ABRAHAM'S TENT RECEIVES GRANT FOR COMMUNITY FEEDING PROGRAM

Date: 10/15/18

PROGRAM SERVES MORE THAN 93,000 MEALS PER YEAR

Baton Rouge, La – Abraham’s Tent in Lake Charles received a $15,000 Community Health Grant from Louisiana Healthcare Connections for the purchase of equipment and supplies to support the organization’s six-days-per-week community feeding program for families and individuals in need in Calcasieu Parish.

The feeding program is available to anyone in need at no cost, and currently serves more than 93,000 meals per year to Calcasieu Parish’s homeless, unemployed, underemployed, mentally ill, seniors and families in crisis. In addition to on-site hot meals and a meal delivery system for local seniors, Abraham’s Tent provides individuals in need with access to baby supplies like diapers and formula, personal hygiene products, clothing and bedding. Visitors to the facility also have access to free laundry facilities and private showers, as well as key preventive health services like flu and shingles vaccinations.

“When we first started in 1986, our primary purpose was hunger. We had an extremely high unemployment rate, and people were knocking on doors looking for food,” says Pearl Cole, Executive Director. “Many of those initial problems still exist here. There is always someone in need, and we try to address as many of those needs as we can in one place. With Louisiana Healthcare Connections’ support, we can address even more.”

The support is appreciated, says Cole, who notes that in the early years, supplies for the facility – then housed in a former school building that lacked air conditioning – were often purchased out of the pockets of board members. As the years passed, the community has come together through food drives, partnerships with local businesses, volunteer programs, and fundraising, and in 2014, Abraham’s Tent opened its doors in a brand new building just down the street from its humble beginnings.

“The community has taken ownership,” says Cole. “What we’re doing here, it’s not about us; it’s our community saying, ‘We want to make things better.’”

The support for Abraham’s Tent resonates even within the City of Lake Charles’ government, which has helped to fund a bus token program to ensure those who are hungry have a way to get to Abraham’s Tent.

“What we as a city appreciate is having all these wonderful services under one roof,” says Lake Charles Mayor Nic Hunter. “People who need help don’t have to go all over the city to find the help they need. They just have to come here to Abraham’s Tent. Mrs. Pearl and her board are doing great things here, and they’ve always had, and will continue to have, the support of our city.”

“Hunger is an issue that affects every community in our state, and it is one that negatively impacts the health of Louisiana’s families. We designed our health grants initiative to partner with and support organizations that share our commitment to reducing food insecurity in our communities,” says Graves. “Abraham’s Tent addresses not just hunger, but also the many needs that at-risk individuals have. They are a valuable resource to the residents of southwest Louisiana, and we are proud to partner with them in their efforts.”