Wedding receptions, business banquets, and Broadway shows are just some of the events at the Houma Civic Center that can end with prepared food left untouched.  Instead of sending it to the trash, the Civic Center staff donates this extra food to the people who need it most.  Recently, an assortment of food, such as catfish, green bean casserole, rice dressing, salad, and chocolate cake from the Bayou Board of Realtors Luncheon and the Civic Center Development Corporation’s Dinner Club, was donated to the Bunk House Homeless Shelter in Houma.  

Civic Center Executive Chef Jim Sothern first came up with the idea to donate left over food around four years ago, along with Bunk House Co-Founder, Bobbie O’Bryan.  After a Bayou Bucks football game, over 200 hot dogs, as well as popcorn and pretzels, remained in the concession stand.  Neither man wanted to see the food go to waste, so O’Bryan, who is also a Houma Police sergeant, delivered the food to the shelter, and also to kids in Mechanicville.  Since then, Civic Center clients, in conjunction with Bunk House volunteers, have provided approximately 40,000 meals to people at the shelter, as well as The Haven, Beautiful Beginnings and MacDonnell United Methodist Children’s Services in Houma, and Chez Hope in Thibodaux.

According to O’Bryan, the number of people fed by food from the Civic Center, has increased by 2000 every year since the program was implemented.  While he estimates the clients of the Civic Center provided a total of 14,000 meals in 2004, the numbers dropped in 2005, due to its role as a hurricane shelter.  However, O’Bryan says the numbers are on the rise, and the facility has helped feed around 2000 people at the Bunk House so far in 2006. 

The donations are “event-driven,” meaning the quantity of food is dependent on the quantity or types of events held at the Civic Center.  If the event calls for catering, and there is food left over, the paying client has the option of taking it or allowing it to be donated to the Bunk House.  If the client chooses to donate the food, then volunteers from the Bunk House pick it up and deliver it out, sometimes to other local charities.  Chef Sothern says too, that donations slowed down last year due to the storms, but on average, food from the Civic Center is given out about 30 times a year. 

Numbers aside, O’Bryan says that the Civic Center has inspired other venues to donate food, like The Olive Garden, who donates unused pasta, and even Starbucks, who donates coffee.  He says, “I thank God for the Civic Center and its customers for helping the Bunk House feed its residents, until they’re able to fully live on their own.  It’s truly a blessing.”