DEKALB COUNTY — It’s a big day for the hundreds of Hurricane Ida evacuees now sheltering in DeKalb County. The county teamed up with local churches to give away 4,100 boxes of food full of produce and protein.
DeKalb’s CEO, Michael Thurmond says the giveaway is in response to a double crisis.
“Obviously we’re responding to Hurricane Ida, but also we have spiking delta variant infection rates,” Thurmond said.
Treva Armstrong and her brother, Caffrey Russell, took in several family members and friends from New Orleans.
“It’s been a challenge,” Armstrong said.
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Those staying with Armstrong and Russell are all vaccinated. Family and friends who are not vaccinated were sent to a hotel.
“I was concerned, pretty much. And they were concerned likewise,” Russell told Channel 2 Investigative Reporter Sophia Choi.
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Thurmond says he specifically chose 9/11 as the date for the food giveaway.
“Sept. 11 is obviously a day of pain and suffering,” Thurmond said. “But it also reminds us of a time when we could come together as Americans to help our neighbors who are in need during times of crisis.”
The food giveaways start at 10 a.m. at these five locations:
- Berean Christian Church, 2201 Young Road, Stone Mountain, GA 30088
- Big Miller Grove Missionary Baptist Church, 3800 Big Miller Grove Way, Stonecrest, GA 30038
- New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, 6400 Woodrow Road, Stonecrest GA 30038
- Rehoboth Baptist Church, 2997 Lawrenceville Highway, Tucker, GA 30084
- Southwest DeKalb High School, 2863 Kelley Chapel Road, Decatur, GA 30034
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