LITHONIA—The St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry is ready to serve people at Christ Our Hope Church, Lithonia.

Meat and other fresh produce are now occasionally offered among the available items, and there’s also a streamlined process for local residents applying for assistance.

The revamped food program re-opened a year ago but with little fanfare, according to pantry administrator Roberta Watkins.

“We’ve been doing outreach and processing clients, but we figure there are a number of individuals and families that still don’t know our doors have re-opened,” she said, noting that there are 20 food pantries across DeKalb County.

“Especially considering that the upcoming holiday breaks will mean school-aged children won’t be getting meals at school, we want as many folks as possible to know that should they need help, we are open.”

The St. Vincent operation at Christ Our Hope is available only for Lithonia residents, as well as Christ our Hope parishioners, regardless of where they live. The pantry had shut down for a while as organizers worked on storage issues. In August, the pantry served 34 families, or 121 individuals, with 1,300 pounds of food.

Food from the pantry is free to qualified recipients. Client in-take and food pick-up appointments are scheduled by calling 678-892-6163 on Tuesdays from 8-11 a.m.

Learn about St. Vincent de Paul or Christ Our Hope Church at svdpgeorgia.org and christourhopeatl.org.