The economic downturn has claimed another victim: an inner-city food bank that opened in Gainesville six years ago to serve the needy and destitute.

“We’re about the people and closing ... has broken my heart,” said Jan Payne, who helps run Breaking Bread Food Pantry.

“This morning, I had to deal with some ladies who are very hurt and angry, and they don’t know where their next meal is coming from.”

Breaking Bread closed its doors Tuesday, breaking the news to shocked families who had gathered for their weekly distribution. The pantry, which operates out of A New Walk Christian Fellowship at 673 Bradford St., had served 165 families, Payne said.

The organization gave families a letter, explaining its demise and partially blaming it on the Atlanta Community Food Bank.

“Due to the rising cost of gas, electricity and insurance, the drain on the church to support and finance (the pantry) is just too much,” the letter states.

The pantry had decided to charge families a weekly fee of $5 to receive food distributions “to help offset the costs, but the Atlanta Food Bank said we can’t do that or they will cut us off,” according to the letter.

“They are a large part of our source of food. They made the final decision for us.”

Rob Johnson, vice president of community services with the Atlanta Food Bank and the bank’s designated representative on the board of directors for the Georgia Mountain Food Bank based in Gainesville, said his organization offered to help the Breaking Bread Food Pantry but cannot continue to provide food if they charge for it.

“Part of our standard agreement with any of our 600 plus partner agencies is that, yes, in order to get food from us they — among many other requirements — they must provide that food to the ultimate clients at no charge,” Johnson said.

He noted a requirement from the IRS that prevents major donors from getting tax deductions if those they are donating to then exchange those goods for money, property or services.

The Atlanta Food Bank receives significant donations from Kraft, Pillsbury and other large corporations, Johnson said, that wouldn’t come without that tax deduction.

Johnson said the Atlanta Food Bank had been working with Breaking Bread since 2009.

“We had offered to try to work with them to see if there weren’t other support we could provide to find more funding sources. This comes up from time to time that folks who are really very committed to helping folks in need. And we’ve been working with them since 2009,” Johnson said.

“We regularly see these great folks on the front line have challenges meeting their budget needs, but when we do we’re happy to work with them and try to find other funding sources.”

He said his organization and the Georgia Mountain Food Bank did offer that help to Breaking Bread.

“But Jan, who was our key liaison, basically said, no, they were just too discouraged by the overall process, that they wanted essentially to end their relationship with us.”

A New Walk opened its location off Bradford Street with the intent of using the building’s 5,000 square feet of warehouse space for a food bank.

Through the years, the pantry has had several food suppliers. The Atlanta Food Bank was the largest source, however, supplying half the pantry’s food — particularly meat and produce — at a cost of 16 cents per pound, said Payne, who is also the church’s assistant pastor.

Recipients had to complete an application process to become eligible for food.

“They were low-income, elderly on fixed income, single moms with a slew of children,” Payne said. “And they all came from this area. We had people come get a buggy of food and push the buggy and all up to (public housing), unload and bring (the buggy) back.”

The pantry felt a $5 fee was reasonable.

“We carry out food to their cars and load it for (clients), and you see in (some of their) back floorboards two or three (energy) drinks and wadded-up cigarette packs,” Payne said.

“We know $5 a week is nothing, when the buggies they push out have anywhere from $75 to $110-$120 worth of stuff in them.”

Dewayne Payne, Jan’s husband and A New Walk’s pastor, said he realizes the bad timing of the pantry’s closing.
“The economy is just tough right now altogether,” he said.

“This little church with 75 people has been paying the bills for (the food bank),” Jan Payne said. “And a lot of them have lost their income and a lot of the unemployment is running out.”

Dewayne Payne said he would like to revive the food bank at some point.

“I just really need time to see what our options are,” he said.

“We need money; there’s no way around that. My goal is to still be able to do a food handout here once we get regrouped, I guess, on a much smaller scale.”

It’s the “smaller scale” part that’s troublesome, though, Jan Payne said.

“How do you eliminate somebody when they’re going to go hungry?” she said.

Dewayne Payne agreed.

“We’ve been in (food pantry work) long enough to know that we’ve got it down pretty much to the ones who really need it,” he said.

Johnson noted that people in need should contact the Georgia Mountain Food Bank to find another nearby pantry. They can be contacted at 770-967-0075 and a list of partner food pantries can be found at www.gamountainfoodbank.org.

Metro Editor Shannon Casas  contributed to this report.