Cathy Agan

What would you do if your office building was located next to an overnight shelter for those in need and a bus transit station in a high-poverty area of your city? For Brittany McNamara with the Children’s Coalition for Northeast Louisiana, this question inspired action. Through the organization’s efforts, in collaboration with the LSU AgCenter and other community partners, a new initiative emerged to address the pressing issue of food security.

While researching grant funding proposals, McNamara learned that the overall food insecurity rate in Ouachita Parish is 17.2%, with 27.9% of children affected. She also found that the nearest grocery store to her office in Monroe is a 15-minute drive or 45-minute walk away. These sobering statistics emphasized the need for innovative solutions.

The Children’s Coalition had already established a raised bed community garden that provided fresh produce for Early Head Start classrooms and served as a teaching tool for children and families. However, there was often surplus produce, and McNamara saw that as a way to meet the needs of the people she passed every day on her way into her office. During a garden advisory meeting, she proposed the possibility of a produce pantry — a space where people could access fresh produce with no questions asked.

An LSU AgCenter Extension agent attending that advisory meeting felt that this would be a great project for the Healthy Communities efforts in the parish. The next step was to figure out how to fund and build a structure that would house the food while ensuring food safety in an outdoor environment. A conversation with 4-H agent Bethany Corona evolved into a plan. Corona had a 4-H Day of Service scheduled already, and the 4-H youth were looking for a project that would address poverty and food insecurity. The produce pantry became their mission.

Once funding was secured for the pantry, 4-H volunteer Seth Corona built a frame that would house an insulated cooler to keep produce safe. He also prepared boards so that 4-H youth could finish the building. The 4-H'ers used a nail gun to attach the boards to the frame and then painted and decorated the pantry. As the pantry took shape, so did plans to make it a Community Wellness Pantry that could house not only produce but canned goods and other essential items for anyone in need.

In November, the community wellness pantry was installed at the Children’s Coalition Family Garden with a ribbon-cutting celebration. The event was well attended by staff from legislative offices, the City of Monroe, the Monroe Chamber, the Children’s Coalition, LSU AgCenter SNAP-Ed, Ouachita Healthy Communities Coalition, Ouachita 4-H and community members. One of the 4-H'ers who helped build the pantry had the honor of cutting the ribbon with oversized scissors.

The community wellness pantry is testament to collaboration. It brings together the Children's Coalition for Northeast Louisiana, LSU AgCenter SNAP-Ed, Ouachita Parish 4-H and the Ouachita Parish Healthy Communities Coalition to tackle food insecurity, particularly as it impacts the health and development of children.

“By providing access to nutritious food for individuals experiencing food insecurity and homelessness, we can improve their overall well-being and create a healthier and more equitable community for all,” McNamara said.

Looking ahead, the project’s focus is on sustainability with the hopes of creating partnerships to stock the pantry beyond produce grown at the family garden at the Children’s Coalition. Community partners are working to add shelves for canned goods and other items. There are dreams of being able to provide nonfood items as well such as scarves and gloves. The ribbon-cutting event was a great day in Monroe, but it was just the beginning for the little Community Wellness Pantry that sits on the corner by the Children’s Coalition. Together, the community is building a brighter, healthier future for those in need.

Cathy Agan is an AgCenter nutrition agent based in Ouachita Parish.

This article appears in the winter 2025 issue of Louisiana Agriculture.

4-H’er Lexi Harper speaks in front of the food pantry at the NELA Children’s Coalition in Monroe, Louisiana, in November. Photo by Anthony Bailey

Adult volunteers and 4-H youth worked to construct a wooden frame for the Community Wellness Pantry. Photos by Cathy Agan

Adult volunteers and 4-H youth worked to construct a wooden frame for the Community Wellness Pantry. Photos by Cathy Agan

Adult volunteers and 4-H youth worked to construct a wooden frame for the Community Wellness Pantry. Photos by Cathy Agan