Fight Hunger in LA, When Filing Your State Taxes

Louisianans can help fight hunger when filing their 2011 state income tax returns by including a contribution to the Louisiana Food Bank Association (LFBA) on line 53.  

Contributions to the LFBA will support the efforts of Louisiana’s five food banks to provide emergency food assistance for nearly 645,000 people statewide, including 245,000 children, who struggle with hunger.  

LFBA’s five regional food banks include: Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank, Food Bank of Central Louisiana, Food Bank of Northeast Louisiana, Food Bank of Northwest Louisiana, and Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana.  In 2010, Louisiana’s food banks distributed close to 50 million pounds of food, the equivalent of approximately 40 million meals, through more than 400 member agencies including churches, food pantries, soup kitchens and other local nonprofits. 

“There’s a new face of hunger in Louisiana,” said Cindy Greenstein, Executive Director of the Louisiana Food Bank Association.  “Among the growing ranks of Louisiana’s hungry are citizens who, before now, never needed the services of a food bank to help feed their families. The struggling economy and growing number of unemployed and underemployed have created an unprecedented need for emergency food assistance,” added Greenstein.  

Support from this effort will allow Louisiana’s food banks to maximize each dollar donated to feed Louisiana’s hungry through relationships with Feeding America, the food industry, and other community partners.

For more information, visit www.lafba.org or call 225.308.2308. Find the Louisiana File Online form at http://www.rev.state.la.us/forms/taxforms/IT540(2011)(WEB)F.pdf.

Louisiana Food Bank Association:

The Louisiana Food Bank Association provides a unified voice for Louisiana's hungry with short-term response seeking long-term solutions through advocacy, education, and leadership. To learn more visit www.lafba.org.

About the Food Bank of Northwest Louisiana:

The Food Bank of Northwest Louisiana is the largest distributor of donated food for our 7 parish area and we of one of only five food banks in the state.  We sort, warehouse and distribute food to over 100 non-profit organizations in our seven-parish region, which includes Caddo, Bossier, Bienville, Claiborne, Desoto, Red River, and Webster. These organizations, also called "partner agencies", distribute the food to needy individuals free of charge. Some partner agencies operate pantries, bagging up sacks of groceries for parents to take home to hungry families such as Noel Neighborhood Ministries and Operations Blessing.  Some agencies prepare and serve meals to the hungry like Christian Services and Airline Church of Christ.  Many others are shelters such as Providence House, Salvation Army and the Shreveport Bossier Rescue Mission, providing refuge for people who require short or long term assistance.  Still other agencies distribute food to the elderly, many of whom are home-bound or chronically ill.  Local food donations from businesses, individuals, and food drives play a large role in supplying the food needed to provide the over 5.5 million pounds that we distributed last year. Visit www.foodbanknla.org for more information.