Drive-thru Grocery Distribution for Those in Need to be Held at Lake Charles Civic Center July 16

Published July 9, 2020

From United Way of Southwest Louisiana – Thursday, July 16, 2020, from 11 am until 1 pm at the Lake Charles Civic Center United Way of Southwest Louisiana and Second Harvest Food Bank will host a contact-free, drive-thru grocery box distribution for A.L.I.C.E. community members experiencing food insecurity.

Second Harvest Food Bank will donate enough boxes for 700 cars. No prior registration is required and no paperwork will be necessary on Thursday. One set of groceries per vehicle will be placed inside your open trunk or back seat as you slowly roll through an assembly line.

ALICE is an acronym that stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. For these families, the COVID-19 outbreak has made it even harder to take care of basic needs. People who are part of the ALICE population are those that have been laid off, experienced wage/hour cuts, or who are working a job that cannot be done remotely.

“Before the outbreak reached Southwest Louisiana, 27% of our families were living paycheck to paycheck while working and hovering just above the poverty line where they could not receive benefits,” explains Denise Durel, President & CEO of United Way of Southwest Louisiana. “They are hard workers that don’t ask for help and sometimes don’t even realize that they need it. We have heard from them in overwhelming numbers and ensuring they have food in the pantry is something we can do to ease their anxiety right now.”

For the latest information see unitedwayswla.org/food.

Anyone interested in donating to the Coronavirus Response Fund at United Way of Southwest Louisiana can see unitedwayswla.org/corona. This fund is assisting ALICE families with food and necessities during the outbreak.

For more information on United Way of Southwest Louisiana, visit unitedwayswla.org or call 337.433.1088.