In 1982, a small group of volunteers representing several Valdosta churches formed the Unity Food Bank with the goal of giving community churches access to the foods and services necessary to carry out their charitable work. The group operated in a borrowed basement, distributing loads of food donated from another organization. Over the last 31 years, the organization has grown and transformed – changing names and leadership, becoming independent and nationally-accredited, and expanding geographically and operationally.
Today, Second Harvest of South Georgia is the leading hunger-relief organization in the region and the largest rural food bank in the state. We serve a nearly 12,000 square mile region made up of 26 counties. In addition to our Valdosta headquarters, we have branches in Thomasville and Tifton. From these locations, we serve more than 300 partner agencies through a variety of programs including the Food Bank, Kids Cafe, Mobile Food Pantry, and Teachers’ Harvest among others.