New food pantry opens at Wade Walker YMCA in Stone Mountain
Wade Walker YMCA in Stone Mountain is now home to a new food pantry, described as “high quality” by officials.
On Sept. 9, officials at Wade Walker YMCA held a ribbon-cutting ceremony and dedicated the new food pantry, which includes refrigeration, freezer space, and shelving, to DeKalb County Commissioner Steve Bradshaw.
“It is because of (Bradshaw’s) generous support that we fulfilled this dream of having a pantry that will serve anyone in need in our community,” said Lorna Loh, executive director of Wade Walker YMCA, during the ceremony. “As such, it is our distinct privilege to dedicate and name this food pantry in honor of Commissioner Steve Bradshaw.”
Bradshaw allocated $50,000 of 2020 Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) ACT and another $50,000 of 2021 American Rescue Plan funding to Wade Walker YMCA to support individuals and families impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a news release.
Wade Walker YMCA officials said the funding allowed them to build an onsite food pantry and continue to tackle the ongoing challenge of food insecurity. According to the Atlanta Community Food Bank, DeKalb County experienced a 40 percent increase in the number of residents suffering from food insecurity during the pandemic in 2020.
Wade Walker YMCA provided more than 22,836 meals and 18,895 grocery boxes to DeKalb County residents in 2020 and 2021, stated officials. In 2022, they shifted the hunger relief program onsite, officials said.
“None of this is about me,” Bradshaw said. “It is about all the people that this wonderful facility has helped and will continue to help. I commend the leadership and staff of the Wade Walker YMCA for their heroic efforts on this front. I am a strong supporter of the work of the YMCAs in our communities and that is why I allocated funds to both the Wade Walker YMCA in Stone Mountain and the Decatur YMCA.”
Food distribution and food pantries have ramped up services throughout DeKalb County since the start of the pandemic. Since May 2020, DeKalb County has partnered with churches, nonprofits and other local organizations to distribute more than 78,000 boxes of food.
For more information, visit https://www.ymcaatlanta.org/ymca-locations/wade-walker/ and www.dekalbcountyga.gov.
