The monthly pantry at Oglethorpe County High School serves around 60-65 families, but is expecting to see double that number due to delays in SNAP benefits, relying on community volunteers to meet the increased demand.
For some local families, the monthly food pantry at Oglethorpe County High School means groceries for the next few weeks and momentary relief from tough budget decisions. This pantry is vital to the community, but it requires many helping hands.
“We have many families that might not have regular income coming in, and the only thing they get is SNAP benefits,” said Jodie Zeuke, a parent mentor at OCHS who has been directing the food pantry since 2015. “When you take the major thing in somebody’s household that’s taking care of their family away, obviously that’s going to cause hardship.”
The pantry, which partners with the Northeast Georgia Food Bank, typically serves 60-65 families. However, Zeuke said the pantry expected to see 120 families at its Nov. 20 pantry.
To handle the increase in demand, the pantry depends on volunteers from the community, mostly students. School social worker Turley Howard said the pantry wouldn’t be as successful if it weren’t for the students who consistently show up.
“It’s not easy. It’s a lot of work,” he said. “But it’s well worth it to give the kids the experience and the perspective, and for the families to get what they need.”
There are many moving parts.
Volunteers help unload the truck from the food bank and set everything up in the cafeteria. Once on the tables, each student manages one station, ensuring everyone has the chance to pick the food they want.
While working the produce table, Pricila Salas-Lopez, a junior at OCHS, handed out bags of onions to anyone who wanted them. She said she began volunteering for the food pantry this semester because she likes helping people.
“It’s made me feel more empathetic towards people,” Salas-Lopez said. “And honestly, just be kinder and understanding of peoples’ situations.”
According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2023 American Community Survey, about 13% of families with children under 18 in Oglethorpe County live below the poverty line. For families already relying on limited income, the delay in SNAP benefits this month has created additional challenges.
“It’s your neighbors,” Zeuke said. “It’s important to them to look OK on the outside, so never think it’s not your neighbor, your bus driver, or your parapro that’s in your classroom. That doesn’t mean that their family’s not struggling.”
For Zeuke, creating a space where families feel safe and comfortable asking for help is the primary goal.
“We have conversations, and a lot of those conversations are ‘Oh, my goodness, my rent has gone up,’ or the landlords decide they’re going to sell the property,” Zeuke said. “We’re real good at getting them kind of fixed up with the right resource that’s out there.”
But she’s made one thing clear: Families don’t need to explain themselves to receive help.
“We don’t ask those questions,” Zeuke said. “I don’t ever want anybody to think there’s something happening that could cause them harm. You’re here to take care of your kids. That’s all I care about.”