Second Harvest Food Bank - Feeding South Louisiana

Thank You, Sempra Infrastructure!

Today, Sempra gifted Second Harvest $20,000 to help keep communities safe from food insecurity by providing nourishment to families across Southwest Louisiana.

“We are so thrilled to have Second Harvest as one of our award recipients from our Safe Communities Initiative, which is aimed at keeping our communities safe. Food insecurity is a real issue in this area, and it is important to have partners like Second Harvest to address these issues. We applaud Second Harvest for their dedication and commitment to maintaining healthy and safe communities in the SWLA region!” – Jeanne Trahan, Community Relations Specialist, Sempra Infrastructure.

Sempra's support continues to make an impact in many ways, and we couldn't be more grateful and honored! Thank you, Sempra!

Hello, Lake Charles! The Makin' Groceries Mobile Market will be in your neck of the woods this upcoming Saturday, July 20th, between the hours of 10am - 12pm. We hope you can shop—stop by and !

Location:
Bellard Community Center Pavilion
2808 Hillcrest Drive, Lake Charles, LA 70615

This , we want to spotlight the Makin' Groceries Mobile Market, which is reaching more communities daily—and the volunteers making it happen!

The Mobile Market is Second Harvest's traveling grocery store on wheels. It offers not just groceries but nutritional advice and health services to ensure access to the resources needed to stay healthy. And the best part? Prices are lower than your average grocery store, plus we accept SNAP, cash, credit, and debit cards.

The Mobile Market would not be possible without volunteers like Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc./Zeta Psi Omega Chapter! This group of ladies truly stands by the mission of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated, which is to be a “Service to All Mankind.” They have been dedicated to helping not only at the Mobile Market but also in our community kitchen at McNeese State University.

Help us send a huge thank you to these ladies by liking and sharing this post!

P.S. If you're shopping the Mobile Market this Saturday, July 20th, between 10 am and 12 pm, at Bellard Community Center Pavilion (2808 Hillcrest Dr, Lake Charles, LA 70615), you might see some of these fantastic volunteers in action!

Want fresh groceries at fair prices? Visit our Mobile Market this Thursday in Westwego!

🎉 Last week, our amazing volunteers brought their energy and creativity to our Summer of Fun Events by rocking some wacky socks! 🧦✨ Check out these fun photos and join us in celebrating their spirit and dedication!

Want to join in the fun and make a difference?
Sign up to become a volunteer today! no-hunger.org/volunteer

At Second Harvest, we are incredibly fortunate to have a dedicated family of board and advisory members who go above and beyond to help us fight hunger in our community. This month, we are thrilled to highlight one of our all-star members, Mrs. Dana Belaire Topham.

Dana has been an unwavering advocate for the , serving as both an advisory and board member for several years. She has also personally contributed hundreds of volunteer hours to help us best serve the community. A key highlight of her remarkable contribution is co-chairing our annual Harvest at Home event in Lafayette, LA, which helps to raise essential funds and awareness for the .

Our board and advisory members, like Dana, are essential in the fight against hunger. They are more than just volunteers—they are passionate believers in our mission who generously contribute their time and resources while advocating on behalf of the communities we serve.

With members like Dana, we can amplify our efforts to fight hunger across South Louisiana.

Check out this week's Makin' Groceries Mobile Market! Please note that the Mobile Market scheduled for July 19th at Ochsner Lafayette General is canceled.

Mike and Rachel have faced tremendous challenges. Rachel, who has lupus, struggled without health insurance, and then Mike lost his job during the pandemic.

When Hurricane Ida struck, things got worse. They lost their home and nearly all of its contents in the storm.

Luckily a friend gave them an old FEMA trailer leftover from Katrina, and they heard about food assistance available at Second Harvest’s pantry partner, Plymouth Rock Baptist Church.

Since the storm, Rachel has applied for Medicaid. Mike now has a lead on a potential job.

“Without this help,” Mike said, “we would have given up.”

"Hurricane Prep! 🌪️👨‍👩‍👧‍👦
Don't wait – get your crew storm-ready today!

🔍 Visit getagameplan.org for your ultimate hurricane prep checklist.
✅ Stock up on non-perishables
✅ Update your evacuation plan
✅ Secure important documents

What's your #1 storm prep tip? Share below!

Beyond grateful to Southeastern Grocers for their much needed donation of 1,000 boxes of cereal, 1,000 bunches of bananas, and 1,000 gallons of milk as well as a very generous check! Check out the pics below to see some of those bananas and milk going to people in need through our amazing partnership with Culture Aid NOLA!!

