First Friday Memo - September 2025
From the desk of Jayne Wright-Velez, Executive Director
The Food Bank of Central Louisiana
September 2025 / Issue 187
Double your donation during Hunger Action Month!
This September, thanks to the generous support of CN Rail, every gift you make to the Food Bank of Central Louisiana will be matched, up to $10,000. That means you can double your impact and help provide twice as many meals.
September is Hunger Action Month
It takes many hands to make sure every person facing hunger has the food they need. With the rate of people facing food insecurity the highest in more than a decade, and the largest cuts to SNAP and Medicaid in history recently signed into law, now is the time to come together and meet this moment with action.
What can each of us do?
Host a food drive. Register your live or virtual drive on our website.
Volunteer. Help is needed at the food bank and at local pantries and soup kitchens.
Advocate. Call your local, state and national representatives and tell them how important it is to make sure everyone has access to healthy foods.
Donate. With a generous matching challenge from CN, it’s a great time to give!
Visit the food bank. Learn about our operations, how much food we distribute, where all the food goes, and more. Call Linda at 318-445-2773 to sign up for a tour.
Everyone needs nutritious food to thrive. Yet in Central Louisiana 71,370 people, including 22,450 children, experience food insecurity. We can all do our part… because we CAN end hunger when we all work together.
Popeyes Serves With Love through a Food Love Grant
The Popeyes Foundation Food Love grant program focuses on nonprofits that serve food to those who need it. Food Love Grants support comes to life throughout Popeyes neighborhoods with program support ranging from onsite feeding programs, mobile kitchens, homebound food delivery programs, out-of-school meals, and disaster-related food support. We are so grateful to Popeyes Foundation for supporting the Food Bank of Central Louisiana.
International Paper Supports Food Distribution in Campti
International Paper funds critical needs in the communities where their employees live and work. For the third year, International Paper has awarded a grant to the Food Bank to help sustain our mobile food pantry in Campti. Campti is the location of the recently closed Red River Containerboard Mill. We are so thankful for International Paper’s commitment to the communities where they operate!
Enterprise Mobility supports the Food Bank
The Food Bank of Central Louisiana was nominated by an Enterprise Mobility ™ team member to receive support for our work. We are proud to be part of Enterprise Mobility’s Fill Your Tank program, which is helping to end hunger by supporting food banks, including the Food Bank of Central Louisiana.
Help Feed Cenla at Kroger!
When people are fed, futures are nourished. Now through 9/30, donations at Kroger checkout help support people facing hunger here in Central Louisiana. Throughout Hunger Action Month, shoppers at Kroger can support the Food Bank by rounding up or donating $1, $3, or $5 at the register. All donations stay local.
Mark your Calendar for the Food Bank of Central Louisiana
Food for Thought Fundraising Luncheon
Please join us at The Food Bank of Central Louisiana’s “Food for Thought” luncheon. After a five year hiatus, we’re re-launching our annual luncheon, designed to share more about the Food Bank’s mission and programs. While it is a fundraiser, there’s no minimum or maximum gift required—and no pressure to give. The luncheon will be held on Thursday, October 2, from 12:00–1:00 p.m. at The Pentecostals of Alexandria’s Event Center, 701 Veterans Drive. Please RSVP to Linda at 318-445-2773.
Want to do more? Consider serving as a Table Captain for the event. As a Table Captain, your role is simple but impactful: invite five guests to sit at your table (six total, including you). These can be friends, coworkers, family members, or neighbors—anyone you feel would be interested in learning more about our mission. Contact Linda to learn more about this important role.
