Lexington Food Pantry “ends hunger and gives hope”

Founded 40 years ago, the Mississippi Food Network has distributed more than 28 million pounds of food through its partner network of over 430 partner organizations.

In one of Mississippi’s poorest counties, at least 270 families and 415 individuals avoid hunger each month.

This is thanks to the Lexington Food Pantry.

Since 2021, the Lexington Food Pantry, with the help of the Mississippi Food Network, has provided 104,501 meals in the Holmes County community in need, and of the food provided, 22% was fresh produce and 24% was protein.

“With Holmes County having the third highest poverty rate of all 56 MFN counties at over 37%, this area is a top priority for the food bank. Mississippi Food Network is working with various programs to meet the need in Holmes County, such as supplying the Lexington Food Pantry and serving seniors in other parts of the county,” said Cassandra Mobley, the food network’s chief operating officer.

Founded 40 years ago, Jackson-based Mississippi Food Network is a food bank affiliated with Feeding America.

“The food bank was founded by a group of dedicated citizens who wanted to create a local hub for food donations that could then be distributed to food distribution sites in their communities,” Mobley said. “In the first year, the food bank distributed approximately 140,000 pounds of food.”

At the end of this fiscal year, on June 30, the company had sold over 28 million pounds of food through its partner network of more than 430 partner organizations, she said. “That equates to 23,333,000 meals,” she said.

“The food bank partners with nonprofits or churches. These community organizations consist of food distribution sites, homeless shelters, community kitchens, as well as child feeding organizations and senior service organizations. The food bank’s child feeding efforts include backpack programs, after-school meals, school distribution sites and summer meals. We provide food to seniors through two senior box programs that are provided to seniors age 60 and older on fixed incomes,” Mobley said.

In 2021, a board member of the Lexington Food Pantry approached Mississippi Food Network to explore the possibility of a partnership. As part of that process, before becoming a partner with the food bank, the Lexington Food Pantry board hosted a mobile distribution and Mississippi Food Network provided the food. The relationship evolved into a full partnership agreement with the Lexington Food Pantry.

Of the Mississippi Food Network’s 56 counties, only Carroll County does not have a food bank, Mobley said. But the network still provides resources to that county and other underserved areas through direct service methods such as mobile food banks and food production initiatives.

One of the food bank’s recent initiatives is to connect with farmers in Mississippi to provide fresh produce directly to their local communities. This initiative has provided the food bank and local farmers with an opportunity to connect and has given farmers an opportunity to provide for their neighbors in need.

Mobley says the future of the Mississippi Food Network lies in more innovations to help those in need. “The Mississippi Food Network continues to expand its efforts to source more food while ensuring the food is nutritious, while partnering with other organizations to improve the health outcomes of our citizens.”

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Mississippi Food Network saw a significant increase in the number and amount of donations, Mobley said.

“In addition to death rates, media attention focused on hunger and food insecurity due to the supply chain issues grocery stores were facing,” she said. “Major grocery chains and grocery stores were no longer able to stock their shelves like they normally would, and there was definitely not enough food and grocery products left to donate to food banks like there was before the pandemic. The public took notice, and donations to food banks like ours skyrocketed.

“During the current surge in COVID-19 cases, we are not seeing the same level of donations as we did during the pandemic. This is likely because the current surge in cases is not dominating the headlines as much as it was during the pandemic, and the problems in the food supply chain are not nearly as great as they were during the pandemic. In this regard, while donors – individuals, corporations and foundations – are continuing to donate to food banks, the public is not as motivated to donate at the scale we saw during the pandemic because while the need is still there and continues to grow, the urgency to do something about hunger and food insecurity does not seem to be as great as it was then.”

Mobley says she stays motivated because “Mississippi has the highest food insecurity rate in the country. The food bank’s mission is to continue to source food and deliver it to the over 430 partners across our state who serve their communities, like the Lexington Food Pantry.”

Lexington Mayor Robin McCrory said the Lexington Food Pantry’s mission is to “end hunger and provide hope.”

“Through the Mississippi State Extension Service and startup Aim for Change, Lexington secured grants to start our food distribution site. You can’t partner unless you have nonprofit status and a proven track record of success in warehousing and food distribution,” McCrory said. “At the beginning of COVID-19, we were distributing food packages through USDA Foods. We had to meet benchmarks through the Mississippi Food Network.”

When asked if there is an increased need for assistance given the recent increase in COVID-19 cases, McCrory said the distribution rate has “increased by over 50% in the two to three months since the increase in COVID-19 cases.”

“We also work with Extra Table, who provide us with fresh, healthy and nutritious food. With Hunter’s Harvest, we have deer and venison processed and distributed to the food bank, and with the Society of Saint Andrews, we pick the food using machinery from farmland and fields and then pick it and send it to the food bank,” McCrory said.

“The future expansion of the Lexington Food Pantry is to continue to work with our resources and distribute more food packages.”

Alexis Kenyatta Ellis is a freelance writer based in Lexington, Mississippi.

— Article courtesy of Alexis Kenyatta Ellis, for Mississippi Today —