John Louis whizzed through the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank in a fork lift from aisle to aisle picking up crates of food.
The 67-year-old man, who shows up to the Choctaw drive warehouse every morning at 7 a.m., started volunteering at the area food bank 13 years ago.
“I was just looking for something to do with no boss to tell me what to do,” Louis said. “It’s something to keep me busy.”
Others have another agenda for going to the food bank, like George LeBlanc, an employee of one year.
He said a typical day includes unloading trucks, packing trucks and working with people who show up to collect food for the less fortunate in their area.
“I was already in ministry and I wanted to do something else to further that,” LeBlanc said. “It makes you feel like you’re doing something worthwhile.”
That “something worthwhile” involves providing food to 12 parishes around Baton Rouge for people who may or may not have a home and struggle to have enough food for their families or themselves.
Renee McDermott, food bank development assistant, said they distribute to more than 100 agencies within their 12 designated parishes and feed as many as 4,200 “food insecure” people.
She said funding for the charity project comes from various outlets while the group receives food donations regularly.
“We get money from the United Way, FEMA and government grants, special events and donations, and then we get food from places like Albertson’s, Winn Dixie or food drives,” McDermott said. “We donated about 8.1 million pounds of food last year and we couldn’t have done that without both money donations and food donations.”
Paid workers, volunteers and even groups from the Elayn Hunt Correctional Facility help every day to sort and stock boxes and crates of food, McDermott said. There are 17 full time employees and more than 500 volunteers that donate time throughout the year. In 2002, service from volunteers accounted for 17,000 hours of work at the food bank.
The food bank began in 1984 in the parking lot of Victoria Baptist Church with people giving out bread from the backs of cars and trucks, McDermott said.
In addition to donations, the center puts on their own food drives throughout the year in collaboration with area companies. Some include the 50th annual Louisiana food service expo, WBRZ Feed-A-Family, Raising cans for Raising Canes and Adopt “Thibodeaux” Turkey, which is a seasonal drive for Thanksgiving.
“We get more requests during the holiday seasons,” McDermott said. “We’re never completely empty during those times, but people don’t have as many choices.”
She said a new freezer and cooler addition to the building will allow for a better selection of foods beyond cans and boxes.
The relationship among those involved at the food bank is friendly and comforting to employees like James Thomas.
“I see the problem, and I’m helping people,” Thomas said. “I’ve gotten to know the people and the agencies in this area, and I’ve had people come up to me and thank me.”
Students can get involved by calling the food bank at 359-9940 or visiting the warehouse at 5546 Choctaw Dr.