AmeriCorps volunteers help Good Food Project harvest potatoes in North Alexandria

Melinda Martinez, Alexandria Town Talk
·2 min read
Volunteers with the AmeriCorps program at the Food Bank of Central Louisiana help with distributions, community outreach, the mobile food pantry, packing food boxes. Last week they helped harvest potatoes at the annual potato harvest at the community garden on Ashley Avenue. The garden is sponsored by the Good Food Project, a program of the Food Bank.

The North Annual Potato Dig on Ashley Avenue has become an annual tradition.  The event is sponsored by the Good Food Project, a program of the Food Bank of Central Louisiana.

“Volunteers are invited to come and harvest potatoes,” said Frances Boudreaux, GFP director. This year 11 AmeriCorps volunteers helped harvest potatoes and distribute neighborhood residents.

“We also have a fish fry to foster fellowship in the community,” said Boudreaux.

Don Bollock, the community volunteer who manages the garden, is the one who fries the fish.  Potatoes that were left over were taken to the Food Bank where they were distributed to clients. The AmeriCorps program at the Food Bank helps with distributions, community outreach, the mobile food pantry, packing food boxes and helping GFP, said supervisor Ashton Ling.

Tracy Williams (bottom left), sister-in-law of Don Bollock who manages the community garden on Ashley Avenue, and David Marshall (top left) and Julian Jones, two AmeriCorps volunteers, sort potatoes they just harvested into bags for distribution to community members.
Tracy Williams (bottom left), sister-in-law of Don Bollock who manages the community garden on Ashley Avenue, and David Marshall (top left) and Julian Jones, two AmeriCorps volunteers, sort potatoes they just harvested into bags for distribution to community members.

“Days like today we’ll do a day of service where they’ll help out the garden program so we can give back to the community,” he said.

The 11 volunteers at the potato dig consisted of three disabled veterans, four high school or recent high school graduates, college students and a few people who are trying to get back on their feet, said Ling.

One of those volunteers is 34-year-old Rogdrick Basco.

“I’m in a different chapter in my life,” he said about why he volunteered with AmeriCorps. “I haven’t always done the right thing and I decided that this will be one of my first jobs, giving back.”

He said he had a sister and aunt who worked for Americorps and his mother once worked for Volunteers of America.

Americorps does many things, said Ling. They are all over the country and work with other non-profits and do what they can to be helpful.

For more information about AmeriCorps, visit https://americorps.gov/join For the program specifically at the Food Bank of Central Louisiana, visit fbcenla.org/americorps 

This article originally appeared on Alexandria Town Talk: AmeriCorps help Good Food Project harvest potatoes in North Alexandria