Morgan Stanley, you rock! 🤩 During June, their volunteers went above and beyond, and their grant will help us provide the equivalent of nearly 38,500 meals through our Backpack Program for children experiencing food insecurity. Huge thanks to the dedicated teams from the New Orleans office and their incredible colleagues in Houma, Lake Charles, and Lafayette. Together, we're making a big impact! 👏🎒❤

Let's talk about Westlake!

Second Harvest has joined forces with Sasol and the Westlake community to tackle food insecurity. To kick off this partnership, Sasol employees held a week-long food drive at their Lake Charles Chemical Complex. The donations were delivered to the Westlake United Methodist Church Food Pantry on June 28, 2024! (See the pictures below!)

Oh, and they also made a generous $100,000 donation!

Sasol employees and key figures, such as Mayor Hal McMillin Town of Westlake-Government, Second Harvest Chief Regional Director Paul Scelfo, and United Methodist Church Reverend Amy Castro, were present to celebrate Sasol's heartfelt gift.
"We not only work here, but we live here too," said Eric Walker, Sasol’s VP of Operations. "Empowering our neighbors with essential resources impacts their lives and builds a more sustainable community for all of us."

"Sasol's support goes beyond financial aid. Their employees roll up their sleeves to help us deliver food to those who need it most," said Westlake Mayor Hal McMillin. "We thank them for their commitment to being good neighbors."

Paul Scelfo, Chief Regional Officer of Second Harvest Food Bank, emphasized the importance of the donation and pantry, stating, “This is one of the largest donations for the Westlake pantry, which has served as a vital hub for food assistance in the area. The pantry will continue to be a cornerstone in addressing food insecurity, and we love seeing the community come together to support the pantry. Our deepest appreciation goes to Sasol, Mayor Hal, Reverend Amy Castro, and the United Methodist Church Family. We are working towards a stronger Westlake— a stronger Southwest.”

The Westlake Food Pantry provides food & supplies three days a week and daily lunches during church office hours.

Find out how YOU can partner with Second Harvest to fight food insecurity and create a more sustainable community at no-hunger.org.

We were thrilled to share fresh produce provided by a grant from the Greater New Orleans Foundation’s Kahn Oppenheim Trust with the Northshore Food Bank and so proud we are partners!

We're back!!

Our Mobile Market in Westwego was closed last week but is open this Thursday! Visit us to purchase fresh foods at fair prices!

This service is intended to help those who don't have a nearby grocery store by providing access to healthy, fresh foods.

For more info go to no-hunger.org/mobilemarket

Mothers Who Make Things Happen!

We’re incredibly grateful to the amazing Southwest Louisiana Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc., which has gone above and beyond to support children this summer. Thanks to the efforts of 22 dedicated mothers, an incredible $15,000 was raised for Second Harvest Food Bank!

Their hard work and dedication are an inspiration to us all.

Thank you, Jack and Jill of SWLA, for making a difference! Share this post to celebrate these amazing women, their children, and the Jack & Jill organization as a whole!

We are thrilled to announce that Second Harvest has received a $5,000 grant from Albertsons Market Foundation’s Program and to tackle food insecurity in Lafayette Parish this summer!

Thank you to Albertsons for your continued partnership in the movement to end child hunger in our community.

👑🦞 Royal Volunteers in the Kitchen! 👑🦞

We had some special helpers in our food bank kitchen! Louisiana Crawfish Festival Queen Caleigh Remondet and Teen LA Crawfish Festival Queen Sydney Faucheaux traded their crowns for aprons to lend a hand.

These community-minded royals showed that true leadership means rolling up your sleeves and helping others. Their enthusiasm and hard work made a real difference in our kitchen today.

Thank you for being so dedicated to our community!

Our Westwego Mobile Market will be closed on July 4th. Catch us next Thursday!

🎩 Hats off to our amazing volunteers! 🧢

Last week, our 'Summer of Fun' series took a hilarious turn with Funny Hat Week! Our dedicated volunteers showed up in style, proving that fighting hunger can be both meaningful AND entertaining.

From towering top hats to wacky wigs, our team rocked some seriously impressive headgear while sorting donations and packing meals. Who knew food banks could be so fashion-forward?

Swipe through to see some of our favorite looks, and don't forget - there's still time to join the fun! This week's theme is What's Poppin'? - which includes freshly popped popcorn with gourmet flavor toppings.

Sign up to volunteer and be part of our mission to create a hunger-free community: No-hunger.org/volunteer

The Makin' Groceries Mobile Market is on the move this July! See schedule below!

