Extra Table is an incredible non-profit organization in Mississippi that feeds the hungry in our neighborhoods and works to drive down obesity by providing food pantries and soup kitchens with new and healthy food in bulk. Putting it mildly, they're superheroes.
Extra Table started in Hattiesburg, Mississippi by a hometown hero, Robert St. John. It all started in 2009 with a call from Edwards Street Fellowship Center. Edwards Street Fellowship Center helps about 800 families a month with basic pantry necessities. They had empty shelves and turned to Robert St. John for help.
Robert St. John has been in the restaurant world for over 40 years. He is the owner of Purple Parrot, Crescent City Grill, Mahogany Bar, Branch, Tabella, Ed's Burger Joint, The Midtowner, and Midtown Donut in Hattiesburg. He made a phone call to Sysco Foods, but realized a problem. The food from Sysco is packaged in massive quantities- perfect for a restaurant, but difficult for a family to use. After a lot of searching he was able to place an order that would be useful to the pantry.
St. John first had to wrap his head around the idea that hunger is an issue in Mississippi today. Moved by this phone call and revalation, he got to work. "As I travelled to other agencies similar to Edwards Street, I began to see the face of hunger in my state. I learned that there are seniors living on Social Security checks and fixed incomes who are- at this very moment- trying to decide between paying the electricity bill or going to the grocery store to purchase food. I met single, working mothers who were holding down two jobs trying to keep their children fed. Worst of all, I met children who were eating a school breakfast, a school lunch, and not eating again until the next day" says St. John on Extra Table's website.
Robert St. John went to Sysco and asked a simple but profound question that started a movement. "What if every business and home had an extra table where they could feed those in need? What would that look like?" This is when Extra Table was started.
Did you know, according to Feeding America's Hunger Study, that 573,610 people in Mississippi are struggling with hunger, and of them, 163,530 are children. That's 1 in 4 children! Extra Table is helping to fill in these gaps while also being conscious of driving down obesity rates by providing healthy, nutrient dense foods. The foods that they provide to soup kitchens and food pantries across the state contain low-sugar fruits, lean proteins, whole grains, and no high fructose corn syrup.
There are multiple ways and opportunities that we can become involved in helping Extra Table's mission to end hunger. For news, updates, fundraisers, events, and how to become a volunteer, head to extratable.org.
Extra Table started in Hattiesburg, Mississippi by a hometown hero, Robert St. John. It all started in 2009 with a call from Edwards Street Fellowship Center. Edwards Street Fellowship Center helps about 800 families a month with basic pantry necessities. They had empty shelves and turned to Robert St. John for help.
Robert St. John has been in the restaurant world for over 40 years. He is the owner of Purple Parrot, Crescent City Grill, Mahogany Bar, Branch, Tabella, Ed's Burger Joint, The Midtowner, and Midtown Donut in Hattiesburg. He made a phone call to Sysco Foods, but realized a problem. The food from Sysco is packaged in massive quantities- perfect for a restaurant, but difficult for a family to use. After a lot of searching he was able to place an order that would be useful to the pantry.
St. John first had to wrap his head around the idea that hunger is an issue in Mississippi today. Moved by this phone call and revalation, he got to work. "As I travelled to other agencies similar to Edwards Street, I began to see the face of hunger in my state. I learned that there are seniors living on Social Security checks and fixed incomes who are- at this very moment- trying to decide between paying the electricity bill or going to the grocery store to purchase food. I met single, working mothers who were holding down two jobs trying to keep their children fed. Worst of all, I met children who were eating a school breakfast, a school lunch, and not eating again until the next day" says St. John on Extra Table's website.
Robert St. John went to Sysco and asked a simple but profound question that started a movement. "What if every business and home had an extra table where they could feed those in need? What would that look like?" This is when Extra Table was started.
Did you know, according to Feeding America's Hunger Study, that 573,610 people in Mississippi are struggling with hunger, and of them, 163,530 are children. That's 1 in 4 children! Extra Table is helping to fill in these gaps while also being conscious of driving down obesity rates by providing healthy, nutrient dense foods. The foods that they provide to soup kitchens and food pantries across the state contain low-sugar fruits, lean proteins, whole grains, and no high fructose corn syrup.
There are multiple ways and opportunities that we can become involved in helping Extra Table's mission to end hunger. For news, updates, fundraisers, events, and how to become a volunteer, head to extratable.org.
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