The Food Bank of Northeast Louisiana will host food distributions to help people affected by Hurricane Laura in early September.
“Thousands of people lost all of the food in their refrigerators and freezers due to the power outages, and many of our neighbors don’t have the resources to purchase all new groceries,” said Jean Toth, Food Bank Executive Director. “We hope this will help them begin to restock.”
“Monroe is fortunate to have community partners like the Food Bank of Northeast Louisiana,” said Monroe Mayor Friday Ellis. “Their dedicated staff and volunteers provide a vital service to our region.”
“We are grateful to partner with the Food Bank of Northeast Louisiana during this time of great need in our community,” said West Monroe Mayor Staci Mitchell. “Our residents have faced extreme challenges from the impact of COVID-19 and now Hurricane Laura. We hope this food will provide some much-needed relief to our families as they begin to recover.”
- Monroe: Wednesday, September 2 from 9 a.m. until supplies run out at the Monroe Civic Center, 401 Lea Joyner Expressway in Monroe.
- West Monroe: Friday, September 4 from 9 a.m. until supplies run out at Christ Church, 208 Lincoln Street in West Monroe.
- Ruston: Wednesday, September 9 from 10 a.m. until supplies run out at the Ruston Sports Complex at 1501 S Farmerville Street in Ruston.
- Caldwell Parish: Thursday, September 10 from 10 a.m. until supplies run out at the Dixie Ballpark – 125 Ball Park Rd, Columbia.
- Jackson Parish: Friday, September 11 from 10 a.m. until supplies run out. Cars line up at Chatham United Methodist Church – 902 Chatham Ave.
- Union Parish:– September 15th from 10 a.m. until supplies run out. Location TBD.
Each vehicle will receive a box containing 25 pounds of nonperishable food. In addition, an assortment of frozen meat, fresh produce, bottled water and other perishable foods will be given out. Food will be distributed on a first come, first serve basis, and limited to one set per vehicle.
The distribution is a “drive thru” service, with members of the Louisiana National Guard loading food boxes into the vehicles. Recipients will not have to get out of their vehicles, and are asked to clear space in their trunk prior to the distribution if possible.
The Food Bank of Northeast Louisiana has been hosting drive-thru food distributions throughout the 12 parish region they serve since March, in addition to over 60 regular program and partner agency distributions.
For those in need of food who live outside of Ouachita Parish, help is also available. Visit foodbanknela.org/find-food or call the Food Bank at 318-322-3567 to find a local food distribution.