ST. LANDRY PARISH — Brashawnee Johnson says an act of kindness meant to help families in need turned emotional after nearly $1,800 worth of donated food disappeared from a community fridge and pantry in less than an hour.
The community fridge and pantry, located along South Court Street in Opelousas, was created to provide free meals, groceries and basic food items.
Johnson said she first learned about the project through social media and immediately wanted to help.
“I seen this on Facebook… I said I'm gonna go fill that fridge up when I get back to town,” Johnson said. Johnson, who recently launched a nonprofit called The Village Foundation, said she spent nearly $1,800 filling the fridge and pantry with groceries, snacks and ready-to-eat food items.
She said she purchased items for people who may not have access to a home, electricity or a stove.
“I bought peanut butter and jelly, crackers, vienna sausages… things like that to where if you don't have anything to cook it, you can still eat,” Johnson said. But less than an hour after stocking the fridge, Johnson said the shelves were empty.
“When I opened the fridge and saw it completely empty, I just started crying again. I could not believe 3 to 4 people took all of this,” Johnson said. Johnson said she is not trying to judge the people who took the food because she understands many families may be struggling in ways others cannot see.
Still, she said it was heartbreaking watching other people arrive looking for food after the pantry had already been cleared out.
Beth Jones, co-chair of the community giving fridge and pantry, said organizers understand why some people may take more food than others.
“We want you to take what you need to eat… sometimes when you're hungry you don't know where your next meal is gonna come from… so you might see people take more than one meal because they're scared and they don't know where the next meal is gonna come from,” Jones said. Jones said situations like this are not uncommon for community fridges, especially as food insecurity continues to impact families across the region.
Jones says she is grateful for Johnson's contribution and hopes more people can donate.
“That's such a wonderful thing to pay it forward like that… but people are hungry, so the food doesn't last long… they say the same thing in Lafayette — food doesn't last more than an hour or two,” Jones said. She also noted that organizers cannot always know the circumstances of the people taking the food.
Jones says they working with police to make sure things run smoothly.
“The Opelousas Police Department is going to start patrolling more often… we do have cameras to watch the feeds to see if it is being abused,” Jones said. Despite the emotional experience, Johnson said she still plans to donate again and hopes the community continues supporting the effort to help families in need.
Despite Johnson's experience, she says she plans to donate again to help those in need.
If you would like to make a large donation to the giving fridge, you can contact the St. Landry Chamber Foundation here.
