Food Bank of Central Louisiana

The Food Bank of Central Louisiana is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to alleviate hunger in Central Louisiana. We distribute food and grocery products to needy families through a network of approved charitable agencies in eleven parishes: Allen, Avoyelles, Catahoula, Concordia, Grant, LaSalle, Natchitoches, Rapides, Sabine, Vernon and Winn.

For more than 35 years, the Food Bank of Central Louisiana has been working towards our mission of alleviating hunger in Central Louisiana.     

According to the recent Map the Meal Gap Study, 19.5% of residents – more than 71,300 individuals – live in food insecurity.  Twenty-six percent of children in our service area are food insecure.    

The Food Bank has grown since its inception, adding member agencies and programs.  The Food Bank of Central Louisiana offers programs to provide food for those in need across our community. 

We have an 11-parish service area including the following parishes:  Allen, Avoyelles, Catahoula, Concordia, Grant, LaSalle, Natchitoches, Rapides, Sabine, Vernon and Winn.   

The Partner Agency Program is the distribution of food to our network of non-profit partner agencies that operate local pantries, soup kitchens, shelters and other hunger relief programs. These agencies are located throughout 11 parishes in Central Louisiana and serve food insecure people in need of food assistance.  

The BackPack Program is designed to meet the needs of hungry children at times when other resources are not available, such as weekends and school vacations. The backpacks are filled with food that children take home from school on Friday afternoons to provide food for the weekend.  The food is child-friendly, nonperishable, and easily consumed.

The Senior Nutrition Program is for neighbors 60 or older and includes heart healthy and diabetic friendly food box along with healthy fresh produce. Over time, this program will help seniors to be more knowledgeable about healthy food and to be empowered to seek healthier options.  

The Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) works to improve the health of low-income persons at least 60 years of age by supplementing their diets with nutritious USDA Foods.   

The Good Food Project teaches sustainable gardening practices in the demonstration garden at the Food Bank. All the fresh, organic produce grown here is distributed to Food Bank clients. Additionally, the Good Food Project supports satellite, youth, and community gardens across central Louisiana.  

The After-school Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) and Kids Summer Feeding programs offer schools, community centers, camps and other childcare facilities access to meals and healthy snacks when school meals are not available.   

The Mobile Food Pantry Program meets the unique needs of the Food Bank’s rural and underserved communities by offering services in their area and providing client access to nonperishable food items, fresh fruits and vegetables.   The Food Bank provides the Mobile Food Pantry Program in 27 rural communities each month.

Apply to serve with the Food Bank.

To volunteer, email: cstafford@fbcenla.org