Courtney Doss, along with her husband, Davon Doss, are on a mission to combat food insecurity in Athens, where the rate of food insecurity is currently at 16.8%.
Courtney is the founder of Colored Only Cafe, a home-based pantry where they deliver free food to people in the Athens area. The Dosses typically spend 3-4 hours a day packing food items and delivering them to various neighborhoods around Athens.
“About 80% of our food comes from the Mount Olive Nellie B distribution. But we also do Cornerstone. We do our church Nations, located at 1225 College Station Road, and we should do food rescue with other local businesses,” Doss said.
The name “Colored Only Cafe,” might sound misleading at first, but it refers to the vibrant, colorful foods they serve, like green vegetables and fruits of all shades. The idea behind it is simple, the most nutritious foods are often the most colorful. They offer free meals to people of all backgrounds, focusing on health and inclusivity.
Courtney, along with her husband Davon, have been working nonstop to help bring down the food insecurity rate, starting Colored Only Cafe as a for-profit business originally, but they converted it to a ministry when her family experienced homelessness in 2023.
“During that point in time, my son, he was coming upon his 14th birthday, and we asked him the question of whether he wanted to get a room for the night or whether he wanted to get food. And he said food,” she said. “We ended up staying in hotels for about another four months after that.”
if we were having that conversation, there were other families having that conversation, and no one should have to have that conversation.”
Colored Only Cafe allows those in need to sign up for a free delivery plan with the frequency of deliveries depending on factors, such as family size. The plans for delivery are broken down into three memberships: green, yellow and red. Green for households that receive delivery once a month. Yellow is two times a month. It can be whatever dates they want.
Due to the consistent deliveries, they only deliver to people in Athens only.
“For respect for drivers, it has to be an Athens address,” Courtney said. Courtney explained they are still receiving help through donations from their church, friends and family. They are not considered a nonprofit just yet, but they are working toward that goal.
“We are still organizing the funds to become a full fledged nonprofit. We’re about $800 away,” Courtney said.
Donations to Colored Only Cafe can also be made through their website.
Saniah-Sion Pharms is a senior majoring in journalism at the University of Georgia.
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