CAIRO — Volunteers with Grady County Schools, the Grady County Help Agency and Second Harvest Food Bank distributed hundreds of boxes of food to locals impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, though not as many as they were initially expecting.

A total of 850 pantry boxes containing dry foods, canned goods and vegetables were set to be given away at two locations at 8 a.m. Wednesday, though only about half were ultimately distributed.

“It was a little slow compared to our last adventure,” said school Superintendent Kermit Gilliard.

Volunteers wound up distributing 356 boxes between distribution sites at Washington Middle School and Cairo High School, leaving hundreds of boxes unclaimed when they ultimately decided to pack up at around 9:30 a.m. when activity quickly dropped off.

That’s about the same number of boxes that were distributed in a similar food giveaway earlier this month at CHS. That time, volunteers gave away 350 boxes in just about an hour.

With supplies having running out quickly, the volunteers decided to double the number of boxes and distribution locations this time around, but the anticipated demand never materialized.

“We were surprised,” Gilliard said.

The remaining boxes will be available for students to pick up for their families at the regular meal distribution sites at Grady County schools, which already have given out nearly 80,000 breakfasts and lunches since mid-March. When students are given their week’s worth of meals, they will also have the option to grab a box of food as well.

Gilliard said that unlike last time there was never a lengthy line, though there was a steady flow of vehicles. Dividing into two locations may have helped ease the flow of traffic, he said, and an earlier start this time around may have also made a difference in the number of residents who showed up.

“That was one of the things we found when we were doing student lunches,” Gillaird said. “When we gave them out at 8 o’clock, we didn’t have near the participation that we did when we gave them out at 10.”

The superintendent also speculated that residents who were discouraged last time around when supplies quickly ran out may have decided to skip this week’s giveaway altogether.

Gilliard said he will meet with Help Agency officials sometime during the next week to determine if there is a need for another food giveaway. Second Harvest has offered to supply additional food if it is determined that another giveaway is warranted.