regional supplier recently listed only one available item: bread. Protein has nearly vanished from the supply chain. Because of the government shutdown, food pantries across Georgia are scrambling to meet an overwhelming surge in need.
The 6,000 pounds of canned goods donated at the Cumming Country Fair, a blessing we celebrated just weeks ago, are already gone. We ordered 50 boxes of food from the food bank, but only 18 arrived. Families who once needed help occasionally now come every single week.
We’ve never turned anyone away, but we’re rationing carefully to make sure every family gets at least something on their table. Because behind every box of food is a story of survival and hope.
Donate now to help restock our shelves.
What Food Assistance Really Means
When people hear the words food assistance, they might picture a bag of groceries or a pantry shelf. But to us, it’s far more than that.
It’s the grandmother raising three special-needs grandchildren after losing her daughter, her small social-security check stretched so thin that she can’t afford new shoes for the twins who seem to grow overnight. Every Sunday when our team pulls up, she meets us at the door, gratitude in her eyes and relief in her voice.
Food assistance means her pantry is full again. It means she doesn’t have to choose between paying the electric bill and buying groceries. It means hope.
At Ministries of Grace, we believe food is the starting point for transformation. It restores dignity, stabilizes families, and creates space for them to dream again. That’s why we say our mission is to bring food, hope, and transformation to those in need because they all go together.
Meals by Grace: Providing Food Assistance With Dignity
Through our Meals by Grace program, families receive more than just groceries. They receive connection, consistency, and care.
In 2024 alone, we served more than 63,000 individuals and provided over 4 million meals across Forsyth and Dawson Counties. Parents who once skipped meals to feed their children now leave with full boxes of food and full hearts.
One of those parents was a mother who lost her husband in a car accident. Her little girl suffers from seizures and relies on a service dog to stay safe. Without home delivery, she’d have to spend $40 on an Uber ride just to reach the grocery store. Instead, our volunteers bring the food to her doorstep. She told us, “Because of Meals by Grace, I finally have room to breathe again.”
It’s families like hers who remind us why we do this work.
Read more in How Meals by Grace Brings Food and Dignity to Families in Crisis.
Grace Cares: Helping Families Access Food Assistance and Stability
Food often solves the immediate crisis, but many families face much deeper challenges. That’s where Grace Cares steps in.
Through our trauma-informed, wholistic approach, we help families stabilize every area of life, including hygiene, clothing, housing, transportation, and access to essential benefits like SNAP, WIC, and EBT.
For many parents, applying for food assistance programs can feel overwhelming, especially when they’re already in crisis. Our Family Support Specialists walk alongside each family to help them complete applications, navigate state systems, and connect with community resources.
Last month, we served two local teachers who give everything to their students but were on the verge of eviction. Rising rent costs and car trouble left them desperate. Through Grace Cares, we provided gas cards, emergency support, and helped them apply for benefits that could relieve some of their financial strain.
Another mom came to us after her husband passed away, leaving her with two children and a mountain of paperwork. She told our team, “I didn’t even know where to start.” We walked with her through every form until her SNAP benefits were approved, ensuring she could put food on the table without shame or fear.
At Grace Cares, every care plan is personalized and every follow-up is intentional. Our goal is to move families from surviving to thriving, one step at a time.
Read more in How Grace Cares Helps Families Access Food Assistance and Stability.
When Emergencies Strike: Responding With Compassion
Right now, we are in the middle of a food crisis.
Because of the government shutdown, families who rely on SNAP benefits are facing devastating gaps in their assistance. Across Georgia, shelves at regional food banks sit nearly empty. Protein deliveries have stopped altogether, leaving only bread available to order.
Here at Ministries of Grace, we’ve already distributed 13,500 pounds of food this week alone, but it disappears almost as fast as it arrives. The 6,000 pounds of canned goods we received from the Cumming Country Fair Food Drive, which normally lasts for months, is already gone. We ordered 50 boxes of food from the food bank and received just 18.
Families who were barely getting by are now out of options. Parents are coming to us for the first time, many in tears, not knowing how they’ll feed their children tonight. Volunteers are rationing boxes carefully, trying to stretch what little we have to reach as many homes as possible.
We’re doing everything we can, but without community support, the shelves will stay bare.
This is what a real-time emergency looks like, and why your help matters right now.
