BATON ROUGE — In the wake of Hurricane Francine, which made landfall as a category two storm, the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank is urgently calling for volunteers to help pack food boxes for those affected by the disaster. Serving 11 parishes in the region, the food bank is dedicated to its mission of eradicating hunger. As their website states, “We are dedicated to eliminating a tragic problem – hungry people in a world of surplus food.”
“The GBRFB services 11 parishes, so to see the number of volunteers come out the night before a cat 2 hurricane, was simply extraordinary. Those who gathered to pack disaster relief boxes came from all age groups and organizations throughout the community, including Southern University’s Kappa Alpha Psi and LSU’s Sigma Phi Epsilon,” Leslie Magee, GBRFB Vice Chair, said. “The music was great, and the energy was infectious! Several volunteers mentioned they hoped to return after the storm.”
This past Tuesday, a group of volunteers packed 1,344 pounds of food during a two-hour shift, preparing supplies for areas most impacted by the storm. The food bank is prioritizing Livingston, Assumption, St. James, and Ascension parishes in its relief efforts and is also in need of monetary donations to purchase additional food.
“We had a great response to pack disaster boxes and provide more food readily available for distribution. It was a tremendous response and just shows the heart of our community,” said Mike Manning, CEO of the Food Bank.
In response to the growing need, the food bank has scheduled 50 volunteers for each of the next two days. While the food bank typically closes on Friday afternoons, Manning confirmed that they would remain open for an additional shift, with double shifts planned for Saturday.
Manning emphasized that monetary donations are the most effective way to contribute. “The best thing to do is money, because we can translate that into more food than trying to donate food to us. They can just go online and donate at the Food Bank’s website, www.brfoodbank.org.”
While Baton Rouge was largely spared from the worst impacts of the storm, Manning noted the concern that Francine initially followed a similar path to Hurricane Ida, which caused widespread devastation. “We were fortunate enough that it did not increase to a level consistent with Ida. Baton Rouge was very fortunate to be spared for the most part from significant impacts,” he added.
The Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank continues to work with the community and partner organizations like the New Orleans Food Bank to support those in need. Volunteers can register online or through their app to assist with ongoing relief efforts.
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