NEW ORLEANS (WGNO)— Even before the economic problems of the pandemic, one New Orleans non-profit carried the force to feed people in the city who needed to be fed.
“The pandemic has sort of weaned off but as far as our work, it hasn’t and that’s because people still don’t have what they need in order to go to work,” said Betty Thomas, the Chief Operating Officer of the New Orleans Food Pantry. “They’re not making enough money, they’re not offering people enough money to go to work. So they continue to need food, with inflation going up and gas prices going up so they need us.”
Thomas is speaking about why the need to feed hungry residents of our area continues. The pantry has locations in both New Orleans East and on the West Bank, serving over 3000 local families monthly, and you can help.
Our biggest thing we always ask from our public is volunteers,” Thomas explained. “If you’ve got an hour or two today, come out. You don’t have to call or make a schedule, just show up. I promise we’ll put you to work.
The pantry is part of the local nonprofit Giving Hope and they also distribute prepared meals to kids and our vulnerable seniors in the city.
“They were having to make a choice between buying food or buying medicine,” Thomas added. “The majority of them are on fixed incomes, so they’re not able to provide everything that they need to eat everyday.”
Thelma Osberry came to get food for she and her mother. Without the food pantry help, they’re nutrition needs might not be met.
“I don’t know, I don’t know if we would survive or what,” Osberry told WGNO’s LBJ.
As part of WGNO’s parent company, Nexstar Media Group‘s National Day of Service, our co-workers were on-hand to help out at the food pantry.
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