Fannin County Family Connection saw a 40% increase in client visits in the month of March and continues to show a percentage increase from previous years each month.
“We are grateful for the charity that has been shared with us over the spring,” Executive Director Sherry Morris said. “March taxed our food and volunteer resources. We experienced a 40% increase in client visits during that month. Our client numbers continue to be several percentage points ahead of last year month after month and our service to our community looks as if it will continue at an above normal pace for quite some time.”
The facility’s food pantry has seen a 13% increase from their 2018-2019 to 2019-2020 fiscal years.
In 2018-2019, the food pantry saw 17,113 total visits with 4,206 children, 7,876 adults, 5,031 seniors, 6,069 total families and 2,150 families with children.
The most recent fiscal year, 2019-2020, saw 19,456 total visits with 4,922 children, 8,758 adults, 5,776 seniors, 7,050 total families and 2,520 families with children.
This past year, they saw 487 first time households and served 19,456 clients.
“The community has been extraordinarily generous, but the surge in community need is taking above average funds in order to adequately serve our increased numbers,” Morris said.
The organization also took on the location and on-site management of the Summer Meals program this year for the first time.
The organization relies on fundraisers such as Feed Fannin’s annual Bowls of Hope event and Family Connection’s annual Christmas Tour of Homes to help fund their programs each year. However, COVID-19 related cancellations have prevented them from collecting these funds.
Bowls of Hope was canceled in March, resulting in a loss of “tens of thousands of dollars.”
“At the moment, we are planning for our Christmas Tour of Homes,” Morris said. “At any day, that fundraiser could go by the wayside due to COVID. If our Christmas fundraiser is canceled, along with the Bowls of Hope which already didn’t take place, we’ll be riding the tide on the perfect storm.”
Christmas Tour of Homes is primarily funded by sponsors rather than ticket sales for the tour.
“We are hopeful but think the business sponsorships will be below last year’s totals as businesses try to recoup from the closing and now the resurgence in the spread of the virus,” Morris said.
The organization is in need of donations, which can be given online at fannin.ga.fcp.org or by mail at P.O. Box 2715, Blue Ridge, Georgia, 30513.
The food pantry, which is located at 501 Industrial Park in Blue Ridge, is open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. They can be reached at 706-632-6063.