October 31, 2025; Jonah Gilmore
As many people wait for SNAP benefits to hit their cards, the community is stepping up and getting creative to fight food insecurity.
Across Southeast Louisiana, from candy bowls to grocery store counters, community members and local organizations are finding new ways to support families in need.
This Halloween, some folks are putting a new twist on their candy bowls, adding non-perishables alongside the sweets.
“I’ve seen it on social media yesterday,” said Angela Kennard.
A post turned into a call to action as Kennard saw social media putting a twist on Halloween’s tricks.
“You have kids that don’t know necessarily where their next meal comes from, and having something in a bowl that they can pick, either some SpaghettiO’s, ramen noodles, tuna. Just something that they may like, that’s a great concept,” Kennard said.
The small gestures reflect something bigger, a community determined to look out for one another, one meal at a time.
“I think it’s a really good idea for community to support the different food insecurity right now. I also think it’s kind of sad that it comes to that,” said Sean Young.
The mission to help out is also expanding to different companies.
The Goodwill of Southeast Louisiana launched a campaign, donating proceeds from their register round up to Second Harvest Food Bank.
“There’s a large number in our communities that depend on food banks,” said Goodwill SELA’s vice president of mission services, Scottie LeBlanc
Shoppers visiting Goodwill stores throughout November can “round up” their purchases to the nearest dollar, with every cent going directly to Second Harvest. Each dollar donated helps provide meals to children, families, and seniors across the region.
“On an average month, we’ll go $10 to $15,000 in register round up and those funds will go directly to Second Harvest,” LeBlanc said.
People want these small acts of kindness to mean more than just a meal. They want this to serve as a reminder that even in tough times, neighbors haven’t forgotten one another.
“They may just need to know in that moment that somebody care enough to make sure they can eat that night,” Kennard said.
The Goodwill SELA round up campaign will be taking place at all of their locations and runs through Nov. 30.