FEBRUARY UPDATE
From the Board Chair
Hello friends,
Traditional thinking leads us to always look at February as a short month. With this year's added day in February, GAP was open 5 Thursdays in February. This led to a very busy month that did not feel short.
Once again, we broke a record for serving people facing food insecurity. In one Thursday we served 279 households! Just a few years ago this would never have been dreamed of. In February we served 1,224 households experiencing food insecurity including 449 walking bags for people with nowhere to cook. The challenge to keep food on our shelves continues to be met by the generous donations of groups donating what they can. Our board members are helping by bringing canned goods to each board meeting. By God's good grace we still have food to offer the last clients of the day. One of our pantry volunteers took a break and noticed a man juggling 4 balls in our parking lot. This volunteer had some experience juggling and went out to meet the man. This man shared his long journey from South Dakota to Savannah where he found himself in need. He was not able to get any help, but was told that GAP in Augusta might be able to help him. He made his way on foot from Savannah to Augusta. GAP has gotten him his birth certificate so that he can find employment and offers him a walking bag each week. He is determined to find work and move on to a better life. This is the beauty of the hospitality GAP has to offer our clients. Volunteers and clients find common ground and share as neighbors.
Our identification programs continue to see more people each month. Our birth certificate volunteers saw 197 people in February. They got back 92 birth certificates, gave out 79 and sent off 73 new applications. Our photo ID volunteers transported 46 people to the DDS. 39 of those people now have a photo ID. The volunteers from both of these programs are gifted in finding creative ways to help clients maneuver our state requirements.
Our hygiene programs are also seeing more people in need each month. Our diaper bank helped families by distributing 631 packages of a week's worth of diapers in February. Our Adult incontinence program served 256 clients with a week's worth of product. Our period products program served 212 clients. Part of the forward movement for our working poor is due to the ability to maintain good hygiene and health. These programs help relieve the high cost of these products so families can stretch their limited budgets farther.
Our nurses were able to help 318 clients with prescription assistance and/or over the counter medication in February. Several of our nurses are experiencing personal health issues and family health issues at this time. We ask for your prayers for them to remain able to help at GAP. Our nurses may not all be able to come every week, but enough come each week to meet the needs of our clients. A man came to GAP who had recently moved to Augusta to be near his sister and her children who are staying at the shelter. He is homeless as well. The nurse that was working with him noticed that he had a tracheostomy tube in his neck. It was missing an important part and was very dirty. He had been to our local ERs but could not receive help due to his Medicaid insurance coming from out of state. Our nurses combined forces in search of a new trach tube. They called many places in town. Thanks to their persistent compassion and combined efforts, they found a local resource. One nurse ordered the tube using GAP funds. One nurse picked it up the next day. One nurse found a resource for a trach cleaning kit to be used to keep the tube clean and prevent infection. These were delivered to the man at the shelter. We are all children of God. There is no doubt that God guided these caring volunteers to the solution for one of his own.
We praise God for all of our volunteers and the kindness they are able to share at GAP. We praise God for the building where we are able to serve. We praise God for all the funding we receive to help meet the needs of our neighbors in downtown Augusta. We praise God for your prayers. Praise God from whom ALL blessings flow!
In His service,
Elaine
