The Chattanooga Area Food Bank will hold a free community food distribution today, Monday, October 19, at the Summerville Parks and Recreation Department.

The distribution will take place from 3 PM until 5 PM at the recreation center, located at 220 Highway 100 in Summerville.

Eligible Georgia residents will be able to receive free groceries, including pantry staples, fresh produce, frozen foods and other items as supplies allow.

The distribution will be conducted as a drive-through event, with volunteers loading groceries directly into recipients’ vehicles. No reservations or deliveries will be available.

Organizers encourage residents to arrive early because supplies are limited, and the event will end once all available food has been distributed.

The Chattanooga Area Food Bank is a regional nonprofit organization that works to combat hunger across 20 counties in Southeast Tennessee and Northwest Georgia, including Chattooga County.

Its Northwest Georgia service area includes Chattooga, Walker, Dade, Catoosa, Whitfield, Murray, Gordon, Gilmer and Fannin counties.

Working through a network of more than 200 community partners, the organization provides food assistance to families, children, senior citizens and individuals struggling with food insecurity.

According to the food bank, approximately one in six households across its service area faces uncertainty about having enough food. The organization distributed the equivalent of approximately 18.3 million meals last year through its regional hunger-relief programs.

Today’s Summerville distribution is part of the food bank’s ongoing effort to make groceries more accessible to residents, particularly in rural communities where transportation and access to affordable food can be challenges.