VALDOSTA – While Valdosta and Lowndes County transitioned to the recovery phase of Hurricane Idalia late in the week, Valdosta State University Palms Dining Hall staff distributed more than 100 meals to first responders, on campus students and residents surrounding campus.

One of the first goals the Palms Dining Hall staff set after the storm subsided was to be fully prepared to reopen and start serving those in need, according to Dr. Vince Miller, Valdosta State University vice president for student affairs.

The dining staff’s main priority was to provide for the community while also cooking the supply that would otherwise spoil due to the campus still not having any electric power.

“For lunch service yesterday, they ended up cooking off about 500 pounds of chicken. One of the things that they wanted to make sure of is that … the food didn’t go to waste and that it got into the hands of people in need,” Miller said.

He said there are about 50 to 100 out-of-state and international students remaining on campus because their homes are either affected to the same degree or worse than the local community.

In a press conference Thursday afternoon, Lowndes County Commission Chairman Bill Slaughter said approximately 75 to 80% of county customers were without power at that time.

The staff provided meals to the Valdosta Police Department, South Georgia Medical Center emergency room staff and the Lowndes Associated Ministries to People homeless shelter.

Miller and the staff learned from clean-up responders that residents in the surrounding neighborhood between campus and Jerry Jones Drive were also in need.

“We were able to get about 100 meals out to just the neighborhoods surrounding campus,” he said. “For many, they were just blessed to have a hot meal in their hands because they were just doing so much work to get people out of their homes.”

Just like many Valdosta and Lowndes residents, the VSU dining staff members’ homes and loved ones are also affected by Hurricane Idalia. The dining services provider, Aramark, sent staff from neighboring locations such as Florida State University and other locations to help alleviate the current Valdosta staff’s workload.

However, VSU staff continued to show up for their community.

“We still have a lot of our employees that are showing up because they want to help feed, so it’s been a great community effort and a real blessing for us,” Miller said.

Valdosta State’s campus has not sustained external damages from the storm. Majority of the campus is still without power except near SGMC. VSU officials did not expect late last week to learn the fullest extent of Hurricane Idalia’s wrath until electricity had been restored to campus.

Several parents and families of students housed at off-campus housing locations have contacted VSU asking if there are any housing openings due to residences being damaged and ultimately being uninhabitable.

Housing and residence life staff is working to inventory what beds are available but will not have a true count of openings until power is restored.

“We’re with our community. We just want (them) to know that we stand with our community, and our recovery and our cleanup efforts,” Miller said.