The Joe LeBlanc Food Pantry has launched its annual Feed A Family fundraiser with a goal of sponsoring 600 families by November 7, ensuring local households in need can enjoy a full holiday meal.
The campaign began October 1, when supporters quickly stepped up to sponsor more than 50 families within the first day. By October 21, the total had grown from 98 families the previous Friday to 141.
“We are on a mission to have 600 families sponsored by November 7th so we can purchase those turkeys and sides,” the organization stated on social media. Each $25 donation covers a meal for a family of four, including a turkey and traditional holiday sides.
Feed A Family began in 2014 after the pantry’s team recognized that many families were skipping holiday celebrations due to financial strain. The first year, volunteers collected and distributed about 300 donated turkeys, even storing them offsite and delivering from the back of a truck.
Over time, the program expanded to include full meal kits with sides and eventually grew to cover both Thanksgiving and Christmas. “To date we have provided just under 12,000 holiday meals to families in need,” they shared. “Every single year God provided for the vision he placed inside of us.”
The pantry now manages storage and distribution from its own facility, made possible through community partnerships and donations.
Those wishing to contribute can sponsor a family through PayPal at @JLFP318, Venmo at Joe-LeBlanc-22, or by mailing checks to 814 Constable St., Minden, LA 71055.