In 1983, a group of concerned and compassionate people
recognized the need for a food bank --- a warehouse facility that would
accumulate, store and distribute food and household items for charities that
would make the final distribution to needy people in the community. The reason a
warehouse was needed was the charities did not have enough space to store in
large quantities. When the food bank opened its doors in April 1984, it had 37
donors, 8 member agencies, and 2,300 pounds of food.
From a meager beginning in a 4,000 square foot converted church
and abandoned fire station, the Mississippi Food Network has grown to over
80,000 square feet in space. The primary space is a 62,000 square foot main
warehouse and office building, which was purchased in 1996. In the year 2003, a
20,000 square foot building became available across the street from the main
warehouse.
The Network serves over 415 churches and 501(c)3
nonprofit agencies in Mississippi and serves more than 125,000 people each month.
Through the years, there have been
over 100 individual board members and four
Executive Directors. Jessie Morris served from 1984 to 1990. Barbara Barnes
served in an interim capacity in 1990-1991. John Alford has served the food bank
as Executive Director from May 1991 through Dec. 2005, and Walker Satterwhite
has served as Executive Director since January 2006.
From its beginning in 1984, when 139,000 pounds were
distributed, to 2012, when more than 16.5 million pounds were distributed, the work goes on.
