photo by: Richard Gwin/Journal-World File Photo

First Christian Church, 1000 Kentucky St., home to the Lawrence Interdenominational Nutrition Kitchen, is pictured in this file photo from January 2008.

Though the coronavirus pandemic has affected their operations, local social service agencies are still providing food for those in need.

Lawrence Interdenominational Nutrition Kitchen (LINK) and The Salvation Army of Douglas County have both made changes to how they distribute food.

An announcement on LINK’s website states that in light of the guidance from Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health, the LINK board decided to close its dining room in the basement of First Christian Church, 1000 Kentucky St. Instead, LINK will provide meals to-go at the door of the dining room. Serving times will continue to be from 1 to 2 p.m. every Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

The Salvation Army’s food pantry remains open, but the organization is packaging boxes of food for pickup, according to an announcement on the organization’s Facebook page. People can drive or walk up to the front of the building, 946 New Hampshire St., by the orange cones and staff will assist them. The food pantry is open every Tuesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to noon.

Local food pantry Just Food is also providing curbside pickup and has experienced a twofold increase in demand in the past three weeks as newly unemployed Lawrence and Douglas County residents seek the help of the pantry for the first time, as the Journal-World recently reported.