Georgia peanut industry donates 28,000 jars of peanut butter to food banks - WALB.com, Albany News, Weather, Sports

Georgia peanut industry donates 28,000 jars of peanut butter to food banks

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By Tayleigh Davis - bio | email

ALBANY, GA (WALB) - Peanut farmers had a bumper crop last year, and now the Georgia Peanut Commission is donating thousands of peanut butter jars to the Georgia Association of Food Banks.

Every jar of peanut butter was packaged in Albany, GA and food bank employees have decided to donate the food to students all over the state of Georgia. It's a big job but food bank employees said all the hard work goes towards helping hungry children.

Kyser Lockett is serving time in the Dougherty County jail, and he's volunteering his time to package this peanut butter into bags with other food which will be given to hungry students.

"I get to get out of jail and come help somebody in need," said Lockett.  "Everyone must come together and help out."

The Georgia Peanut Commission helped donate more than 28,000 jars of peanut butter to fight hunger this month, and Tyron Spearman with the Peanut Buyers points says the donated peanut butter is worth about $22,000.

"Food banks do a tremendous job with our peanut butter product," noted Spearman. "You don't have to have a refrigerator and it's nutritious."

 The food bank has 28 pallets of peanut butter. More than 1000 jars are on each pallet. Organizers will unload 14 in Albany and next week, they'll take 14 to the food bank in Macon.

In the meantime, Food Bank President Brett Kirkland said volunteers will continue to fill boxes of large baggies packed with food which will be donated.

"It's going to be a good product to use in the back pack program," commented Kirkland. "It's a product we don't have to pay retail price for and it's very affordable."

Friday, volunteers will give out more than 250 bags of food to students in Dougherty and Worth counties, and next week the food bank will give away 100 more bags of food to students in Decatur County.

The food bank in Albany serves 20-counties throughout Southwest Georgia and partners with more than three-hundred agencies.


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