March of the Mayors
Extra Table is the partnership launched in 2009 by well-known restaurateur Robert St. John making a difference in the lives of Mississippians by fundraising in order to stock food pantries and soup kitchens across the state with wholesome nutritious food.
Although the Mardi Gras season looked different on the coast this year, Extra Table is choosing to continue celebrating the festive season in a meaningful way by feeding our hungry neighbors through a new and social-distanced partnership of coastal cities, the March of the Mayors, an informed and educated answer to a canned food drive.
Extra Table does not host or participate in canned food drives typically due to the fact that many times, while the food collected is necessary for pantry use and community support, it is processed, high fat, expired, sugary or items that are not easy to prepare. By participating in the March of the Mayors, you can rest assured that healthy and beneficial foods will go straight to the plates of those who need it most. Our mission is to provide our pantries with the new and healthy food that they desperately need in order to keep their community fed.
The March of the Mayors is a 4-week-long event driven by donations of specific food items that will benefit Extra Table’s eight partner pantries across the Gulf Coast. Each participating city is collecting one specific item that will be dropped off at different locations. Food collection for the event will begin on Friday, February 12th and end on Friday, March 12th, with a final outdoor box packing to take place Friday, March 12th at 12 noon at the Lyman Community Center. Each city has set up drop-off points where citizens can drop off their donation of their city’s specified food item. After collecting the one assigned food item for the month, each city will transport the food in bulk to Lyman Community Center (13472 US 49, Gulfport). Extra Table will set up an assembly line to pack boxes with each of the seven cities’ items. At the end of the food boxing, Extra Table will divide the number of boxes packed by participating cities giving equal amounts of food to each of Extra Table’s coastal pantry partners. Pantries will then be able to distribute the boxes packed with healthy shelf-stable food to their clients.
Getting the best food to the most people — that is what we do at Extra Table. At a time when our pantries are seeing a 30-50% increase in demand for food, we are encouraged by the unity of cities rallying to feed their people. Your support will ensure that many hungry coastal Mississippians will receive healthy food. The March of the Mayors is one of the many endeavors that Extra Table is undertaking to continue to supply much-needed healthy food to pantry and soup kitchen partners along the coast. Currently, Extra Table has established partnerships with Extend a Hand of Gulfport, Loaves & Fishes of Biloxi, Long Beach Food Pantry of Long Beach, The Lord is My Help of Ocean Springs, Catholic Charities of Waveland, Our Mother of Mercy Church Food Pantry of Pass Christian, and the Hancock County Food Pantry of Bay St. Louis.
Extra Table executive Director, Martha Allen says, “We are so excited to launch the March of the Mayors during a time when the need for food is greater than ever and only continuing to increase. We are honored that all 9 mayors are on board for this event, and we know that it will be an extremely impactful event for Extra Table, our partner agencies, and so many Mississippians. Let the good times, and the canned food, roll!”
If you live in one of these coastal counties, make sure to get involved by DONATING food, DONATING via the Extra Table website where you can safely sponsor a food box to feed an individual/family, or VOLUNTEERING! Don’t live in a coastal county? We would love to see you volunteering at our box backing day, OR you can always donate by visiting our website! When you donate to Extra Table, 100% of your donation goes straight toward food purchasing and $1 donated provides 5.9 healthy meals to Mississippians!
To learn more about the efficient and effective way Extra Table works to feed our hungry neighbors, visit www.ExtraTable.org or call 601-264-0672. We are always looking to grow and increase our abilities to feed more people. Supportive donors are needed to ensure continued growth, visit www.ExtraTable.org/donate to become a partner in ending hunger in Mississippi.
