DeKalb County, GA — DeKalb County government will be giving away 5,000 boxes of food this Saturday, June 24.

The food boxes, intended to “fight high grocery prices,” will have 99% Georgia-grown fruits and vegetables, eggs and chicken hindquarters, a press release says. The boxes will also include cookies, fruit juice boxes, and cereal.

“Hardworking families continue to struggle to keep food on the table,” DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond said in a press release. “DeKalb County and our faith partners are working hard to provide families relief and lessen the impact of high food prices.”

The food distributions will begin at 9 a.m. and will be held at the following locations:

— Saint Phillip AME, 240 Candler Rd. SE, Atlanta, GA 30317

— New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, 6400 Woodrow Rd., Stonecrest, GA 30038

— Beulah Missionary Baptist Church, 2340 Clifton Springs Rd. Decatur, GA 30034

— Shy Temple CME Church, 2030 Wesley Chapel Road, Decatur, GA 30035

— Big Miller Grove Missionary Baptist Church, 3800 Big Miller Grove Way, Stonecrest, GA 30038

— Berean Christian Church, 2201 Young Road, Stone Mountain, GA 30088

— The Covenant Church, 1700 Corey Blvd., Decatur, GA 30032

— Rehoboth Baptist Church, 2997 Lawrenceville Highway, Tucker, GA 30084

The county is buying the food using federal American Rescue Plan money.

“Since May 2020, DeKalb County has distributed more than 114,700 boxes of food,” the press release from the county says.

In other DeKalb County news, the county tax commissioner is offering “tax saving tips” for homeowners.

Here’s the full press release from the DeKalb County Tax Commissioner’s Office:

Each year during property tax season, unsuspecting homeowners potentially lose money to businesses offering tax saving programs. Property owners in DeKalb County have two options to reduce property taxes at no additional cost or resources: file an assessment appeal and/or apply for a homestead exemption directly. These do-it-yourself filings save homeowners time and money. 

“During property tax season, my office receives calls from concerned homeowners regarding information from businesses offering to file an assessment appeal or a homestead exemption for a fee,” said Tax Commissioner Irvin J. Johnson. “Property owners should be aware of schemes targeting seniors and unsuspecting homeowners, potentially costing them their hard-earned money for services that can be performed themselves at no cost. Here at the tax office, homestead exemptions can be filed online at DeKalbTax.org.”

DeKalb property owners who recently received their annual notice of assessment are encouraged to carefully review their notice as soon as possible. Instructions for filing an appeal by the July 10 deadline are included on the notice; the appeal process is also available on the county’s Property Appraisal & Assessment Department website. While the assessment notices serve as an estimate, the actual tax bill may be higher or lower and are mailed from the Tax Commissioner’s Office annually around mid-August.

For questions and concerns regarding annual assessment notices and the appeal process, please call the Property Appraisal office at 404-371-0841 or visit https://www.dekalbcountyga.gov/property-appraisal/contact-us.

Questions regarding homestead exemptions and exemption status may be directed to the Tax Commissioner’s Office by phone at 404-298-4000 or email [email protected]. The deadline to file for an exemption was April 1.

Want Decaturish delivered to your inbox every day? Sign up for our free newsletter by clicking here.

If you appreciate our work on this story, please become a paying supporter. For as little as $6 a month, you can help us keep you in the loop about your community.