For Extra Table – a Hattiesburg nonprofit organization that partners with Sysco to provide nutritious meals to food pantries around Mississippi – the entire year is an opportunity to educate people on hunger and food insecurity throughout the state.
But it’s more important now than ever, with the COVID-19 pandemic and September being Hunger Awareness month, for that message to get out. To that end, Extra Table is undergoing a full calendar of events, in which the organization is taking the entire month to help raise awareness of the plight of hunger.
“It’s just always exciting to tell the story of food and Extra Table, and the hungry in Mississippi, and there’s no better time than now,” executive director Martha Allen said. “People are seeing our Facebook page and reading about Extra Table and supporting and volunteering, but it’s fun to focus for an entire month, and hit all the details. We’ll tell what we do, how we do it, and all the ways for people to get involved.”
Some of the highlights of the month include Sept. 10, when residents are encouraged to wear orange for hunger awareness, and Sept. 11, when people are encouraged to volunteer at food pantries. On Sept. 17, officials will release the details of 17 new pantries partnered with Extra Table.
“That’s a really big deal,” Allen said. “They’re funded through a grant with the Community Foundation for Mississippi, so we’re really excited about being able to fund those pantries fully.”
Participants can donate on Sept. 21 to help the organization raise $5,000 in one day, and on Sept. 25 condiments and cookware will be made available for collegiate pantries. Another Facebook Live event will be held at 1 p.m. Sept. 29 to allow viewers to become “philanthropic foodies.”
On Sept. 30, officials will explain the details of the organization’s Hub for the Hungry program.
“We just want people to understand,” Allen said. “We want to make people aware of hunger right here in our own neighborhood; it’s so important.”
This year marks the third time Extra Table has participated in Hunger Awareness Month in this matter.
“We’ve had fun the last three years; lots of people share and like and post and learn stuff, and they get more involved with this,” Allen said. “It’s a great platform to really tell our story on a daily basis.
“Our hashtag is #NowMorethanEver, because before COVID hit there was almost 700,000 hungry Mississippians. So now more than ever, with layoffs and cuts and children home from school, our food getting to the food pantries that we partner with is absolutely critical.”
Extra Table works with 59 agencies in 55 counties throughout the state to provide food to those in need. For every $1 donated to Extra Table, 5.9 healthy meals are purchased and provided to hungry Mississippians.
To learn more about the organization, call (601) 264-0672 or visit their website at extratable.org.
