Families line up at Decatur church for Easter ham giveaway

DECATUR, Ga. - Hundreds of metro Atlanta families have lined up at a Decatur church to receive free boxes of food to help them prepare for the Easter holiday.

People started lining up overnight at The dReam Center Church of Atlanta on Shepherd Drive to be among the first 500 in line.

What we know:

The giveaway started at 6 a.m., and volunteers began working to distribute the food.

The first person got in line at 2 a.m. on Thursday - showing the importance of this kind of event for the community.

Organizers said their goal is to serve at least 500 Easter meal kits complete with one ham and two side dishes.

The lines for the Easter ham giveaway on Thursday morning. (FOX 5)

1-800-Truckwreck with the Witherite Law Group said that the total amount of money spent on the giveaway was $50,000.

What they're saying:

Organizers say the event is all about helping the community, citing data that shows around one in eight people around Atlanta are facing food insecurity.

It's a problem they try to combat regularly at the church with grocery giveaways. The problem is highlighted even more during the holiday.

"This is a food desert community, so it always fills our heart with joy to see them line up," dReam Center Church chief of staff Anita Fraser told FOX 5's Lindsay Tuman. "We get a chance and an opportunity to go to the cars and meet some of the families that here. It truly let us know we're making an impact on the community."

What's next:

The event is set to run until 10 a.m. or when the supplies run out. With the demand seen on Thursday morning, it's likely that those supplies will make it until 10 a.m.