To be eligible, you must be an Oglethorpe County resident and have children up to 18 in the home. The pantry is open from 4-6 p.m. every third Thursday of the month at Oglethorpe County Middle School. Donations through the Northeast Georgia Food Bank using code C-187 directly support this pantry and help local families in need. If you need assistance or have any questions, call 706-410-0382.
Turley Howard, a social worker and long-time organizer of the Oglethorpe County Mobile Food Pantry, said the initiative has deep roots.
“It’s been years, probably close to 10,” said Howard, who works for the Oglethorpe County School System. “It’s just a few grown-ups and a bunch of students who make this happen. They take pride in it, and some come back even when they don’t have to.”
A total of 15 student volunteers from both Oglethorpe County Middle School and OCHS gathered on Feb. 20 at the OCMS cafeteria to provide food and support to local families, just like they do every month.
The mobile food pantry is a collaborative effort between Community Christmas, Oglethorpe County School System and the Northeast Georgia Food Bank. Families in need can access a variety of food items, including vegetables, fruits, chicken, canned goods and drinks, though availability may vary each month.
“We never know what we’re going to get,” said Jodie Zeuke, the school system’s parent mentor and volunteer. “There’s always plenty of drinks and canned goods, but beyond that, it’s a surprise.”
Howard said he has witnessed the steady demand for assistance in the community.
“Every time we do this, we get 40 to 50-plus families,” he said.
One of the defining aspects of the pantry’s operation is how food is distributed.
In the past, volunteers pre-packed boxes. Now people fill out a form, offered in English and Spanish, to take a shopping cart and choose the items they need.
Zeuke said this method has created a deeper bond in the community by allowing people to get what they need with dignity as it resembles going to the grocery store.
“(Before) we never knew who came,” she said. “Now, people get to come in and pick what they want. It takes more time, but we get to interact with them, make sure they see everything, and choose the items they need. I prefer this way.”
Nothing goes to waste. Unclaimed food is stored at the high school, where three refrigerators and freezers keep it available for emergency distribution.
“If someone calls and says they have no food, even if the pantry just happened, we can still help get them things,” Zeuke said. “Sometimes we can help with diapers for kids and older adults, if needed.”
But the pantry is about more than just food.
Most volunteers are students from the middle and high schools. Some students start volunteering as part of a school requirement but willingly return.
“They love to help. Some even ask me, ‘When’s the next one?’” Zeuke said. “It’s amazing to see their excitement.”
The pantry also ensures that those who can’t physically make it to the school receive food.
“If someone can’t get here, we find a way,” Zeuke said. “Some families share a single car, and when it breaks down, they’re stuck. So we allow people to pick up for others, and we’ve even delivered food ourselves.”
For the volunteers, the mobile food pantry is more than just an initiative, it’s a mission.
“We’ve built relationships with families,” Howard said. “When things get hard, they know they can call us. That trust means everything.”