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Although much has changed at the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank since it opened 40 years ago, its mission has never wavered. In his 21 years with the organization, President and Chief Executive Officer Mike Manning’s top priority has been to feed the hungry in Baton Rouge and its surrounding parishes.
“The continuous support from our generous donors and dedicated volunteers allows us to help so many in our community,” says Manning. “In 2024 alone, we were able to distribute 12.8 million meals and 16.6 million pounds of food thanks to the help of 14,900 volunteers who served 58,000 hours. This kind of impact absolutely takes a village.”
AT A GLANCE
Top executives: Vance Gibbs, Board Chair; Leslie Jennings Magee, Board Vice Chair; Mike Manning, President & Chief Executive Officer; Seth Hatsfelt, Chief Operations Officer; Mindy Smith, Chief Financial Officer; Brian W. Hightower, Chief Development Officer
Phone: 225.359.9940
Address: 10600 S. Choctaw Dr., Baton Rouge, LA 70815
Website: brfoodbank.org
But even with that astounding generosity, Louisiana remains number one in the nation in both child and senior food insecurity. Manning points to economic conditions as well as the increasing number of seniors who are raising their grandchildren.
“Each year we see more people who have challenges putting food on the table,” says Manning. “One misnomer is that most of the people we help are unemployed, but a lot of people who work multiple jobs are in need of assistance.”
One way the Food Bank helps the community is by giving to more than 140 local pantries in their 11-parish service area, allowing the hungry to get food where they live.
“It’s important to us to work with our local food banks, because they’re more in touch with their specific communities and know details about who is in need,” says Manning. “We also offer mobile food pantries and modified one-day delivery pantries, which allow short-term coverage of areas that don’t have dedicated brick and mortar spaces.”