Look who's enjoying some cool refreshment at the health fair! Louie Arfstrong is loving a summery snack courtesy of Second Harvest Food Bank's booth.

A big thanks to Second Harvest Food Bank for all they do to fight hunger in our community! We're pawsitively grateful for their support.

NOLA's Hottest Beat: Join DJ Captain Charles for "Packing with Purpose"

Let Second Harvest Food Bank Serve Up a Unique Volunteer Experience!

When: July 3rd, 1-3 PM (Limited Spots!)
Where: Second Harvest Food Bank, New Orleans

👉 5,000 kids need YOUR help this summer. Will you answer the call?

"Packing with a Purpose" is a high-energy exclusive volunteer event that invites festival-goers to join forces to tackle child hunger. The event supports Second Harvest's most ambitious summer program, aiming to feed over 5,000 children – more than double last year. Volunteers will pack nutritious snacks, dance to live music, and savor local cuisine, embodying the spirit of New Orleans: celebration with a cause.

Why You'll Love It:
✨ Exclusive experience: Dance & pack with celebrity DJ Captain Charles
🎁 Take home limited-edition merch (First 10 signups!)
🍽️ Enjoy local vendor pop up shops
🤝 Network with NOLA's most passionate community leaders

Real Impact, Real Fast:
"In just 2 hours, you can change a child's summer from hunger to happiness." - Natalie Jayroe, CEO, Second Harvest Food Bank

Time-Sensitive: Only 50 Spots Available
To register email volunteer services at [email protected]

Apologies in advance, but we are going to be flooding your timeline praising all the volunteers that helped make a success! They truly are the best!

From helping with the setup, to getting in kayaks for the race, to scooping up all the ducks, to helping with the clean up—our volunteers were the true rockstars of ! We literally could not have done this without them!

As you can see, most of them were kids!!! And college students from University of Louisiana at Lafayette! ❤️

It truly was a beautiful sight to see kids supporting , especially because was all about helping kids across Acadiana this summer!

So, please help us show these volunteers some love by liking and sharing this post!

Wow, what a GREAT—hot day!

The was a true success, with over 150,000 meals made possible!

As we conclude another , join us as we take a moment to reflect on the incredible impact we've made as a community—because we could not have achieved this huge IMPACT without each and every one of you.

From our incredible volunteers, our generous sponsors, to the amazing attendees—and every single person who adopted a duck— is a doing their absolute best to look out for our neighbors in need, especially our kids who are counting on us for their summer meals!

We want to send a special thank you to the The City of Broussard for letting us host this year’s at the beautiful and magnificent Broussard Sports Complex at St. Julien Park. would not have been possible without them! Again, what a beautiful park! The staff there was heaven sent!

Thank you especially goes to Mayor Ray Bourque! His generous support throughout the campaign went above and beyond as he not only helped raised hunger awareness but also championed hard on behalf of kids across Acadiana. Plus, he served as our emcee extraordinaire for today’s event! Thank you, Mayor!! 🙏🏾

A special thank you goes to Bernadette Lee of 99.9 KTDY for joining us as our local celebrity and for providing the jams! Her support for the community knows no bounds!

Biggest of thanks goes to Raising Cane's, who CONTINUES to be our right hand for all our ! They not only provided the food & refreshments, but they are one of our prized sponsors! Their team worked hard today to ensure everyone stayed hydrated with the best lemonade and sweet tea in town! It’s safe to say they were the most popular!

Shout out to our Shyra Moran, Heather Stalling, and Advancial Federal Credit Union! Thank you, Advancial, for being our Lucky Duck Sponsor, and also braving the heat with us today! They even raffled off an amazing gift of summer essentials!

We cannot forget to thank the Broussard Fire Department, who made the duck race possible! They even let a few of us spray ourselves with the fire hose to stay cool!

One more shout out has to go to Louisiana Jeepers—who showed up and showed out! They brought new meaning to the phrase, “If you gone do it, do it BIG!” It was truly something special to witness their family and friends enjoying a beautiful Saturday together, supporting a great cause! As a collective, they sold the most ducks out of all the teams this year!

Last but not least, we want to thank
BA Bader and his team at Bia Creates for capturing this event so beautifully. Their dedication and talent helped to showcase the story of the Acadiana Duck Derby in a very special way. See the pictures as proof!

Finally, congratulations to all of our twenty winners! Stay tune for the announcement post 👉 coming next!

We hope to with you all again next year!