AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - Local food banks report doubling and tripling numbers as new faces seek help for the first time.

The Augusta Dream Center served 554 families in one day, according to Executive Director Kellie Newman.

“We see our numbers doubling and tripling every day,” said Hallie Kohan, assistant director at Augusta Dream Center.

Hope & Help: Here are some CSRA food resources if you’re facing hunger

With 1 in 8 people relying on SNAP to put food on the table, millions of people in Georgia and South Carolina face hunger.

Newman said the situation feels like a crisis that has caught organizations off guard.

“This feels like a crisis. This is a crisis that’s happening and it’s kind of just snuck up on us,” Newman said. “I don’t think we realized how the government shutdown,

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