The Food Bank of Covington, Louisiana, Inc.

TAX ID 72-1028549

The Food Bank of Covington was started by St. Peter’s St. Vincent de Paul Society in 1984 at 432 N. Columbia Street and grew and moved to our present location at 840 N. Columbia Street in downtown Covington.

In 1997, we were serving St. Tammany Parish and served approximately 6-8 families the three days we were opened.  Our Deceased Director, Deacon Joe Lazo, a retired attorney from Crown-Zellerbach Paper Company in Bogalusa, witnessed the large population of poor in Washington Parish and enlarged our service area to include Tangipahoa and Washington Parishes.  These are two of the lowest income level parishes in the state. We are the largest 501C-3 on the North Shore serving St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, and Washington Parishes.  The number of families served increased from 6-8 to 20-30 families a day.  After Katrina, we were serving 90-120 families and now are still serving 60-80 families.

We are not just a Food Bank, we are the All Saints Ministries consisting of The Covington, St. Vincent de Paul Society, All Saints Dental Clinic and the All Saints Thrift store which allow the needy to get a free voucher to shop; we are the only ministry like it in the United States. We provide food, assistance with rent, utilities, medications, clothing and dental care for the working poor in one location.  We also provide motel nights for homeless and abused families; they receive gas vouchers to help them reach family or friends.

We do not receive any Federal, State or City funding; we operate on donations, fund raisers, grants and rely heavily on the goodwill of our many volunteer staff members.   It is unfortunate that most people think of St. Tammany as a rich parish.  It is, but there are many poor and homeless among us.   

Other outreach programs provide school supplies and uniforms and we have a Christmas program which helps over 300 children have a Christmas.