NE Ga. mobile food pantry organized

ATHENS - An Athens-based mobile food pantry has begun making the rounds in northeast Georgia and made its second stop recently in Jackson County.

Pour, Inc. stopped in Jackson County where founder Deby Sorensen says they doled out boxes of food to the families of more than 300 students who qualify for free or reduced-priced meals in their schools.

Sorensen says a typical event involves a tractor-trailer load of food...28,000 to 30,000 pounds. Four Jackson County schools were invited to participate in the most recent event: South Jackson, North Jackson, Benton and Maysville.

Pour, which was founded in the summer, held its first food distribution Oct. 1 in north Clarke County. Sorensen says its mission is to help make sure youngsters are getting proper nutrition which hopefully will improve their learning capabilities "which, in turn, we hope will help break the cycle of poverty."

She said the name for the organizaiton, Pour, comes from the fact that she and others want to emphasize the importance of people to "pour" themselves into helping the less fortunate in their local communities through support of organizations such as hers or other groups.

And, Sorensen is thinking big...hoping to eventually take the concept nationwide. "I would like to one day have a chapter in every state."