First Friday Memo - January 2025
From the desk of Jayne Wright-Velez, Executive Director
January 2025 / Issue 179
2024 By the Numbers
We were busy in 2024! Our programs just keep growing as we’re reaching more people than ever across Central Louisiana. Let’s let the numbers tell the story.
1 New Program for Seniors. This year, we became the Central Louisiana hub for the USDA’s Commodity Supplemental Food Program, where we distribute a 40-pound box of USDA commodities to income-eligible adults over age 60. Since we launched in July, we have packed and distributed more than 33,000 CSFP food boxes to senior neighbors.
19 Chickens. In 2024, our eleven elder chickens gave us 964 eggs before they retired. Our new flock of 19 youngsters are just beginning to lay. All of the eggs are distributed to food-insecure neighbors. The chickens also produce plenty of fertilizer for our Good Food Project gardens.
26 Meals for Kids Partners. We started providing summer and after-school meals for children two years ago, and now our partners are hosting meal sites across Central Louisiana. Libraries, youth programs, childcare centers, schools, summer camps and others are stepping up to help feed kids in their neighborhoods. Please contact us if your organization would like to host a meal site. We hope to develop additional partnerships across the region in 2025.
47 Gardens. The Good Food Project is actively maintaining 22 community gardens and 24 school gardens across Central Louisiana, along with our demonstration garden on the Food Bank campus. Hundreds of neighbors have benefitted from more than 3,000 pounds of food grown, harvested, and shared from these gardens.
185 Percent of Poverty. This year, the eligibility for our household food distributions increased from 130% to 185% of Federal Poverty Level. This means that hundreds of food-insecure families that couldn’t visit us last year are now able to receive food every month from the food bank. Approximately 45% of all Cenla families are now eligible for our programs.
320 Mobile Food Pantry Distributions. The Mobile Pantry Program continues to grow as we strive to reach communities in rural and underserved areas where other charitable nutrition assistance programs do not exist. Our mobile pantries visit 27 locations each month across the eleven parishes served by the food bank.
835 SNAP Recipients. Our SNAP Outreach program helps neighbors with their SNAP (Food Stamps) applications over the phone and in person across the region. Hundreds of individuals who never received the benefit before now have access to vital nutrition assistance.
2,700 Volunteers. We couldn’t operate without people who give so freely of their most valued commodity – their time. On their own, with family and friends, or as part of the 117 businesses, organizations, churches and other groups; they came to help others they don’t even know.
12,700 AmeriCorps Service Hours. Thanks to a grant from the Volunteer Louisiana Commission in the Office of the Lieutenant Governor, the Food Bank hosts a team of AmeriCorps members who make a huge contribution to our mission through their service. AmeriCorps is a branch of National Service that embeds individuals within nonprofits across the U.S. to tackle our nation’s most pressing challenges. We’re currently recruiting members to begin service on January 27. Placement comes with a bi-weekly paid stipend AND an education award. Call us to learn more!
16,000 Heads of Lettuce. Our hydroponic farm at the Good Food Project Demonstration Garden is producing a lot of lettuce! We have also germinated 1,780 vegetable seedlings there that were distributed to neighbors and transplanted in community and school gardens.
60,291 Pounds of Christmas Cheer. We are so thankful for the support from the students and their families who donated food for the Christmas Cheer Food Drive. We are also grateful for the support from the participating schools, the City of Natchitoches Public Works Department, the Vernon Parish Police Jury, Grant Parish Police Jury and Grant Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Mari Center Staff, The Avoyelles Parish Sheriff’s Office, KALB and the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe.
116,500 Neighbors Visits. The food bank’s primary distribution programs served about 10,000 food-insecure households each month. Many receive services regularly, but in 2024 more than 6,700 families visited for the first time. Household programs serve neighbors at mobile pantries, at our Alexandria warehouse, and at 60 partner food pantries across Cenla.
11,700,000 Pounds of Food Distributed. Food Bank programs distributed more food in 2024 than in any previous year in our history! That’s even more food than we provided during 2020, when the pandemic and two hurricanes hit in one year. The fact is that every year, thanks to generous donors and volunteers, we’re getting better at reaching more food-insecure neighbors in communities across the parishes of Allen, Avoyelles, Catahoula, Concordia, Grant, LaSalle, Natchitoches, Rapides, Sabine, Vernon and Winn.
We appreciate the countless good people who continue to support the fight against hunger in Cenla with gifts of funds, food, and friendship. Thanks for ringing in 2025 with us!
