Delivering meals to shelter evacuees in Plaquemines, LA

There are still thousands of Hurricane Gusav evacuees living in shelters in and around the Baton Rouge area. My brother Jordan (if you’ve been following our coverage, he’s becoming quite the online content creator) sent me these pictures from the front lines of the relief effort. Feeding evacuees, relief volunteers, and first responders in from other states to help is a huge part of the relief effort. Churches, companies, and NGOs work to keep everyone fed throughout the weeks and months they’ll be on the ground helping or in shelters waiting for electricity to be restored or homes to be rebuilt.

The pictures are from a feeding shelter in Plaquemines, LA across the river from Baton Rouge. Dow Chemical employees prepared 500 meals that were sent to evacuees in Point Coupee parish northwest fo the city. Even in dreary times like this, Louisiana’s spirit and culture shines through. The meals prepared today were jambalaya and red beans and rice, classic staples of Louisiana Cajun/Creole cuisine. Most Louisiana food has the advantage of being scalable to cook for large (or in this case, VERY large) groups of people very easily. Additionally, if you’re in a shelter with your family worried about rebuilding your home and Hurricane Ike in the Gulf, some Louisiana comfort food goes a long way.Cooking for the community is also cathartic for volunteers. It’s a chance to get out of the house, go somewhere with electricity (A/C!), and get a warm meal.   Mobilizing the local workforce helps bring communities together and reminds people that community is one of the best things about living in Louisiana.

Preparing 500 meals for shelter evacuees

takepart and donate the the Baton Rouge Area Foundation’s Hurricane Gustav Relief and Recovery Fund supporting relief efforts in and around Baton Rouge.

Read our Hurricane Gustav coverage