First Friday Memo - February 2026

From the desk of Jayne Wright-Velez, Executive Director

The Food Bank of Central Louisiana

February 2026 / Issue 192

Call for Volunteers!

Usually after the Holidays, traffic at the food bank slows down a bit. But not this year! Lines are still long and our neighbors need our help. The Food Bank of Central Louisiana is seeking volunteers to help us continue serving individuals and families facing food insecurity in our area.

Volunteers assist with:

• Sorting and packing food

• Preparing distributions

• Supporting community hunger-relief efforts

No special experience required—just a willingness to help! Individuals, families, and groups are welcome. Please call the Food Bank at 318-445-2773 to get on the schedule or ask any questions!

Thanks to These Donors for Support During the Holiday Season

• Aetna/CVS Health: Thanks to CVS Health for their gift to help the Mobile Pantry Program continue to serve communities in every parish served by the food bank.

• Amerihealth Caritas Foundation and CVS: Feeding America created the Community Response Fund to respond to the urgent needs facing food banks as they work to address the growing and evolving challenges of hunger across the country. Thank You to the Amerihealth Caritas Foundation and CVS for their emergency support during the SNAP crisis in November.

• CoBank: CoBank has a long history of providing direct financial support to food banks, and their Sharing Success initiative is a matching program for the bank’s customers to give to food banks. CoBank’s focus on rural communities will help the food bank reach families across Cenla.

• Louisiana Charities Trust and RoyOMartin are longtime partners of the Food Bank of Central Louisiana. Their ongoing support of programs including the BackPack Program, Mobile Pantries, and the Senior Program help keep these initiatives strong.

• Papa Johns: The work we do wouldn’t be possible without funding from businesses with a local presence, like Papa Johns. We appreciate the collective good they’re doing here and across the country through their Building Community Fund.

• TJX Foundation: The TJX Foundation and TJX Companies contributed more than $25 million to support hunger-relief efforts nationwide. Their unrestricted gift to our food bank will fund essential operations that put food on neighbors’ tables.

One Dedicated Volunteer Has Served More than 4,700 Hours in Five Years

Last month one of our dedicated volunteers, Robert Brister, marked five years of service, donating more than 4,700 hours of his time to help fight hunger in our community. Robert's commitment, reliability, and heart for service make a real difference for the families we serve. Thank you, Robert, for five years of compassion, generosity, and unwavering dedication. We are so grateful for you and the example you set for all of us.

Free Fig Workshop Coming Up This Tuesday

The Food Bank of Central Louisiana’s Good Food Project and LSU-Ag Center are hosting a free Fig Workshop led by Molly Lyles, Area Horticulture Agent with LSU-Ag. The workshop will take place on Tuesday, February 10 at 1pm at the Food Bank – 3223 Baldwin Ave., Alexandria.

Register today at https://tinyurl.com/learnfigs.

USDA Releases New Report on Food Security in the United States

According to the most recent report from the USDA, 48 million people live in food insecure households. This means that, at least some of the time, 48 million people in the US didn’t know when or how they would have their next nutritious meal. People across the spectrum are affected - seniors, college students, veterans, families excluded from the workforce because of disabilities and families with multiple people who are employed full time.

A few key findings from the report:

• More than 14 million children live in food insecure households. The rates among children continue to be the highest since 2014.

• Food insecurity remains higher in rural areas than urban areas.

• Over one million more seniors experienced food insecurity in 2024 compared to 2023.

Snap the QR code to view the full report.

Year-End Giving Statements

Donors should by now have received their annual giving statements for 2025 from the Food Bank. If you made a donation and did not receive an annual giving statement, or if you have any questions, please call Carrie Gill at 318-445-2773 ext. 221. We are thankful for your continued support.