More help to feed the hungry

Second Harvest food pantry to open at Bush senior center

By Karen Baker, The Times-Picayune The Times-Picayune

Pam Parker of Bush wanted to help fill a need she saw in her community. She wanted to help feed the hungry, especially the senior citizens she knew who were unable to drive to the Food Bank in Covington.

A couple of years ago, she said, she approached Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans about setting up a food bank in the Bush area, but that agency wasn’t ready to open a location in that area.

But a few months ago, she said, Second Harvest contacted her with good news.

“They decided they wanted a presence in this area,” Parker said. “They want to be everywhere. It’s a wonderful organization.”

And so, with the help of Second Harvest, Parker and others in Bush opened a food pantry at the COAST senior center on Louisiana 41.

Feeding the need

“We distributed once already, last Sept. 19, to 27 families. Since that time, we have had quite a few people sign up as word got out.”

It shouldn’t take long for the word to spread. In fact, Parker said, “Second Harvest told us that we ultimately might be looking at 100 families to serve.”

Although Parker envisions growing into a larger food bank, for now she knows that she has to start small.

“We are considered a food pantry,” she said. “We simply distribute the food provided to us by Second Harvest. They give us what they have.”

In fact, unlike the Covington Food Bank, which relies on community donations, the new food pantry in Bush is not seeking any donations from the public.

“We are not in a position to accept food at this time,” Parker said. “We are only open once a month.”

Taking care of seniors

Parker began to see the need for a food pantry through her church, Hebron Baptist, which has a ministry called Helping Hands.

“We thought a food bank was something we needed in the area. And my garden club has adopted the senior citizens; we saw a need there. A lot of the seniors qualify for this food and they don’t have transportation.”

Parker recalls driving some of the Bush seniors to Covington for food, because “we take care of our seniors here.”

But she knew there needed to be something closer to home.

And now there is. The need Parker saw in Bush is beginning to be filled, and now she and the others who are helping her want to spread the good news.

“We are trying to get the word out,” said Linda Manuel, who will be at the food pantry the second Tuesday of each month to register families.

“We want people to know this is available for them and we are here to help them.”

They are there to feed the need.

>>>This is very good news for the larger community in which I live.  This is part of the west and north St. Tammany civil parish(county) where we have rural poor.  That means poor folks who need decent transportation because everything is so far away.  The Food Bank mentioned in the article is first class and is located in downtown Covington.  And they do serve people from this community and beyond.  But it is a long drive.  So this food pantry, located in the rural area known as Bush, will be another resource to help feed the hungry!