Mission: In late 2009 the Louisiana State Government cut Food Bank financing by 4.5 million dollars. As a small food pantry this blog was created to spotlight our community and show the direct effects from such a harsh budget cut.

We work at the Community Center of St Bernard, a food pantry and Community Center 10 minutes outside of New Orleans. We feed around 70 families a day and the number of new people we serve keeps growing. The spiraling economy coupled with the state budget cut to Second Harvest has created empty shelves for needy families.

More people + less food = a big problem.

Bethany Garfield

Food Pantry Coordinator

Billy Brown

Digital Arts Service Corps (AmeriCorps for Geeks)

The following organizations are all collecting food for our pantry to supplement the reduction from our local food bank. We love them!

Nola Eats at the Alternative Media Expo

Snake and Jakes

Cold Stone Creamery

Organizing for America: LA

Curves

Do you want to be a Fabulous Food Driver? E-mail me!

Food For Our Neighbors Archives

    March 9, 2010
    Words from Our Pantry: March 9th, 2010 So today it starts again, or ends, depending upon how you look at it. For a little while in January and February we saw a resurgence in the amount of food we received at the pantry. Judging on the delivery we just received, as well as what’s available for next week’s delivery, that time has come to a close. Apparently, the generosity that the holidays brought in has finally dwindled. Because of this, we received only 4,460 lbs of food today. This may seem like a good weight, but compared to the 6,000 lbs we need it’s far from enough. And, I fear that the amount we receive will be less and less as the weeks go on … What does this mean? Well, it means we will have to limit the food we give out more strictly so that every family gets at least something. It also means that certain food groups will eventually be eliminated from lack of supplies. For instance, 660 lbs of what we received today were condiments, chips and cookies. There were no proteins on the truck and the only vegetables we will have for weeks are canned potatoes. I am writing in hopes that some folks out there can offer some solutions. Do you know a local grocery that has surplus it can offer us? Do you know of a wholesaler in Louisiana that we can pick up from? Do you by any chance have some extra canned goods around the house that you can give away? Anything, ANYTHING helps. Right now, we still have some surplus to ration out from past deliveries. But, as the delivery size continues to plummet, this will no longer be the case. We will simply not have proteins to offer, there may come a day when the vegetables run out and, well, you get the point. Please talk to your friends and neighbors about our situation here at the Community Center of St. Bernard. All suggestions and donations are a great, BIG help! Thanks! Bethany Garfield Pantry Coordinator - mustardseed@ccstb.org

    Words from Our Pantry: March 9th, 2010

    So today it starts again, or ends, depending upon how you look at it. For a little while in January and February we saw a resurgence in the amount of food we received at the pantry. Judging on the delivery we just received, as well as what’s available for next week’s delivery, that time has come to a close.

    Apparently, the generosity that the holidays brought in has finally dwindled. Because of this, we received only 4,460 lbs of food today. This may seem like a good weight, but compared to the 6,000 lbs we need it’s far from enough. And, I fear that the amount we receive will be less and less as the weeks go on …

    What does this mean?

    Well, it means we will have to limit the food we give out more strictly so that every family gets at least something. It also means that certain food groups will eventually be eliminated from lack of supplies. For instance, 660 lbs of what we received today were condiments, chips and cookies. There were no proteins on the truck and the only vegetables we will have for weeks are canned potatoes.

    I am writing in hopes that some folks out there can offer some solutions. Do you know a local grocery that has surplus it can offer us? Do you know of a wholesaler in Louisiana that we can pick up from? Do you by any chance have some extra canned goods around the house that you can give away?

    Anything, ANYTHING helps. Right now, we still have some surplus to ration out from past deliveries. But, as the delivery size continues to plummet, this will no longer be the case. We will simply not have proteins to offer, there may come a day when the vegetables run out and, well, you get the point.

    Please talk to your friends and neighbors about our situation here at the Community Center of St. Bernard. All suggestions and donations are a great, BIG help!

    Thanks!

    Bethany Garfield

    Pantry Coordinator - mustardseed@ccstb.org

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