DeKalb County Government will buy approximately 20,000 boxes of Girl Scout cookies from area troops for its upcoming food distribution and for the Atlanta Community Food Bank.

“This is not simply about buying Girl Scout cookies,” said DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond. “This is about investing in the future of young girls in DeKalb County. Without the cookie program, many girls from low income households could not afford to be participate in Girl Scout. Every box sold gives a girl a greater opportunity to lead and succeed.”

Due to the pandemic, approximately 720,000 boxes of Girl Scout cookies sit unsold in metro-Atlanta warehouses. The sale of these cookies makes up nearly 20 percent of the funding for DeKalb County troops. This funding is used for membership scholarships and various educational, social and civil programs offered to girls and women by Girl Scouts.

“I thank DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond and the Board of Commissioners for this innovative partnership at a time when it is most needed,” said Amy Dosik, CEO of Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta.

In DeKalb County, there are approximately 5,600 Girl Scouts and more than 2,400 volunteers.

The cookies will be distributed during DeKalb County’s next monthly food distribution on Saturday, May 1, during which 3,600 families also will receive one 20-pound box of fruit and vegetables and a 10-pound package of chicken hindquarters.

Beginning at 10 a.m., rain or shine, 3,600 COVID-19 Care Baskets will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis, at four drive-through locations:

• James R. Hallford Stadium, 3789 Memorial College Ave., Clarkston, GA 30021

• Former K-Mart store parking lot at 5597 Buford Hwy NE, Doraville, GA 30340

• Buck Godfrey Stadium, 2817 Clifton Springs Rd., Decatur, GA 30034

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

The Atlanta Community Food Bank also will distribute cookies during its regular food distribution network.

Partners include Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta, Atlanta Community Food Bank, DeKalb County School District, La Vision newspaper, First African Community Development Corp, Big Miller Grove Missionary Baptist Church, Insignia LLC and Saint Philip AME Church.

Since May 2020, DeKalb County has provided fruit, vegetables, and protein to more than 31,000 DeKalb County families.

The county is utilizing federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding to purchase the produce, protein and Girl Scout cookies.

For more information about the county’s response to COVID-19, visit www.dekalbcountyga.gov/coronavirus.