(November 15, 2013)

World House for Social Justice, Fuller Center collect canned goods for residents of Allendale neighborhood

SHREVEPORT, LA — Centenary's World House for Social Justice and community partner, The Fuller Center for Housing of Northwest, LA, are collecting canned goods for the community of Allendale in time for Thanksgiving. According to the Federal Financial Institutions Examinations Council statistics, the residents of the Allendale neighborhood have a median family income of $19,519. Over 69 percent of the families in this neighborhood live below the poverty line. This low-income area is considered a food desert — an area that lacks access to affordable fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat milk, and others foods that make up a healthy diet.

"This canned food drive is really important to me," said Robin Chailland, student and James Residence Hall Residence Assistant (RA). "I think it brings people back (to reality) and helps them realize that while we may have food and shelter available to us at all times, when only a few miles away people in Allendale are living in poverty."

As RA of James Residence Hall, Centenary's World House for Social Justice, Chailland is required to plan and execute one program for the Hall per year. She chose to partner with The Fuller Center for Housing not only for their relationship as community partners but also because they provide their clients with long-term solutions to improve lives.

The goal of the canned food drive is to provide at least one bag of groceries per family in Allendale, a community of about 184 families. Monetary donations and canned good items that are typically found at holiday meals, such as green beans, peas, sweet potatoes, corn, potatoes, fruit cocktail, jellied cranberry sauce, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and soups are being collected.

Staff from the Fuller Center and members of their new AmeriCorps team will join Centenary staff and students to distribute the cans at the future site of the Millard Fuller Grocery Store, located at 300 N. Allen Avenue on Saturday, November 23, from 10 a.m. to noon.

Donations will be accepted until November 21. Contact Chailland for drop-off information and to participate in the food distribution at email.