The problem is well known.
It’s the solution that makes the difference.
Specifically – a different idea to address food insecurity. Consider how a nonprofit is addressing hunger in Mississippi. According to Hunger Free America, nearly half a million people in the state are food insecure, making it the second hungriest state in the nation.
In Hattiesburg, an organization called Extra Table is going the extra mile to tackle the issue. It started in 2009 when restaurateur Robert St. John launched an effort to use food-delivery organizations that service restaurants to serve food pantries as well. It sounds simple enough, but it’s actually a tremendous solution to a common problem affecting food banks nationwide.
With the time and resources it takes to collect food, the reality was that volunteer efforts to sort the collections, get rid of expired cans, and match up certain foods that need to be paired with other foods, meant there just wasn’t enough manpower and coordination to adequately support food banks. That’s why Extra Table changed the model.
No one should be hungry, and people cannot grow and prosper when they are held back by hunger.
Will Easterling, Hattiesburg market executive for Regions Bank
“We fight hunger differently,” said Martha Allen, Extra Table’s executive director. “With a financial donation to Extra Table, we can stretch the contribution further and provide healthy, shelf stable food in bulk to our partners. We listened to our partner food banks when they said they needed more, and Extra Table responded to provide the best food to the most people.”
The organization recently sponsored its inaugural Farm to Fork Ride or Run to raise money. This wasn’t your typical fundraiser. Instead, along with the miles covered through a sponsored bike ride, it also showcased the best in culinary cuisine – and the types of fresh food Extra Table provides. Regions Bank was a key community sponsor.
“No one should be hungry, and people cannot grow and prosper when they are held back by hunger,” said Will Easterling, Hattiesburg market executive for Regions Bank. “The Farm to Fork event was a wonderful opportunity to see our community come together in a new way to raise money for Extra Table while helping address food insecurity. Our mission as a company is to make life better. Our core values focus on doing what’s right. So our support of Extra Table and the Farm to Fork Ride or Run was another opportunity to put our bank’s mission and values into action.”
The Regions team included associates Jeremy DesCombes, left, Alexis Rutland, center, and Will Easterling, right.
In addition to financial support, Regions organized a team of runners and cyclists to participate. Easterling, an avid cyclist, was joined by Regions associates Alexis Rutland, a mortgage loan originator, and Jeremy DesCombes, a training specialist at Regions’ Hattiesburg Loan Operations Center. Easterling and Rutland cycled a 34-mile path, while DesCombes focused on a 62-mile course that included many hills.
The funding raised? More than $65,000 – to purchase healthy food for Extra Table’s partnering food pantries across Mississippi.
Rutland said the impact is one of the reasons she chose to participate.
“Every penny goes to food,” Rutland said. “I’ve been personally supporting Extra Table for a few years now, and it is amazing the difference the organization is making here and beyond.”
DesCombes is new to cycling – a hobby he discovered during COVID-19 while recovering from a knee replacement.
“It is the experience of being in a community of cyclists,” DesCombes said. “When I found out Regions was a sponsor and had a team, I wanted to ride with Regions. I was proud to wear the Regions jersey and help raise awareness for a great need in our community.”
Jeremy DesCombes, left, and Will Easterling, right, said the Farm to Fork event was an opportunity to see old friends and meet new ones. “We’re making plans for our next ride together,” DesCombes said. “The Regions team is keeping it going to support other great causes.”
Our support of Extra Table and the Farm to Fork Ride or Run was another opportunity to put our bank’s mission and values into action.
Will Easterling, Hattiesburg market executive for Regions Bank
The Farm to Fork Ride or Run complements other initiatives by Regions Bank and the Regions Foundation, a nonprofit initiative that supports community investments, to serve those who need food.
“During COVID-19, the spotlight on hunger shined brighter than ever,” Easterling said. “Our teams at Regions and the Regions Foundation were very active to help people meet very basic needs as life came to a halt because of the pandemic. We recognize more work has to be done, but organizations like Extra Table are going the extra mile to distribute quality food to people and give them hope.”
For every dollar donated to Extra Table, six healthy meals can be distributed. Extra Table provides high-protein foods like tuna and peanut butter, fresh vegetables and other quality foods to food pantries across Mississippi. Importantly, they are foods that Extra Table chooses not only to provide nourishment – but also to provide dignity and respect to those in need.
“Without the support from Regions Bank and other corporate sponsors, the Farm to Fork event wouldn’t have happened,” said Rhonda Hayden, director of development at Extra Table. “We are grateful to the businesses that believe in our mission and what we are trying to do to provide healthy, shelf stable food to hungry Mississippians.”