First Friday Memo - October 2026
From the desk of Jayne Wright-Velez, Executive Director
The Food Bank of Central Louisiana
October 2026 / Issue 200
Double your Impact! Now through December
The Harvest Fund has committed to match all gifts to the Food Bank of Central Louisiana, up to $25,000, to help us in our fight against hunger. From now until year-end, every dollar you donate will be matched.
Gifts may be made in two ways:
Donate online at fbcenla.org/?form=donate
Mail a check: Food Bank of Central Louisiana / 3223 Baldwin Ave. / Alexandria, LA 71301
Union Pacific Foundation Feeds Families in Cenla
The Union Pacific Foundation Community Ties Giving Program invests in high-quality nonprofits that foster safe, prosperous and inclusive communities in the cities and towns where UP operates. We are so grateful that UP has awarded a Community Ties grant of $5,000 to the Food Bank of Central Louisiana to feed families in the region. Union Pacific has a long-standing commitment to improve quality of life in the communities they serve and where their employees live and work. Their vision is that Union Pacific employees will take pride in their company's civic leadership, and that all their stakeholders will appreciate and recognize Union Pacific as an excellent corporate citizen.
Pineville Kiwanis Receives Funds to Help Feed Children
The Pineville Kiwanis Club applied to the Kiwanis Children's Fund for a grant to support the Food Bank’s BackPack Program and were awarded $1,000. To make a greater impact, the Club will match that award, doubling Kiwanis support! We are so grateful.
Thanks to our Event Sponsors of the Food For Thought Luncheon
We appreciate Cleco and the Pentecostals of Alexandria for sponsoring this year’s “Food for Thought” Fundraising Luncheon on October 1. The goal of our annual no-cost-to-attend event is to spread awareness about food insecurity and inspire people to get involved in the fight against hunger in Central Louisiana. Thanks to Cleco for sponsoring the lunch, and thanks to POA for donating their facility. We are so grateful for their friendship and support.
Feeding America Releases New “Map the Meal Gap” Study
According to the latest data available from Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap study, 48 million people, including more than 14 million children, experienced food insecurity in 2024, the highest level since 2014. In the communities served by the Food Bank of Central Louisiana, we see overall food insecurity range from a low of 18.3% in LaSalle Parish to a high of 24.8% in Vernon Parish. Among children the situation is worse, with an average of 30% of kids – about one in three – across Central Louisiana without enough to eat. Learn details about food insecurity in your community at https://map.feedingamerica.org/.
More than 8 out of 10 counties with the highest estimated rates of food insecurity are rural or located in the South.
Nearly half of all people experiencing food insecurity had incomes too high to qualify for federal nutrition assistance, leaving them without a vital bridge to maintain stability.
People in food-insecure households reported needing an additional $23.16 per person, per week to have just enough money to cover their food needs.
Louisiana ranks 3rd nationwide in overall food insecurity. Five regional food banks serve Louisiana; the service area served by the Food Bank of Central Louisiana has the highest food insecurity rate in the state.
BackPack Program Supported by Pineville First United Methodist
The BackPack Program provides a backpack full of child-friendly meals and snacks that schoolchildren take home on Fridays throughout the school year. This gift of $10,389 from Pineville First United Methodist Church will help to ensure that Central Louisiana children will have access to food on weekends, when school meals are not available.
Join TJX to Help Stop Hunger
Mark you calendars for Halloween Weekend to shop at TJX company stores and Help Stop Hunger this Holiday season. From October 30 to November 1, customers can donate at the register at TJ Maxx, Marshalls, HomeGoods, HomeSense or Sierra. All proceeds at Central Louisiana stores go to the Food Bank of Central Louisiana to help put meals on neighbors’ tables during the Holidays.
DAF DAY is October 8th
DAF Day is the national giving day for donor-advised funds — the fastest-growing form of philanthropy in the country. Organized by Chariot every second Thursday in October, DAF Day brings together donors, nonprofits, and DAF providers to inspire DAF giving for the causes that they care about most.
To learn more about giving from your Donor Advised Fund, visit
