In Lincoln Parish, about 1 in 5 of our neighbors aren’t always sure where their next meal will come from. The Food Bank of Northeast Louisiana works with a total of seven Community Partners in Lincoln Parish to provide food to neighbors facing hunger.

Our longtime partner, Christian Community Action (CCA), has been a steady source of hope for families in Lincoln Parish for three decades. CCA has seen an increase in the number of people seeking food assistance and provides groceries to about 400 people each month.

“We’ve seen a wide range of people who have never been here before,” said Stephanie Matthews, Executive Director of CCA. “Some families didn’t even know where to turn to for help.”

At CCA, how people are treated is just as important as the help they receive. Stephanie emphasized that dignity is at the heart of everything they do, and they see the impact it has on the community.

“Our biggest thing at CCA is people come in with dignity, and they’re going to leave with their dignity,” she said. “I know it’s helpful and impactful because we’ve heard it from the mouths of our neighbors.”

The Food Bank helps stock the shelves of CCA’s food pantry. In the last fiscal year, CCA received over 66,000 pounds of food through its partnership with the Food Bank – that’s over 55,000 meals provided to our neighbors in Lincoln Parish through CCA’s pantry!

“Our partnership gives us confidence someone has our back,” Stephanie said. “The Food Bank helps us and that leads to helping our community.”