LSU student organizations met the Baton Rouge community at its doorstep Sunday to hand out free Thanksgiving meals to those in need.
The Black Pre-Law Scholars Association teamed up with Athlete’s Mind, LSU’s Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity and the Innocence Club to serve the community on a hot afternoon ahead of Thanksgiving.
In the parking lot of the Dr. Leo Butler Community Center, pans of turkey, yams, cornbread dressing, green beans, spaghetti and mac and cheese were spread across a table ready to be given away.
“Why not lend a helping hand if I got it,” said Roderick Robinson, BLSK’s volunteer chair.
Robinson said the organization felt it was important to help out following the government shutdown and continuous food bank shortages. He said he hopes it reached people who are not able to feed themselves.
As music played, members of the organizations waved people down with signs that said ‘Free food’ as they drove by. One by one, people in the community came up to get a meal, a drink and a dessert.
The food and to-go boxes were provided by 4 On The Geaux Kitchen & Catering, while the drinks and desserts like apple and pecan pie and cake were brought by volunteers.
For most people, the drive was a pleasant surprise. Wanda Brown, 72, said she was on the way home from church when she saw the table. At first, she said she thought they were selling something and wanted to support.
It ended up being something better — a blessed meal, said Brown. Brown and her best friend, Joyce Brock, said they were grateful for what the volunteers were doing.
“It feels good knowing young people are out here serving the public,” Brown said.
The exchanges between the community and volunteers were short but full of gratitude. Whether they got to the center by car, bike or on foot, people made sure to emphasize how thankful they were.
At one point, a man asked permission to pray over the volunteers. Everyone gathered around, held hands and listened to the prayer. The man asked God to protect and look over the members in everything they do.
Another time, a woman stopped her car to see what was going on. After being offered a free meal, she declined and instead grabbed some cash to donate to the organizations.
This kind of service is rooted in everything the LSU fraternity does. Giovanni Kuegah, the community service chair, said participating in the drive was simply fulfilling its motto: “First of all, servants of all, we shall transcend all.”
Kuegah said it is always great to give back to those less fortunate, especially since some people in the area may not have the means to have a Thanksgiving meal. He said the giving doesn’t just end here.
“Doing one act of kindness to somebody may lead them to do another act of kindness to somebody else,” Kuegah said.
Members began pre-making plates for people to walk up and take. Eventually, they no longer waited for the community to come to them. Instead, members grabbed plates and walked down the street to meet people and put food right in their hand. Volunteers also stopped cars and handed food directly in their windows.
There were no questions asked and no judgment passed. It didn’t matter how many plates someone needed; members wanted to give all they could. Robinson said he did not want to go home with any food.
They met that goal and gave the leftover turkey bones to the dogs and the last cases of water to the woman who got the last plate of the day.
Robinson said the organizations asked around for donations to supply the food and ended up raising around $500. He contacted Council Member Carolyn Coleman to get permission to host the event at the center.
Coleman said she was grateful Robinson approached her with the idea and that they were able to serve meals and she hopes to continue to work with the organization.
“With all that is going on with SNAP, these meals were right on time,” Coleman said.
