As rural areas across South Georgia struggle to recover from the widespread impact of Hurricane Helene, Valdosta State University and Aramark responded to a neighboring community’s call for support.     

Before sunrise Wednesday, a group from Blazer Dining at VSU loaded a truck destined for the small town of Homerville. In less than an hour they delivered four cases of hamburgers, four cases of hotdogs, 10 cases of water, buns for the meat, a selection of sweet treats, and 15 bags of charcoal to an area church, where volunteers were waiting to fire up the grill and feed hungry families.  

"Valdosta State University is proud to partner with Aramark to assist not only the Valdosta community but also neighboring areas in providing vital food and water supplies during this challenging time,” said Shannon McGee, associate vice president for the Division of Finance and Administration at VSU. “Upon learning of the urgent needs in Homerville, we felt compelled to help by offering a hot meal and other essentials needed for their recovery and resilience."   

Blazer Dining has been feeding several groups throughout the Hurricane Helene recovery process. This includes SGMC Health Emergency Medical Services, the VSU Emergency Response Team, volunteers from Albany State University and Southern Regional Technical College, linemen working in the area, as well as maintenance, landscape, and grounds crews from VSU Plant Operations.  

Chuck Polen, Blazer Dining general manager, said he and his staff are committed to ensuring unused food is shared with people in need in the Valdosta-Lowndes County area every day, with employees delivering available meals after their shift ends. Every bite of food is provided to someone who needs it; nothing is thrown away.  

“I am thankful we can be here to support the crews who are working to help VSU recover from the widespread impact of Hurricane Helene,” he added. “I am also thankful that we are able to offer some assistance to our off-campus neighbors as they work to rebuild their lives.”