NEW ORLEANS – Second Harvest is appealing to service groups, community organizations, the business community, retirees, families, students, and others to help fill the urgent need for volunteers. The food bank’s monthly food distribution is expanding with the addition of USDA’s Commodities Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) and the growth of the Kids Café after-school feeding program. The new program will help provide the equivalent of more than 10 million meals for low-income seniors. Volunteers are needed to sort food donations, pack boxes of non-perishable food items, and produce nutritious meals for children and seniors.
Through the USDA CSFP program, Second Harvest will pack and distribute an additional 20,000+ food boxes each month. The boxes are filled with nutritious USDA foods designed to help supplement a healthy diet for seniors facing food insecurity. Louisiana has the worst rate of senior hunger in the country, and this new initiative is critical in addressing that need. The food bank’s Kids Café program has expanded from 50 sites last year to more than 70 after-school sites and now provides meals and snacks to school children. The need for volunteers has more than tripled since May, requiring more than 1,700 volunteers each week to manage the increase in food boxes and meals.
“These feeding programs are critical,” said Natalie Jayroe, President and CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank. “Louisiana has the highest rates of food insecurity in the nation among seniors and children. One in six people in Louisiana face hunger.”
Second Harvest is adding evening and weekend volunteer shifts to accommodate the growing number of volunteers and a wide variety of schedules. No experience is necessary to volunteer, just a willingness to participate. And training is offered for any task a volunteer may be asked to tackle.
“Without the commitment and generosity of volunteers, it would be impossible for Second Harvest to have a meaningful impact on hunger in the communities we serve across South Louisiana,” said LaShondra Glover, Community Outreach Supervisor. “It is rewarding to witness the hard work, dedication, and commitment that volunteers bring to Second Harvest Food Bank daily.”
The Second Harvest Food Bank website provides details about the many volunteer opportunities that exist. To volunteer, simply sign in or create a volunteer account.
“Everyone has a role to play in the mission to end hunger — retirees finding joy in giving back, students earning service hours, businesses seeking employee team building through volunteering, and organizations engaging in meaningful work,” added Jayroe. “It would not be possible for Second Harvest to distribute more than 50 million meals annually without the commitment of volunteers. Their efforts are heroic, and we are grateful for their gifts of time and talent.”
Volunteer shifts are available throughout the day and year-round. To learn more and register to volunteer, visit https://no-hunger.org/volunteer or contact lglover@secondharvest.org.
