[National Community Development Week]
[00:00:10]
I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND CEO OF THE JEFFERSON COUNCIL IN AGING IN JEFFERSON PARISH, LOUISIANA.
WE HAVE OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND SENIORS WHO RESIDE IN OUR PARISH.
WE'RE FORTUNATE TO BE THE ADVOCATES TO THAT, THOSE SENIORS.
DURING THE PAST NINE YEARS, WE'VE RECEIVED COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANTS IN THE AMOUNT OF 595,000, OF WHICH WE SPENT 565,000 ON MEALS.
WE SERVED 323 PEOPLE WITH THAT MONEY, A TOTAL OF 80,000 MEALS.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE USED 30,000 FOR TRANSPORTATION, AND WE WERE ABLE TO PURCHASE A THOUSAND RIDES FOR SENIORS IN JEFFERSON PARISH, WHO OTHERWISE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO ATTEND OUR SENIOR CENTERS.
IN SUMMARY, I SAY THAT THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANTS HAVE BEEN VERY ADVANTAGEOUS TO THE SENIORS OF JEFFERSON PARISH.
IF IT WERE NOT FOR THEM, WE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FEED THESE 323 PEOPLE OVER THE YEARS AND PROVIDE THE RIDES TO THESE SENIORS.
AND WITHOUT THE SENIOR CENTERS, PEOPLE WOULD SIT IN THEIR HOMES AND JUST LOOK AT THE FOUR WALLS AND THEY WOULD BE LONELY AND ISOLATED.
SO THESE FUNDS ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO KEEPING OUR SENIORS HEALTHY AND ACTIVE IN OUR PARISH.
I'M THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF SECOND HARVEST FOOD BANK.
WE DISTRIBUTE ABOUT 40 MILLION MEALS ANNUALLY ACROSS SOUTH LOUISIANA, 23 PARISHES FROM THE MISSISSIPPI TO THE TEXAS LINE.
OUR HUB IS LOCATED RIGHT HERE IN JEFFERSON PARISH, AND WE ARE THE LARGEST ANTI-HUNGER ORGANIZATION HERE IN THE STATE OF LOUISIANA.
WE ARE SO, SO THRILLED, UM, TO RECEIVE THE SUPPORT IN SO MANY WAYS THAT WE'VE GOTTEN FROM THE PARISH COUNCIL.
AND PARTICULAR, THESE BLOCK GRANT FUNDS ARE GOING TO BE USED TO CREATE A MOBILE MARKET AND MAKING GROCERIES MOBILE MARKET.
AND THAT MOBILE MARKET IS GOING INTO FOOD DESERT AREAS OF JEFFERSON PARISH, SPECIFICALLY AVONDALE KENNEDY HEIGHTS, UH, AND WMAN.
WE ARE CREATING A TRUCK, BUILDING A TRUCK RIGHT NOW THAT WE'LL BE ROTATING THROUGHOUT FOOD DESERT AREAS IN JEFFERSON PARISH.
BUT IN THE MEANTIME, WHILE WE'RE WAITING FOR THAT TRUCK TO BE FINISHED, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A SITE AT THE JAMES C. SIMMONS COMMUNITY CENTER IN WEST WEGO.
THE HOPE IS TO HAVE A MAKING GROCERIES MOBILE MARKET GROCERY STORE, SELLING DISCOUNTED GROCERIES GOING INTO OUR FOOD DESERTS AREA OF JEFFERSON PARISH.
HUGE THANK YOU TO COUNCILMAN LEE FOR APPROACHING US.
WE INVITE THE COUNCIL TO ALWAYS APPROACH US IF THEY HAVE NEEDS THAT WE CAN HELP WITH IN JEFFERSON PARISH.