A New Chapter in Our Expansion
In 2025, Second Harvest Food Bank opened two new distribution centers in South Louisiana. One in Lake Charles and one in Houma. Each one was built with the same purpose: to feed more people, more reliably, every day.
Together, these centers mark a turning point in how we serve. These buildings aren’t the story. What matters is what they make possible. They help us respond faster, distribute more food, and stay connected to the communities that rely on us.
The need is real. In our 23-parish service area, 1 in 6 people are food insecure. That includes parents skipping meals so their kids can eat, seniors choosing between groceries and medicine, and families doing everything right but still coming up short. The new centers are designed to meet this reality head-on.
In May, we opened our first permanent facility in Southwest Louisiana. At 24,000 square feet, the Lake Charles distribution center is already supporting more than 30 local partners and increasing our capacity by 8 million pounds of food per year. “This center isn’t just a building. It’s a beacon of hope,” says Jon Toups, president and CEO of Second Harvest.
One of those partners is God’s Pantry in Jennings, which is run by Vicky Rushing. Ms. Vicky turned to God’s Pantry in her time of need 17 years ago. Today, as leader of the pantry, Ms. Vicky sees the new distribution center as a way to expand God’s Pantry’s resources to reach more neighbors in need.
In July, the Bayou Distribution Center opened in Houma. It’s 19,500 square feet of purpose-built space, with refrigeration, freezer storage, a volunteer repack area, and an emergency pantry. A commercial kitchen now under construction will soon be able to produce up to 3,400 hot meals daily for children, seniors, and others who need more than just a box of food. This single facility will serve more than 60 partners in Lafourche, Terrebonne, and St. Mary Parishes, as well as Grand Isle.
“We stood here 23 months ago, and all we had was some broken concrete and plain steel girders,” says Eric Danos, chair of the Bayou Advisory Committee. “What we do is not about the buildings. It’s about the people that we serve.”
That work started before the ribbon was ever cut. “We didn’t wait for groundbreaking to start serving people. Months ago, this facility was serving people in our community,” says Danos. One of those people is Tremaine, who has been left nearly homeless after an injury cost him his job. Despite these challenges, he finds support at Plymouth Rock Baptist Church’s food pantry, which will now receive more frequent food deliveries from Second Harvest’s Bayou Distribution Center.
Second Harvest’s two new distribution centers reflect what it takes to meet hunger where it lives. Planning, persistence, and a wide network of people working together. The buildings are new, but the commitment behind them has been growing for decades. That commitment is what keeps the food moving.
[Link to Next Story: Partnering To Help Feed Children]
