Atlanta Good Food category interest

DECATUR, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - More help is on the way to Augusta after Hurricane Helene devastated the town.

Thursday, DeKalb County and the Nickey Gregory Company loaded up 5,000 boxes of food and supplies to arrive Friday morning.

When DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond saw the devastation he said, “The answer is simple — it’s what neighbors do for each other.”

So, eight trucks will hit the road with a police escort at 4 a.m. Friday and make it to Augusta as the sun comes up.

“It’s impossible to look at the devastation, the pain, the despair and not want to do something,” said Thurmond.

The DeKalb County CEO said Augusta Mayor Garnett Johnson is an old friend, so they signed a mutual aid agreement to create what they call the “Good Neighbor Express.”

“What do you do when a neighbor is in distress? You share what you have with them to help them and that is the definition of being a good neighbor,” he said.

With the help of the distributor Nickey Gregory Company, they got to work packing 5,000 boxes full of food and emergency supplies.

“We jumped on board. We found out on Tuesday, started packing boxes on Wednesday,” said Andrew Scott, Nickey Gregory Company. “We wanted to do like a fresh packed, ready-to-eat box, something you didn’t have to cook.”

Thurmond said this is not a one-time thing.

“Obviously, the supplies are important, but most important is sharing the love that we have and the concern and care for others,” he said.

Scott said they’re lucky to be in a position to do this for their neighbors.

“Seeing all this devastation, we’re pretty lucky here in Atlanta. But in Augusta, those areas, they’re not so lucky. We’re here to help, we’re glad to help,” he said.

Scott said the company is also planning to help their customers in Asheville, North Carolina, who were also devastated by the storm.