Read more in Emergency Food Assistance When Families Have Nowhere Else to Turn.
A Community United Against Hunger
We often say we’re by community, for community, and that truth shows up every single week.
Our fight against hunger isn’t something we do alone. It’s powered by hundreds of local partnerships, including schools, businesses, churches, and individuals who believe in feeding their neighbors.
This Thanksgiving, local businesses and sponsors are coming together for our Gobble Wobble 5K, an event that funds thousands of meals for families in Forsyth and Dawson Counties.
Churches sponsor delivery days and fill our volunteer calendar with entire congregations ready to serve.
Daycares across North Georgia collect jars of peanut butter, canned vegetables, and baby formula through small food drives that add up to make a massive impact. Local businesses donate goods, provide financial support, or match employee gifts so we can keep shelves stocked.
And every week, individuals step forward, neighbors leading food drives, families volunteering together, and donors giving what they can to make sure no one goes hungry.
One of our volunteers, Amanda, shared after a drive, “When a customer said they once relied on food pantries too, I realized how connected we all are. This isn’t charity; it’s community.”
It’s that shared ownership that fuels everything we do.
Read how partnerships make a difference in How Local Partnerships Make Food Assistance Possible.
From Food Assistance to Financial Stability
Our mission doesn’t end when the pantry shelves are full. We want to see every family achieve long-term independence.
Through Graceworks Training Center, we provide career coaching, certifications, GED prep, and vocational training. Before the center even officially opened, 23 individuals received one-on-one career guidance, and one found a full-time job.
Kate’s story is one of our favorites. A single mom and student, she came to Meals by Grace during a difficult season. Graceworks connected her with flexible, remote employment and gave her the skills to build a better future. Now she volunteers with us every week, helping other parents find the same stability she discovered.
Read more in From Hunger to Hope: How Food Assistance Opens Doors to Independence.
Understanding Food Assistance Programs in Georgia
For many families we serve, the first question they ask is, “Am I even eligible for help?” Navigating the world of food assistance programs can feel overwhelming, especially for those who have never had to ask for help before.
In Georgia, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides benefits through an EBT card that can be used to buy groceries. But applying for those benefits, understanding the requirements, and waiting for approval can take time. And when the pantry is empty, time is something families do not have.
That’s where our team at Ministries of Grace comes in. Through our Grace Cares program, we walk alongside families to help them apply for SNAP, connect with local resources, and fill the gaps with groceries, fresh produce, and home deliveries through Meals by Grace. We make sure no family falls through the cracks.
Read more in Understanding Food Assistance Programs in Georgia.
How to Find Food Assistance Near You in North Georgia
If you or someone you know is struggling to put food on the table, help is closer than you think. Across Forsyth County, Dawson County, and Cumming, families are finding hope and stability through Ministries of Grace.
Our Meals by Grace pantry and delivery programs make it easy for families without transportation or with limited mobility to receive groceries right at their doorstep. We serve parents balancing multiple jobs, seniors living on fixed incomes, and grandparents raising their grandchildren, people who just need a little help to make it through the week.
Whether you need assistance yourself or want to share resources with someone else, our team is ready to help you take the next step toward food security.
Read more in How to Find Food Assistance Near You in North Georgia.
Stories of Transformation
Every number we report represents a name, a face, and a story of transformation.
There’s Bentley, the ten-year-old who walks a long dirt road every morning to catch the school bus while caring for his homebound grandfather. Without home deliveries from Meals by Grace, they would go days without food. When he tells us he loves the frozen pizza we bring because it’s easy to make for both of them, we’re reminded why this work matters.
There’s Tayler, a single mom of two who once came to us for help and now volunteers every week to serve other families.
And there’s the grandmother with her grandkids, still thanking us every Sunday for food and for hope.
When you give, you become part of every one of these stories.
Read more in Stories of Transformation: Families Finding Hope Through Food Assistance.
Be the Reason No Family Goes Hungry
At Ministries of Grace, we believe that no family should ever have to choose between paying the bills and feeding their children.
Food assistance is the first step toward transformation, and every act of generosity keeps that hope alive. Together, we can end hunger in North Georgia and build a future where every neighbor has enough.
When you give today, you’re not just providing food. You’re restoring dignity, stability, and hope.
