DeKalb County giving out boxes of food at 2 spots Friday

DeKalb County plans to give out fresh food to families in need at two locations this Friday.

The 1,200 boxes of food will each contain 15 to 20 pounds of produce, dairy and pantry items. Each giveaway will start at 12:30 p.m. at these locations:

• First African Community Development Corporation Food Pantry at Big Miller Grove Baptist Church: 3800 Big Miller Grove Way, Lithonia, GA 30038
• Tahoe Village Shopping Plaza: 4604 East Ponce de Leon Avenue, Clarkston, GA 30021

The distributions are part of the county's $600,000 partnership with the Atlanta Community Food Bank to supply DeKalb residents with more fresh food during the coronavirus pandemic, which has led to a rise in food insecurity.

The county’s contributions, which come from federal CARES Act funds, will help the food bank increase distribution to 139 existing DeKalb food pantries by 30% over the next several months, officials said. “Mobile distribution capacity” will also be increased in areas that lack easy access to fresh food.

“This partnership with Atlanta Community Food Bank alongside their distribution partners lets us put more free, healthy food into the hands of DeKalb’s citizens,” DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond said in a statement. “Bolstering DeKalb’s existing network of food relief organizations lets us efficiently serve more people where they need it most.”

A drive-thru food giveaway the county hosted last month was swamped with residents seeking boxes of fresh food and frozen chicken. Some families had lined up hours before the event began.