The calls have been coming in, and Savannah Feed the Hungry says it’s ready to step in and serve.

Feed the Hungry, Inc., will be at the Effingham County Recreation and Parks center in Springfield from noon-2 p.m. Saturday, delivering hot meals, clothing and produce to those in need.

"We’ve been getting a lot of phone calls about coming into the area," said Rev. Carl Gilliard, the founder of Savannah Feed the Hungry.

Gilliard’s group began conducting surveys of the area for its needs.

"We’ve always served a lot of people in the Effingham, Rincon and Clyo area," he said. "We get a lot of people up to Statesboro and Screven County."

Feed the Hungry has been operating in Savannah for three years and began reaching out to Hinesville three months ago.

"And Effingham was our next focus," Gilliard said.

What the organization offers is free, fresh produce, along with furniture, clothing, school supplies and Christmas toys. Its assistance is targeted at those who are struggling, many of whom still have jobs.

"What we’re serving is a lot of the working poor," Gilliard said, "those who are retired, those who have lost jobs and have to decide, ‘do I pay my mortgage or pay my rent or do I pay for a meal?’ That’s the entity we’re dealing with. Ninety-nine percent of the people we cater to are the working poor."

Feed the Hungry has new and slightly used clothing and shoes available. It also provides furniture to families that are starting over or have lost their possessions in a fire Families in need of furniture can submit an application, which is followed by an on-site visit.

Unemployment and the recession continue to have an impact on families, Gilliard pointed out. According to 2010 Census figures, 10.3 percent of Effingham’s population from 2006-10 was living below the poverty line.

"Hunger and poverty have become the number one item on the agenda for the nation," he said.

The organization makes its clothing available through private appointment, in case potential recipients are too embarrassed to ask for the help in a more public fashion.

"There are a lot of families going through the same thing," Gilliard said. "People don’t want to show their faces. There really are people sleeping in their cars and going to work or working and not having what they need in their refrigerator."

Gilliard said they don’t want to take the place of the various Effingham County food banks, and he praised the efforts of FORCE, the Food Outreach Co-Op of Effingham, in providing assistance.

"FORCE is an excellent collaboration," he said. "We didn’t want to duplicate what they were doing. We can complement what’s already being done. There are some good things being done in Effingham County."

Free health screenings also are part of Feed the Hungry’s offerings, and Gilliard said they do not do an in-depth peer into the background of anyone seeking the organization’s aid.

"Any individual is able to come in," he said. "We don’t go through a big screening. We just ask they sign their name, address and phone number."

Gilliard said Feed the Hungry also wants to get volunteers. They have about 60 volunteers in Hinesville and have a base of more than 540 volunteers in Savannah. When Feed the Hungry disbursed its Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday dinners at the Savannah National Guard armory, nearly 6,000 of them, there were 442 volunteers on the premises.

"What we’re trying to do is put the word to people if they want to volunteer. I was really astounded that they really have a good network of churches and organizations that are working together," Gilliard said of Effingham County. "That’s the best thing in the world that’s going to make it happen. What we do is invite churches, organizations and individuals to volunteer."

Those wishing to volunteer can go to the Web site www.savannahfeedthehungry.com and click on the volunteers link. The volunteer coordinator will be in contact and invite them to an orientation, and their information will remain in the organization’s database for a year. They also can sign up to volunteer at Saturday’s event.

Gilliard also expressed his thanks to Clarence Morgan, ECRP director, for allowing the group to use the ECRP’s facilities.

"Mr. Morgan was very cooperative," he said, "so we’re very thankful."

Gilliard knows what it’s like for many of the people his group serves.

"I know it seems like a great vision or dream, but my family went through working in corporate America, making good money," he said.

But around three years ago, around Thanksgiving, he was told "the magic words — ‘We no longer need your services,’" he said. "Two pieces of bread and a piece of baloney in the refrigerator later, and Feed the Hungry was born."

Gilliard wants the Feed the Hungry mission in Effingham to continue past Saturday. The group has meat, bread and produce giveaways every Wednesday and Friday, serving nearly 600 people each time. Part of its mission is to provide healthy produce to families that otherwise might bypass those higher-priced items to cut costs.

"We’re really excited about coming to Effingham and working with what’s already in place in Effingham," Gilliard said.