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The LaGrange Feeding the Valley Food Bank is dedicated to making sure Troup County residents do not go hungry during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jimmy Pruitt, LaGrange warehouse coordinator for Feeding the Valley Food Bank, said food banks are being inundated with food from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and federal agencies due to COVID-19. He said throughout the next 90 days, he is working with local government agencies to secure locations for drive-thru food drives.

Those locations are still being worked out, but he hopes to secure a few concrete areas.

For instance, there is a distribution Friday at 10 a.m. at Highland Baptist Church in Hogansville sponsored by God’s Breadbasket. Also, there will be a distribution at 10 a.m. on Saturday at City Light Church sponsored by City Light and Grace Baptist.

Another secured location is the George Harris Baseball Complex in LaGrange through the county. Pruitt said he’s also trying to secure a couple of Troup County School System sites for distributions.

The biggest issue facing the food bank isn’t the amount of food being donated but the number of people who show up to these drives. We think that’s a good problem to have, as it shows the people who need it are getting help.

Especially since Pruitt, who is also the LaGrange Police Department and Troup County Sheriff Department’s chaplain, has secured the services for law enforcement to help with traffic control.

We think this is an excellent showing of community involvement and several organizations coming together to make sure the residents of Troup County get essential items they need. Nothing is more necessary than getting fed.

During a recent drive, Pruitt said the food bank gave away 11,000 pounds of produce and between 40,000 to 50,000 pounds of chicken. Individuals participating in the drive-thru distribution received 30 pounds of dry goods like rice and beans, 10 pounds of frozen meat, five pounds of dairy and five pounds of protein.

The interaction is contact-free and no questions asked. They only requirement is one distribution per vehicle.

We love seeing these things happen in Troup County, and we hope several more will be able to occur during these times.